Job Description:  The USDA, Agriculture Research Service, Northern Plains Agriculture Research Laboratory in Sidney, MT is seeking an enthusiastic and hard-working individual to serve as a biological science aide.  Our research focuses on grassland insect and rangeland ecology; specifically how interactions between grasshoppers and Mormon crickets affect Mormon cricket and grasshopper diets, insect immunity to pathogens, and grassland health. Work may include sampling grasshoppers, Mormon crickets, and other rangeland insects in large scale experiments, sampling rangeland plants, setting up and conducting manipulative experiments in the field and lab.  Most field work will be conducted in subalpine meadows at 9000 feet elevation in the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming. A willingness to drive on overnight travel to sites in Wyoming will be required.

Salary: $11.68 – 12.74 per hour (GS-2 – GS-3) dependent on experience and education.  Dorm-style, shared housing is available on location for approximately $150 per month, including utilities, internet and basic cable TV.

Dates: Starting May 12 – June 9 and continuing through the end of August to the end of October, depending on a candidate’s availability.

Qualifications: The candidate must be a US citizen.  Additionally, the candidate should be physically fit, able to walk rapidly over rangeland, and comfortable spending long hours outside at high elevation. The candidate will need a driver’s license.  Willingness to work long days, and some weekends when necessary is also a must.  Undergraduate course work in ecology, entomology, range or environmental sciences, and previous field work experience is preferred, but not required.

Application process: Please send cover letter, resume, and names and contact information of two references (electronically) to Robert Srygley (robert.srygley@ars.usda.gov).  Be sure to include available start and end dates. In your cover letter and please describe any experience or coursework you have in relevant areas such as field ecology, entomology, or plant identification In your cover letter or resume.

Evaluation of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For more information on the grasshopper and Mormon cricket research program visit: https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=www.ars.usda.gov%2Fpa%2Fnparl%2Frsrygley&data=02%7C01%7Ceric.schultz%40uconn.edu%7Ca8945301eab54c7fdff408d69ef913ea%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C636871190030243179&sdata=aBa8TTM7tj6eZBOIHGqM5WET7T7GSjEDBFYHFDfcIos%3D&reserved=0 or contact us directly.

We have one REU position available for a student to conduct a research project within a large-scale, replicated experiment on conservation corridors in South Carolina throughout the summer of 2019.  The REU will be mentored by Dr. John Orrock (Associate Professor at UW-Madison) and Savannah Bartel (PhD student at UW-Madison, Orrock Lab member).

We will work with the student to develop a project centered around the general question: “How does patch geometry modify predator-prey interactions and the foraging decisions of mammalian prey?” Within this general framework, the REU will have the opportunity to select specific questions and hypotheses to test.

The REU will conduct fieldwork over the summer of 2019 (~May-August). The student will receive a stipend ($6000), along with an offset to living expenses ($600). All research expenses will be covered. The student will live close to our field station (USFS Savannah River), near Aiken, SC.

Interested undergraduates should contact Savannah Bartel (bartel2@wisc.edu) with a copy of their CV or resume, a brief statement of interest (~1 paragraph), and the contact information of one reference.

Applications due by March 18th.

MS opportunity: Clemson University’s Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, based in Georgetown, South Carolina, is seeking a highly motivated BS graduate to study mangrove ecosystem ecology at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in south Florida (Sanibel Island). This experimental research will assist scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in linking nutrient amendment (N and P) as a physiological stress to water use in the refuge’s 3 mangrove species.  This research will contribute to larger questions related to soil CO2 flux, net ecosystem exchange of carbon, and forest growth as part of how the capacity for carbon sequestration changes as nutrients are added to the Caloosahatchee River upstream of the refuge into the future. Methodology will involve and require that the successful candidate have instrumentation skills and can utilize Dynamax sap flow equipment (heat dissipation technique), Li-6800 (transpiration, net photosynthesis, and stomatal conductance), Li-8100 (soil gas flux), and atmospheric data from a nearby weather station after an appropriate training period. Federal DOI boating certification will be provided and required. A $17k annual stipend will be provided for up to 2.5 years but studies could progress into new hypothesis tests and ideas leading to the potential for a Ph.D. if additional funding can be found. Housing in south Florida for this project is provided (~1/3 of the time), but housing is the responsibility of the student while on campus when in residence at Clemson University in South Carolina (~2/3 of the time). If interested, email a short summary of your research interests, unofficial transcript(s), and your current CV to Dr. Jamie A. Duberstein (jdubers@clemson.edu).

MS in Biology: The Chabot, Doherty, Jolles, and Son labs at Plymouth State University are seeking graduate students to fill funded positions investigating horseshoe crab behavior and physiology, the genetics of atherosclerosis, plant ecology and evolution, and Vibrio cholera pathogenesis respectively. The positions include research assistantships and tuition waivers. Research and course work will take place in or near beautiful Plymouth, NH located in the White Mountains and Lakes Region of New Hampshire as well as at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, and Great Bay, NH. Expected outcomes include co-authorship in peer-reviewed scientific papers, presentations, and preparation of grant proposals.

If you are interested in applying for these positions, please see our research pages athttps://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=www.plymouth.edu%2Facademics%2Fundergraduate-academic-programs%2Fbiology%2Fbiology%2Ffaculty%2F&data=02%7C01%7Ceric.schultz%40uconn.edu%7Ca8945301eab54c7fdff408d69ef913ea%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C636871190030223169&sdata=jC%2F6nJtGtdvgFEXPIz7xncowxHqrZoW56juDu4cToFI%3D&reserved=0  and send (1) a short introductory email stating your research/career interests, (2) C.V.; (3) unofficial transcripts; and (4) a list of three references who are willing to write letters on your behalf as a single PDF file to Chris Chabot , Heather Doherty  Diana Jolles ddjolles@plymouth.edu, or Mike Son . Applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree in Biology or related field. Preference will be given to those who can begin in May or June, 2019. Review of applicants will begin immediately. Official transcripts and application will be required for admittance into PSU.

Ever wondered about how stress affects the body or why some individuals are more resilient than others?

If so, join our research team and learn more about it!

The Heidinger lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, ND, is seeking undergraduate students to participate in a project examining the long-term consequences of stress exposure in a local population of house sparrows. There is one full time National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) position and several volunteer positions. Duties will include manipulating stress exposure, monitoring parental behavior, checking nests, and measuring offspring growth. Successful applicants must be enthusiastic and motivated. They must work well independently and as part of a research team. If interested please email 1) a cover letter describing your interest in the project and previous research experience, 2) a resume, and 3) the names of two references to Rebecca Young (rebecca.c.young at ndsu.edu) by April 1, 2018. Positions will run May-August. Salary $500/week and housing will be provided.

Shoals Marine Lab (SML) is a summer institute and field station jointly run by Cornell and the University of New Hampshire on Appledore Island, Maine, offering summer courses and internships for undergraduates (https://http://www.shoalsmarinelaboratory.org/ ). Here are 3 things to know about SML:
1. SML offers a diversity credit courses each summer that provide field-based experiences you can’t find on campus. SML’s summer schedule is available now and pre-registration is open! View courses here: http://www.shoalsmarinelaboratory.org/courses/undergrad 
2. SML offers scholarships and student staff positions to offset the cost of tuition. Students enrolling in two or more courses also receive Multi-course Scholarships up to $3,000! View financial support and scholarship info here: http://www.shoalsmarinelaboratory.org/financial-support-scholarships. Merit scholarship applications are due March 1!
3. Research Apprenticeships and Research Internships at SML immerse students in the lab and field, with mentorship from faculty in SML’s research community. View research opportunities here: http://www.shoalsmarinelaboratory.org/student-research-internships. Internship applications are also due March 1!