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Community Ecology Internships: Iceland | University of Wisconsin-Madison

by Kris Pieper on December 9, 2015
COMMUNITY ECOLOGY INTERNSHIPS IN ICELAND – Summer 2016
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 NSF-REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) and non-REU positions. Only current undergraduates (not graduating before fall of 2016) with US citizenship are eligible for the REU positions. The non-REU positions are more flexible, although we will not consider applications from people with graduate-level education. The REU and non-REU positions are functionally identical; the only difference is funding source.
SELECTION CRITERIA AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Selection for this internship is extremely competitive–last year well over 200 people applied for only 4 positions. Please carefully consider your competitiveness for this position before applying.
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.
Our interns take primary responsibility for the routine sampling that forms the backbone of the long-term research, in addition to conducting independent projects. Technical lab and (especially) field skills are essential. However, we place primary importance on the ability of prospective interns to work both independently and as part of a research term. We will also consider the ability of applicants to function in the somewhat remote conditions of rural Iceland.
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 intellectual interests and career goals. In particular, emphasize how your experiences and skills make you a good match for the position. Highlight specific details from your resume or other pertinent information that does not appear on your resume. Include your citizenship, whether you have a valid driver’s license, and your current and future educational plans.
2. Resume
Include a current resume that details your education and work experiences. Provide names and contact information for at least two references whom 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 “2016 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 2016 internships, please submit your application by 15 January, 2016.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
All positions include coverage of 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. The timing of the fieldwork is dictated by our needs for routine sampling and therefore is inflexible. 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.
More information about our work and field experiences can be found at our blog, http://uwmyvatn.blogspot.com/
Contacts:
Joe Phillips (graduate student) – jsphillips2@wisc.edu
Amanda McCormick (graduate student) – amccormick4@wisc.edu

 

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