Research Internship: Ecology and Evolution in Trinidad | UC Riverside

Research interns are needed to assist in a multi-disciplinary, multi-investigator, experimental study of the interactions between ecology and evolution in Trinidad. The research is led by Professor David Reznick at the University of California, Riverside in collaboration with Joseph Travis (Florida State), Tim Coulson (Oxford), Paul Bentzen (Dalhousie U.) and Andres Lopez-Sepulcre (CNRS-University Pierre & Marie Curie, Paris).  We seek to integrate multiple biological fields for the study of these interactions in experimental populations of guppies in Trinidad.

Duties include assisting in monthly censuses of guppy populations in montane streams. The monthly censuses include long hours in the field and laboratory.  There will also be two weeks off during successive censuses when interns will pursue an independent project. Qualifications: We seek interns who are entertaining the possibility of pursuing graduate studies in some area of ecology and evolution and who wish to gain some additional field research experience.  Research will take place in semi-remote areas of Trinidad sometimes under bad weather conditions. Applicants must be able to live and work well with others. Research will involve carrying heavy packs over slippery and steep terrain. Applicants must be in good physical condition and be able to meet the demands of field research under these conditions. Ability to drive a standard transmission vehicle is desirable but not required. Applicants with first-aid/first responder training, skills in automobile maintenance, and construction skills are highly desirable. Please address these skills when applying.

Interns will be required to spend a minimum of 3-months in Trinidad, with possibility of extension. Starting dates are as early as August 2015. We will cover all travel and living expenses and provide housing.

Please see our website cnas.ucr.edu/guppy for more information on the project and access to reprints.  Our video menu includes a ‘guppy censuses’ submenu that details the main tasks associated with the internship.

Applicants should send cover letter, CV and the names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of three or more professional references to David Reznick (gupy@ucr.edu). At least two of the references should be academics.