Undergraduate Summer Research Position: Plant Community Ecology, northern England, May 17 - Aug. 6, 2010 (12 wks). The lab of Jason Fridley at Syracuse University is seeking a highly motivated undergraduate student interested in gaining research experience in field ecology as part of a research team investigating the effects of climate change on species-rich grasslands.
Description The Buxton Climate Change Impacts study is a long-term experimental manipulation of temperature and rainfall in a species-rich limestone grassland in Derbyshire, England. The student will spend 6 weeks conducting field research at the main climate experiment and in the nearby countryside and 6 weeks working in the Fridley lab at Syracuse University (2 weeks before, 4 weeks after fieldwork). The undergraduate project will involve vegetation and soil surveys that contribute to ongoing research projects (including sensor-based environmental monitoring of soil properties and the assessment of genotypic variation in select plant populations) with considerable opportunities for independent research. Travel to and housing in the UK will be funded in addition to a 12-wk stipend of $500/wk. Eligibility Relevant field experience and ecology-related coursework is desirable but not required. The student must be a U.S. citizen and enrolled in an accredited undergraduate college degree program. Students graduating in spring 2010 are ineligible. A valid U.S. passport is required. Application Interested applicants should send a statement of interest, resume, unofficial transcript, one letter of recommendation, and contact information for two additional references. The statement of interest should be less than 500 words and include the following information: (i) professional goals, (ii) interest in position, and (iii) relevant experience. Send application materials in one PDF or .doc file to Dr. Jason Fridley ([email protected]). The letter of recommendation should be e-mailed directly from the recommender with the applicants name in the subject line. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications will be accepted through April 15, 2010.
