ECOLOGY INTERNSHIPS IN ICELAND ­ Summer 2015

We are looking for undergraduates or recent graduates to join our team of interdisciplinary researchers in northeast Iceland this coming summer. We study the ecology of Lake Mývatn, and interns will be expected to assist in our ongoing LTREB (Long-Term Research in Environmental Biology) project.

ELIGIBILITY
We expect the internships to include both REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) and non-REU positions. To be eligible for a NSF-REU, applicants must be non-graduating undergraduate students with US citizenship.

SELECTION CRITERIA AND RESPONSIBILITIES
We will consider the ability of each candidate to live and work with our team under field conditions in rural Iceland, conduct a semi-independent research project, and contribute to our ongoing research efforts. We will also consider how much each candidate would benefit from the experience.

The research focuses on the population dynamics of midges in Mývatn and the consequences they have for the aquatic and surrounding terrestrial food webs. The work includes conducting lab and field experiments, and collecting arthropod, zooplankton, sediment and plant samples. The research will be divided approximately equally between aquatic and terrestrial systems.

Relevant skills and experience include previous lab and, especially, field research. Competitive candidates will have basic proficiency in collecting and identifying arthropods, foreign travel/cross-cultural experiences, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to work both in a team and independently.

APPLICATIONS
If you are interested in joining our team, please apply with the following:

1. Cover letter
Your cover letter should outline your background and the reasons why you would be a good candidate for this position. Include a discussion of why you want this position and how it relates to your career goals. Also, be specific about experiences and skills you are bringing to the position. Make your case for why you are a good fit for the position, highlighting details from your resume or other pertinent information that might not appear on your resume. Please include your citizenship, and your current and future educational plans.

2. Resume

Include a current resume that details your education and work experience. Please provide the names and contact information for at least two references that we can contact to ask specific questions about your background and qualifications for the position.

Submit your application as a single PDF (only 1 file), including cover letter and resume. Email your PDF to Joe Phillips jsphillips2@wisc.edu. Include your surname in the file (e.g., Smith_Iceland_application.pdf). Put “2015 Summer Research in Iceland” in the subject line of the email. After initial screening of materials, finalists will be contacted for interviews in early February.

DEADLINE
For full consideration for summer 2015 internships, please submit your application by 30 January, 2015.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
All positions include travel expenses to and from Iceland, food and lodging, and a small stipend. Interns are expected to join the research team in Iceland from the first week of June to late August. A critical part of the program is conducting your own research project under our guidance. Past summer research interns have completed their projects as senior research theses or have presented their work at national conferences.

If you have any questions about the position, or our work in general, please don’t hesitate to email us. More information about our work and field experience can be found at our blog, http://uwmyvatn.blogspot.com/

Contacts:
Joe Phillips (graduate student) – jsphillips2@wisc.edu

Kyle Webert (graduate student) – webert@wisc.edu

Tony Ives (professor) – arives@wisc.edu
http://www.zoology.wisc.edu/faculty/ive/ive.html

Claudio Gratton (professor) – cgratton@wisc.edu
http://gratton.entomology.wisc.edu/category/ecosystem-linkages/