2017 Tibor T. Polgar Fellowships

Proposal deadline: Monday, February 13, 2017

The Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship program is a student research program conducted through the Hudson River Foundation in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Named in honor of the late Dr. Tibor T. Polgar, a major contributor to the early development of the Foundation, this program provides a summertime grant ($3,800 for each fellowship) and research funds (up to $1,000) for eight college students to conduct research on the Hudson River. The objectives of the program are to gather important information on all aspects of the River and to train students in conducting scientific studies and public policy research.

For more information and application details, visit the Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship webpage.

A funded Ph.D. Graduate Assistant position starting in the fall 2017

semester is available in the research laboratory of Dr. Daniel Laughlin in

the Botany Department at the University of Wyoming. This project will

evaluate how plant traits moderate species responses to changing climate in

western US ecosystems. The successful applicant will demonstrate experience

and interests in plant population and community ecology, functional ecology,

and quantitative modelling. Interested applicants should email a statement

of interest, CV, contact information for three references, and copies of

transcripts and GRE scores (unofficial is okay) to

daniel.laughlin@waikato.ac.nz.

A 4-year PhD assistantship is available to study the population ecology, via

non-invasive genetics and demographic modeling, of American martens in the

Apostle Islands National Park.

Population ecology of American marten in an archipelagic refuge – the

Apostle Islands

A 4-year PhD research assistantship is available to study the ecology of one

of Wisconsin’s endangered species – American marten. The student will

combine field work on the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior with genetic

approaches in the laboratory and demographic/population modelling to explore

the distribution, origin and viability of this cryptic population of

American martens. This assistantship will include 2-3 months of fieldwork on

the remote islands. The student will be advised by Forest & Wildlife Ecology

professor Jonathan Pauli and in collaboration with researchers at the

National Park Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, US Forest

Service and Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. Note that

additional field, laboratory or modeling components could be added depending

on shared interests and funding opportunities. Funding for a 12-month

research assistantship and tuition remission is available for four years,

pending satisfactory progress.

Prospective students should have:

Solid working knowledge/experience in field ecology, laboratory approaches

(preferably genetic-based approaches) and population or community modeling;

A master’s degree in ecology, biology, conservation or related environmental

sciences (BS considered with equivalent demonstrated experience/expertise)

and;

Excellent English writing and verbal communication skills, as well as the

ability to work and lead a research team.

Stipend/Salary:

Current annual stipend levels are $22,081 per year before taxes, plus

tuition remission and health care benefits. A start date of approximately 1

September 2017 is envisioned.

Application Process:

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and review will continue until a

suitable candidate is chosen. Applications received before March 1, 2016

will be given full consideration. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an

equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We promote excellence through

diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. The position is

open to both US citizens and international candidates.

Interested applicants will need to submit an online application

<http://go.wisc.edu/r60afy> .

The application will ask for demographic information, test scores, previous

and current education, previous and current research experience, and contact

information for three references. Candidates will also need to upload (each

as a PDF): 1) a letter outlining research interests, goals, and academic and

professional background; 2) a resume or CV and; 3) unofficial transcripts

(all institutions combined into a single PDF).  Questions regarding

application materials should be directed to our Student Services

Coordinator, Sara Rodock (rodock@wisc.edu <mailto:rodock@wisc.edu> ).

Questions about the position (but not your application) should be directed

to Dr. Pauli (jnpauli@wisc.edu <mailto:jnpauli@wisc.edu> ).

University, Department, Labs:

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of the major research

universities in the United States (www.wisc.edu <http://www.wisc.edu> ). It

ranks 2nd in research expenditures among all U.S. universities and first

among public universities. Total student enrollment is 41,500, out of which

8,800 are graduate students. Employees include 2,000 faculty. UW-Madison has

a long history of excellence in ecology, conservation biology, and wildlife

biology. The Pauli Lab is a vertebrate and field ecology lab interested in

population and community ecology, especially as it relates to conservation

and management (see more at our website:

Community:

Madison, Wisconsin consistently ranks as one of the best places in the

United States to live, work, and study. It is Wisconsin’s capital city, with

a vibrant metropolitan population of approximately 500,000 that combines

small town charm with a nice variety of leisure and cultural opportunities.

For more information on campus and town see:

http://www.wisc.edu/about/location.php.

Dear Colleagues,

Please share this call for applications with interested students. Some
of the potential mentors work on a range of topics in evolutionary
biology, including behavior, evolutionary ecology, evolutionary
genetics, mathematical modeling of biological systems, and
extremophiles and exobiology.

Environmental Science and Policy in the Nation’s Capital

An NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program at
Georgetown University

Summer 2017

Georgetown University’s REU Site program in Environmental Science and
Policy in the Nation’s Capital is seeking talented and engaged
undergraduate students.  This ten-week program will bring a cohort of
ten students to Washington, D.C. to conduct hands-on research in
environmental science at Georgetown University and to take part in a
mini-curriculum that builds research skills and also explores the
intersections of science and public policy.  Participating research
mentors have expertise in fields including behavior,
ecology, conservation biology, evolutionary ecology, evolutionary
genetics, mathematical modeling of biological systems, hydrology,
statistics for environmental and biological studies, and earth
science.  See mentor research descriptions on the program web site.
Interested students are encouraged to contact potential mentors
directly.

The 2017 program will run from May 31 – August 5.  Students will be
housed on the Georgetown campus and will receive a $5250 stipend plus
an allowance for food.  To be eligible, applicants must be U. S.
citizens or permanent residents, full-time students as of August, 2017,
and available to participate full-time during the program.  We are
striving for a diverse group, so students from groups typically
underrepresented in STEM fields are strongly encouraged to apply.

Review of applications will begin on February 17, 2017 and will be
accepted on a continuing until all positions are filled.

For more information on the program and to apply, visit:
http://reuenvscigeorgetown.weebly.com/

For inquiries, contact the program manager Dr. Manus Patten
(mmp64@georgetown.edu), the principal investigator Dr. Matthew
B. Hamilton (matthew.hamilton@georgetown.edu), or co-principal
investigator Dr. Martha Weiss (weissm@georgetown.edu).

Applications are now open for our NSF funded Research Experience
for Undergraduate (REU) program, Models in Evolution, Ecology and
Systematics.  The program will take place May 22-July 28 2017 in the
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of
Kansas. In this ten week program, students will participate in mentored,
independent research and receive training in research support skills.
“Models” is broadly interpreted to include not only building of
theoretical models, but also testing of models (empirical work). More
information on projects is available at http://eebreu.ku.edu.

Students will be provided with a generous stipend, housing and meals,
and travel to the program. Review of applications begins February 15,
2017 and will continue until all positions are filled. Students must
have completed one semester of college level work (including community
college), must plan to be enrolled in an undergraduate program during
the fall of 2017, and be US citizens or permanent residents. Biology,
math and computer science majors are encouraged to apply.

Former students have been highly successful at continuing on to graduate
school and obtaining the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.  Review of
applications begins February 15 and will continue until all positions
are filled.  Questions may be addressed to eebreu@ku.edu.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is emerging as an important biofuel
candidate in the United States. Our labs (see list of collaborators
below) collectively study the ecology, genetics/genomics, physiology
and agronomy/plant breeding of Switchgrass. We are seeking a talented
and diverse group of undergraduate students interested in conducting a
variety of research in Switchgrass biology across the US.

Program description:
This program is an opportunity for undergraduate students to
participate in mentored independent research on the biology of
Switchgrass. The program is funded through the NSF Research Experience
for Undergraduates (REU) program and is associated with our ongoing
interdisciplinary work on the ecology, physiology, and genomic
responses of switchgrass to future climate change. Summer students
will be immersed in research and learn basic and applied biology
through active participation in primarily field-based work. Working as
part of our research team, they will contribute to group research
projects, design short research projects, and present their work in an
end-of-summer student symposium.

Each position is supported for 8-10 weeks beginning the first week of
June. Students are awarded a $4500 stipend, plus a housing and food
allowance, and some funds to help defray the cost of traveling to the
designated University.

Who Should Apply:
Undergraduates that are not in their senior year (typically 1st to 3rd
year students), who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents
studying in the U.S.

Application process:
The application deadline is February 19, 2017. Applicants should
submit a 1-page cover letter describing any relevant research
experience, along with their motivation for joining our research
group, and include a copy of their current transcript (unofficial
transcript or screenshots are acceptable). Applicants should also
ensure that two letters of recommendation are submitted on their
behalf. Only applications that are complete will be considered.
Applications and requests for further information should be directed
to:

Dr. Brandon Campitelli
e-mail: brandon.campitelli@utexas.edu
Subject: Switchgrass REU 2017

For more information regarding this opportunity, and ongoing research,
please visit our website:
https://sites.cns.utexas.edu/juenger_lab/summer-research-opportunities

Happy New Year from the team at Green Corps! As you may know, Green Corps combines classroom training on advocacy and organizing skills with real-world experience. We partner with established groups like Environment America and the Wilderness Society to build and mobilize public support for their campaigns. I’m excited to share this opportunity with your students and encourage them to apply. Our early application deadline is January 20th. Thank you for your help, Joshua Buswell-Charkow Green Corps Executive Director Apply today at GreenCorps.org! We’re the Field School for Environmental Organizing Are you passionate about the environment? Are you ready to learn how to run campaigns to help solve the climate crisis or save our last wild places? We offer a year-long, paid training program that will prepare you for a career in environmental organizing. Here’s how it works: Part One: Classroom Training You’ll participate in eight weeks of intensive classroom training conducted by representatives from a wide range of organizations and campaigns. Our staff and trainers present overviews on the biggest issues facing our environment as well as teaching our organizers a variety of valuable skills such as volunteer recruitment, campaign planning, public speaking and much more. Part Two: Field Training on Real Campaigns As a Green Corps organizer, you’ll receive the bulk of your training through hands-on experience working on behalf of organizations such as the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society and Food & Water Watch. Job responsibilities include recruiting, training and supervising volunteers; organizing visibility events; securing media coverage; and building strong coalitions. You’ll lead three to five different campaigns in communities across the country. By working with several different campaign partners, you’ll gain experience tackling a diversity of issues and working with a variety of individuals. For example, a team of organizers recently helped run a campaign that persuaded Kellogg’s, the cereal company, to pressure its supplier of palm oil to stop destroying tropical forests. Other Green Corps organizers have played critical roles in the retirement of over a dozen coal-fired power plants on the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. Part Three: Launch Your Career After completing the training program, Green Corps connects graduates to groups looking to hire full-time staff. Our alumni now work with organizations such as Environment America, Greenpeace, Corporate Accountability International, Rainforest Action Network, National Wildlife Federation, 350.org and NRDC, among others. Location And Compensation The target annual compensation for this position is $26,000. Green Corps offers a competitive bene ts package. We also offer an excellent training program and opportunities for advancement. Green Corps organizers go where the fight is and wherever they can make the biggest impact. They could work on campaigns almost anywhere in the country and while location preferences are considered for placements, we require all organizers to be geographically flexible. Green Corps is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status.

The Helton Lab seeks a PhD student at The University of Connecticut, advised by Dr. Ashley Helton (ashley.helton@uconn.edu; www.ashleyhelton.weebly.com).

The student’s project will focus on understanding headwater stream carbon dynamics and their response to rising temperatures at the stream reach and river network scales.  The student will work closely with PIs and students at collaborating universities and will have opportunities to travel to field sites in North Carolina.  Prior experience in GIS, simulation modeling (or a strong quantitative background), and stream or landscape ecology preferred.

The position includes a competitive stipend, tuition, and health insurance.=20=20

To apply, e-mail Dr. Helton a 1 page description of your research interests.

Please also send your CV (including GPA and GRE scores), a recent transcript (unofficial is OK), and names and contact information of three

references.

Fauna Forever, a non-profit organization leading projects in the rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon since 1997, is looking for field research interns to assist its international team of conservation biologists, botanists, science photographers, geographers, and educators with numerous field research projects (biodiversity, ecosystem services, climate change), natural resource management planning, native community development, green business development, and global outreach initiatives.

At present we are particularly keen on identifying interns (students or recent graduates) who would like to assist us with Neotropical herpetology (amphibian and reptile), ornithology, botany, science photography, and community-based natural resource management projects for periods of between one to three months, starting any time after 1st March 2017. In addition, for those students looking to undertake an independent research project, perhaps as part of their thesis or dissertation requirements, we have identified a series of studies the results of which would contribute to our work (please find the list of studies below). Expert training in field study methods and post- doctoral-level supervision of projects is provided by our team.

Note: Due to the limited nature of our central funds, successful intern applicants will need to cover their in-country costs associated with food, accommodation, local transport, training and supervision, wifi access, equipment use, etc. in Puerto Maldonado (our base-camp city) and at field sites. A 6-week stay for instance would cost around US$3,000 (US$71 per day). We strongly encourage data collected by student interns to be published in peer-reviewed journals. All field assistants are also acknowledged in our own publications. A knowledge of Spanish is not required, as all of our staff speak English. Energy, enthusiasm, attention to detail, and working well as part of a diverse, international team, is a must!

DISSERTATION-TYPE RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

Mammals

=95 To what extent does primate group size and home-range size vary with forest type and fruit resource composition and availability in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How and why does the relative abundance of rodents (like agoutis, pac= as and squirrels) vary within and between forest sites in Amazonian Peru, based on seed removal experiments?

=95 How does ecotourism, Brazil nut extraction, timber extraction, and/or bush-

meat hunting by local communities affect the diversity, abundance and activity patterns of mammals in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How habituated to the presence of humans are mammal species at increasing distances from ecotourist lodges, research stations, and rural villages in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the geophagy (clay-eating) activity patterns in rainforest mammals vary from place to place in Amazonian Peru, based on camera-trap methods and direct observations?

Birds

=95 How do the characteristics (species composition, abundance, home-rang= e size)=20 of mixed-species bird flocks differ between forest types in Amazonian Per= u?

=95 How does the abundance of oropendola, cacique, macaw, parrot and other flocking bird species differ as the distance from human settlements increases in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the diversity and abundance of nocturnal raptors (family=20 Strigidae), based on transect and call-count station sampling methods, differ between sites in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the flower-visitation rate of hummingbirds vary between flowering plant and bird species, and between forest types (areas of differing forest structure and floristics) in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the species and colony size of army ants (e.g. Eciton sp.) affect the community of insectivorous birds that follow army ant swarms?

Herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles)

=95 How does the abundance of Dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus sp.) vary between forest streams and main river channels in Amazonian Peru, and what stream/river characteristics help explain any difference observed?

=95 How and why does the mean size and weight of amphibian and reptile species differ within and between sites in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does forest structure and light gap characteristics affect the diversity, abundance and behavior of lizards in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the size and position of temporary ponds made from natural and artificial materials affect the amphibian species that use them?

=95 What is the herpetological conservation value of Brazil-nut midden pi= les in=20 Amazonian Peru?

Invertebrates

=95 Is there a relationship between dung-beetle biomass and mammal biomas= s in=20 Amazonian Peru?

=95 How abundant are phoretic mites on dung-beetles in Amazonian Peru, an= d what=20 factors affect this abundance?

=95 What is the =93perfect=94 bait mixture for attracting the most diverse assemblage of butterflies to Van Someron-Rydon-type live traps in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How diverse is the insect community (with an emphasis on a particular Order, like beetles) that inhabits Guadua bamboo thickets as compared with=20 neighboring forest types (without bamboo) in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the community of microscopic animals and plants found in temporary water bodies (such as those found in bromeliads, tree trunks, the holes left by fallen trees) vary across sites in Amazonian Peru? Microscopy equipmen= t is=20 available on site

Botany and Carbon

=95 What tree seedlings regenerate naturally in the forest gaps made duri= ng the=20 process of selective harvesting of tropical timber trees in Amazonian Peru, and is there a relationship to the extracted tree species?

=95 How does the productivity of trees differ between forest types, as measured by biomass of falling leaves, fruit, and flowers in Amazonian Peru?

=95 What is the relationship between the abundance of key-stone fruiting tree species and the abundance of fruit-eating mammal and bird species in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the size distribution of big trees like Dipteryx, Brazil nut, Ceiba, and Fig trees differ between forest plots in conservation areas, as compared to timber concessions and close to local communities in Amazonian Peru?

=95 What is the soil carbon content in seasonally flooded palm swamps and how does it compare to the soil carbon in terra firme forest types in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the estimated above ground carbon content of trees in 0.05-h= a plots=20 vary across a gradient from seasonally-flooded forest to non-flooding terra firme forest in Amazonian Peru?

For more information, to request an application form, and to send us your CV/Resume, please contact us at info@faunaforever.org

Applications can also be made via our institutional Facebook page=20 (http://www.facebook.com/notes/fauna-forever/application-form-volunteers-and-

interns/1041868142502124).

Many thanks!