Investigative biotechnology summer research internship at WKU

Western Kentucky University is hosting a National Science Foundation funded summer research program in Investigative Biotechnology for students with interest in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and/or Computer Science.  Students in this program will conduct research with a WKU faculty member, learn science presentation skills and attend workshops on research ethics and preparation for graduate school.  Successful applicants can choose one of 19 potential research projects.

The program gives preference to rising juniors and seniors, pays a stipend of $480 per week (for 10 weeks) and provides free room and board and a travel allowance.  Applications are due February 4th and can be found online.

AU alum talks about graduate and medical school

Becky Richards graduated from Ashland University in 2004 with a major in Biology.  She is currently in a combined MD/PhD program at Oregon Health Sciences University where she has completed her first two years of medical school and is about to finish her doctoral research.  Becky recently co-authored a paper in the prestigious research journal Science on a difficult to treat family of viruses.

During a recent visit to campus Becky presented some of her doctoral research, and then gave advice for students interested in getting research experience, or with interest in graduate and medical school.  In the 12-minute video below Becky also explains the difference between graduate school, medical school and combined MD/PhD programs, and suggests good courses to take as preparation for medical school.



You can see the research presentation that Becky gave here.  And our AU Wiki has helpful advice on both graduate and medical school, as well as other professional schools.

Summer Research on Sensing and Signaling

The Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is hosting a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates with the theme of “Sensing and Signaling.” It is open to current sophomores and juniors, and priority given to juniors. The program runs from from June 6 through July 29, 2011. A stipend of $3200, housing on campus, and a travel allowance is provided. The deadline for applications is March 29, 2011.

For more information, visit the program website.

Summer ecological research at Harvard

Harvard University will be supporting 30 undergraduate research students this summer at its Harvard Forest field site.  The program runs from May 23rd to August 5th and offers a stipend of $5,280, room and board and travel expenses to the site.  Applications are due February 4th.  You can contact Laurie Chiasson at Harvard Forest if you have questions about the program.

Biology graduate Brady Hardiman ('03) took part in this program while at Ashland.  Brady is currently a PhD student in The Ohio State University's  Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology.

Summer research on Lake Erie

Main building and dock at Stone Labs

Stone Laboratory in Put-In-Bay on Lake Erie is The Ohio State University's freshwater field station, and the oldest freshwater biological field station in the United States.  Each summer the lab offers course work and summer research internships.  By applying for the Lab's summer REU program you can get free tuition for both coursework and research, along with free room and board.  Biology major Katie Huff took part in this program last summer.  You can find more information and application guidelines here.  Applications are due February 23rd.

There are a large number of exciting freshwater and marine biology summer research opportunities around the country.  Check out this post from last year that describes some of these options.

Great Undergrad Research Opportunity in Geology

The Keck Geology Consortium has an array of exciting undergraduate research opportunities in geological/environmental science sub-disciplines (climate, petrology, geomorphology, volcanology, geochemistry, structure, and more), and in a wide range of locations (Peru, Canada, Alaska, Colorado, Wyoming, Connecticut, Iceland, Virgin Islands and even Mars!).

There are 15 slots available for students from non-Keck Member schools. Students need to be current juniors (seniors in 2011-2012) and US citizens or permanent residents. The program includes 4 weeks of summer research (field and/or lab work depending on the project), continuing research during the academic year (jointly advised by a project faculty member and a research advisor at the students home institution), attendance at the annual Keck Geology Consortium Symposium, and a publication in the annual Keck Geology Consortium proceedings volume.

The application deadline is Friday February 4th, 2011. Visit the Keck website for application details.

Aquatic ecology summer research internship opportunity at Auburn University

Science faculty at Auburn University, Alabama, are inviting applications from undergraduate students to participate in a National Science Foundation supported summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program focused on the ecology of southeastern ponds, rivers, reservoirs, and estuaries. Access to safe and abundant potable water is a global issue. In the southeastern U.S. there is growing pressure on aquatic ecosystems due to drought and rapid human population growth and corresponding development. There is a significant need for broadly-trained scientists capable of researching water resources in warm regions of the world.

Participants will work closely with Auburn University faculty mentors to develop a student-driven research project on a variety of disciplines, including community ecology, limnology, evolution, fisheries management, parasitology, conservation, molecular biology, and microbiology. Students will complete their projects and share their research findings in a symposium at the conclusion of the program. The program will run from May 22 to July 31, 2011 (10 weeks).

Undergraduate freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors graduating in December 2011 are encouraged to apply. Participants will receive a stipend ($4,000) plus food and housing, financial assistance for travel to and from Auburn, and support for lab and field supplies. For full consideration, on-line applications must be received by 15 January 2011.

Paid internship opportunity for recent and soon-to-be graduates

Applications for the 2011 Conservation and Land Management Internships are now being accepted.

This program is a partnership of the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Chicago Botanic Garden's Division of Plant Science and Conservation, the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS).

This is a mentoring program that trains and employs science graduates from a wide variety of fields to assist land managers with their huge task of preserving and protecting our public lands. Internships are located in 12 western states, including Alaska.

There are over 80 paid five month paid internships available to work with professionals in different Federal agencies (BLM, NPS, USFS). This is a rich experience from which to launch a professional career. Interns will complete training workshops in June as appropriate to their specific project (some of the options are Endangered Species Act Legislation, Plant Monitoring & Inventorying, Botany of the West, seed collecting demo & data entry, Wildlife Management, Map/Compass/GPS Skills, Conservation Genetics, and Ethnobotany of the West).

The stipend for the five months is $11,000. Projects may include collecting seed for restoration and data on threatened and endangered species.

Biomolecular science research internship at UNC-Chapel Hill

For the past two summers Ashland University toxicology majors have conducted research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as part of that University's NSF-funded undergraduate research program.  This past summer Daphne Guinn '11 took part in the program, and Phillip Wages '10 was accepted the summer before.  The review of applications for this year's program will begin in early February.

Students in this 10-week program will perform research under the mentorship of faculty and graduate students, present their work at a research seminar, attend workshops on careers in science, and will be exposed to the diversity of research done at UNC.  Our past students have also enjoyed life in Chapel Hill, the chance to visit other areas in the North Carolina Research Triangle and forays to the Atlantic coast.  The program provides a $4,500 stipend, travel funds and free room and board.  This is an excellent opportunity for current Sophomores and Juniors.

Summer Nanotechnology Research Internships

The National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network offers a unique summer research program hosted at 14 different universities covering applications of nanotechnology in chemistry, biology, physics and engineering.  Some features of this opportunity include:

• One application for research programs at 14 different universities
• For sophomores and juniors with interest in science careers
• A joint research meeting at the end of the summer for students from all participating universities
• Some participants will have the opportunity to perform a 2nd summer of research at universities in Asia and Europe
• $4,000 stipend, free housing and travel expenses for this 10-week program

Online applications are due February 9th.

Summer Research Opportunities

Here are a couple of summer research opportunities worth checking out:

The Center for Nanoscale Systems (CNS) will offer its ninth Research Experience for Undergraduates Summer Program at Cornell University.

The application deadline is February 9, 2011 and students will be notified about their application by March 3, 2011. For general information such as REU research topics and program organization, visit the CNS website or contact the CNS REU Coordinator Professor Michal Lipson ml292@cornell.edu

The University of South Alabama hosts a NSF-REU site to work on various projects in the area of "Protein Structure and Function". In order to apply, students must have completed organic chemistry, have a GPA of 3.0, and be interested in basic research.

The summer program lasts 10 wks (from May 23 to July 29).

Participating students receive a stipend of $500/week, housing and up to $300 to cover travel expenses. The application deadline is February 25, 2011. For more information: http://www.southalabama.edu/alliedhealth/biomedical/ucur/index.htm