Biology Jobs

Spring-summer Project Assistants (up to 9): Research the dynamics of mammalian communities and the relationships between mammals, ticks, Lyme disease ecology, tree seed survival, songbirds, and gypsy moths. Location is the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York’s Hudson River Valley. Duties include live-trapping small and medium mammals and reliably recording pertinent data, sampling abundance of ticks, tree seed collection, and laboratory assays of tick infection with the Lyme disease bacterium. Early morning and late afternoon hours. Prior experience handling small- or meso-mammals highly desirable. Desired dates of employment (35 hours/week) are approximately April 20 to November 1, 2009, although applicants available during summer college break are also welcome. Wage is commensurate with education and experience. On-site housing is available. EOE/AAD/Min/Fem/Vet/Disab. Consideration of applications will begin on March 1st. Please submit via email a letter of application, a resume, and the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references to:

Manager of Human Resources
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Job Ref# 09004
P.O. Box AB
Millbrook, NY 12545
E-mail: jobs@ecostudies.org

Be sure to cite Job Number 09004

Position reports to Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld.

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Richard S. Ostfeld, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Box AB, 2801 Sharon Turnpike
Millbrook, NY 12545 USA

845 677-7600, ext 136

rostfeld@caryinstitute.org
http://ecostudies.org/people_sci_ostfeld.html
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SUMMER 2009 Field Biology Courses and REU Internships; Mountain Lake Biological Station; MLBS.org

Mountain Lake Biological Station (University of Virginia) announces its summer field biology program:
1) Courses – Field-based undergraduate and graduate-level biology credit courses and workshops offered by nationally recruited faculty.
2) NSF REU-Sites Program – Undergraduate independent research internship program now in its 17th year. Work at MLBS focuses on field-based ecology, evolution, physiology, and behavior.

Courses web page: mlbs.org/courses.html

REU web page: mlbs.org/REU.html

Fliers to Distribute or Post:
mlbs.org/download/MLBS_Poster.pdf
mlbs.org/download/MLBS_Courses.pdf
mlbs.org/download/MLBS_REU_Poster.pdf

**** Learn all about Mountain Lake opportunities at MLBS.org ****

The Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research (CILER), administered by the University of Michigan, announces the 2009 Great Lakes Summer Student Fellowship Program. The 2009 program is hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and the U.S.Geological Survey’s (USGS) Great Lakes
Science Center.

We seek to fill* twenty-two (22)* full-time, twelve-week positions. Preference is given to currently enrolled or just-graduated undergraduates, although graduate student applications will also be considered. Successful applicants will receive a stipend of $5,750 for
the twelve-week fellowship.

Summer fellowships are available in a broad range of fields including Aquatic Ecology, Outreach and Communications, Maritime Archaeology, Data Analysis, Modeling, Marine Instrumentation, Oceanography, and Wetland Ecology. Program information is available online: http://ciler.snre.umich.edu/summerfellows.php.

Fellowship applications must contain:
1. a completed application form
2. a résumé
3. transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable and can be mailed or e-mailed separately)
4. one reference letter (can be sent electronically if it originates from the reference writer)

*E-mail applications to: GLsummerfellows@umich.edu

All application material is due *27-February, 2009*. Late applications will not be considered. Decisions about all positions will be made by *31-March, 2009.*

For specific questions about each opportunity, contact the individual mentors. These e-mail addresses are provided with the opportunity descriptions.

Title: Biological Science Technicians / Vegetation and Fish
Agency: NPS—Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network
Location: Patchogue, NY (Fire Island)

Job Description: Three Biological Science Technicians are needed to conduct field work as part of an ongoing salt marsh vegetation and nekton (fish) monitoring program within National Parks. Monitoring will be conducted this summer at Fire Island National Seashore (NY), and Sagamore Hill National Historical Site (NY). Duties include but are not limited to sampling salt marsh vegetation and fish species, building and maintaining sampling gear, setting up monitoring stations within salt marshes, recording and entering data, GPS/GIS data collection, quality control of data. Housing will be provided. Technicians will be paid at the GS-5 level.
Occasional travel required.

Qualifications: Field experience and knowledge of computer software (e.g. Microsoft Excel) is required, GPS experience preferred, experience operating motor boats a plus. Training will be provided, as needed. Must have valid drivers license and be willing to drive federal vehicles.

Field Conditions: Working conditions in the field will include traveling in four-wheeled vehicles on beaches, boating to research sites, working in summer heat and humidity, dealing with biting insects (mosquitoes and ticks), and spending long hours in hip boots. Technicians will work as a team.

Last date to apply: February 13, 2009
Website: www.USAJOBS.gov
Agency Contact Info:
Kathryn Aiello
Phone: 770-751-8638
Email: Kathryn_Aiello@nps.gov

Classification : Internship
Title : Field Ecology Intern
Agency : Conservation and Research Center, National Zoo, Smithsonian

Description: The Smithsonian Institution’s Conservation and Research Center is looking for 2-3 field research interns for a 5 month appointment (with possibility of extension) from May 2009 to September 2009. Duties will focus on vegetation surveys and invasive plant species surveys, but will also include camera trapping, small mammal trapping, white-tailed deer capture and radio telemetry, data entry, and GIS analysis.

Location : Front Royal, VA
Salary : $600/month stipend and free housing
Qualification : Applicant must have obtained a bachelors in wildlife biology, ecology or related field within the last 6 months. An applicant must be able to work outside in all types of field conditions. A good knowledge of Virginia’s plant species and their identification, as well as, previous field work and wild animal handling is highly regarded. To apply, please send cover letter, resume, unofficial transcripts, and contacts for three references to the email address below.

Start Date : May 2009
Application Deadline : February 21, 2009
Contact Person : Megan Baker
E-mail : crcecology@si.edu

Disease Ecology and Evolution Project Assistant (April-September) University of Pennsylvania

Full-time Project Assistants (paid) are needed for research on the ecology and evolution of the Lyme disease bacterium in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Research in the Brisson laboratory focuses on the evolving interactions among bacteria, ticks, and animal hosts, and Lyme disease prevalence. Duties include live-trapping small mammals and birds and sampling tick abundance and infection status. Early morning, moderately strenuous activity is required. Field research is conducted in small teams in Crow’s Nest Preserve, PA – about 45 minutes west of Philadelphia. Prior experience handling wild small mammals or birds is highly desirable; strong work ethic, meticulousness, and ability to work both independently and in small teams are required. The project offers research and learning experiences for Project Assistants, particularly with regard to the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases.

Desired dates of employment (35 hours/week): April 13 to September 12, 2009, although applicants available during summer break from college are also welcome. Wage is commensurate with education experience. Near-site housing is available.

Consideration of applications will begin on Feb 23rd. Please submit via email a brief letter of application, a resume, and the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references to:

Dustin Brisson
dbrisson@sas.upenn.edu

Department of Biology
University of Pennsylvania
Leidy Laboratories, 209
433 South University Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19104-6018
V:215.746.1731
F:215.898.8780

Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) invites undergraduates to apply to our 2009 “ROKS” Fall Study Away program. (Residential Opportunities at Kellogg Station) http://www.kbs.msu.edu/roks/

Each fall, 12 students join the KBS research community to Learn and Intern on the shores of beautiful Gull Lake. ROKS combines undergraduate course work in natural and social science, mentored internships, seminars and discussions with leading scientists, and the opportunity to live at KBS–MSU’s largest off-campus research and education facility.

Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are eligible to apply. All participants receive a $2000 scholarship to help with housing costs, and additional scholarship funds are available in cases of strong financial need.

For more information and to apply: http://www.kbs.msu.edu/roks/

There are only SIX spots left for Fall 2009! Applying early is strongly encouraged.

——————————————————————–
Gwen Pearson, PhD
Assistant Director for Education and Outreach Kellogg Biological Station http://www.kbs.msu.edu
pearso78@kbs.msu.edu

The Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University are pleased to invited applications from undergraduate students to participate in a Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in plant conservation and biology. Eight undergraduate students will work closely with faculty from the Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University to complete a research project, and present their results in a symposium at the completion of the program. Students can choose from a diversity of projects and study areas including: aquatics, molecular and quantitative genetics, pollination biology, biogeochemistry, and restoration ecology. For details on the 2009 summer projects, please visit our web site: http://labs.corpus-callosum.com/cbg. Our program emphasizes the collaborative nature of scientific research, scientific ethics, and career survival, and builds confidence in lab, field, and communication skills. The program will run from May 25 to August 2, 2009 (10 weeks). Eligibility: Undergraduate freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or first semester seniors are welcome to apply. We especially encourage applications from students in under-represented groups. Please note that you must be a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. or its possessions.

Participants will each receive a stipend ($4,160) plus housing and subsistence, assistance with travel to and from Chicago, and lab and field supplies. We accept both postal mail and email applications, however, applications must be received by March 6, 2009. For more information, contact Dr. Nyree Zerega (nzerega@chicagobotanic.org) or Dr. Louise Egerton-Warburton (lwarburton@chicagobotanic.org).

University of Texas Marine Science Institute Research Experiences for Undergraduates.
Field Experiences in South Texas Coastal Dynamics, June 7 – August 14, 2009

Ten fellowships will be available for the summer of 2009, for undergraduate students to conduct independent research projects on the causes, effects and consequences of coastal environmental change. Each student will work with a faculty mentor on topics such as:
• Watershed processes, land-sea interactions, coastal hydrology
• Biogeochemistry, organic matter cycling, water column optics
• Zooplankton ecology, phytoplankton physiology and ecology
• Fish reproductive physiology, environmental toxicology
• Estuarine ecology, seagrass and marsh ecosystems
• Larval fish ecology, behavior, mariculture
• Benthic and community ecology

Information on faculty research interests may be found at http://www.utmsi.utexas.edu/people/deptms.htm

REU @ the Marine Science Institute

The Marine Science Institute is located in Port Aransas, on 72 acres on the Gulf of Mexico. REU projects will take advantage of the wide variety of coastal habitats near the Institute, including shallow bays, hypersaline lagoons, seagrass beds, estuaries, mangroves, and marshes. UTMSI is the lead state agency for the 185,000-acre Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, the only reserve in the Western Gulf of Mexico biogeographic region.

The 10-week summer program begins with a 2-day research cruise on the R/V Katy and ends with a symposium in which students will present their research results. Along the way, students will create web pages and blogs about their research, and participate in a variety of professional development activities.

• Eligibility: Students must be undergraduates in their sophomore or junior year, and U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and its possessions.
• Stipends: Students will receive a summer stipend of $450 per week for the 10-week program, full room and board, a research allowance, and a travel allowance.
• APPLY! Program information can be found at http://reu.utmsi.utexas.edu
• Deadline for applications is February 16, 2009.

Questions about the program may be directed to Dr. Edward Buskey, ed.buskey@mail.utexas.edu or Dr. Deana Erdner, derdner@mail.utexas.edu

All students who are offered a position at this REU site will have until March 15, 2009 to accept or reject the offer. Any student who is asked to accept or reject an offer before this date should contact the NSF OCE REU Program Director, Lisa Rom, at elrom@nsf.gov or 703-292-7709.

This summer the Environmental Science Institute at the University of Texas at Austin is recruiting up to ten students for an NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). The program is focused on Global Change and Its Impacts, and is designed to provide an interdisciplinary perspective by integrating ecology, geology, urban studies, policy, hydrology, and marine science, among others.

Students will work in a research group headed by a faculty mentor, and come together regularly to participate in topical and professional development seminars, field excursions, and social outings. Workshops and field trips will familiarize students with pressing environmental issues surrounding global change and faculty mentors will guide students in the development of independent research projects.

The ten week program runs from the first week of June to the first week of August. Each student will be awarded a salary of $4,500 for the summer, and some travel funds will be available to help defray the cost of traveling to Austin. Students will be housed in a UT dormitory, and the costs of the dormitory and a meal plan are included in the program.

We seek students presently in their sophomore or junior years, with strong credentials and majoring in biology, ecology, geological sciences, civil engineering, marine science, urban ecology, chemistry, or any other environmentally-related discipline.

Applications are due February 1, 2009. Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. For more information and to apply, please visit www.esi.utexas.edu/research/reu/