Hummingbird Research | Oregon State University
REU in tropical hummingbird-plant interactions
The National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program provides an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students to get their feet wet in the scientific process. The Betts/Jones labs at Oregon State University (http://www.fsl.orst.edu/flel/index.htm; http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/joneslab/) invite applications to fill an REU position to begin January 2019. Students identifying as a member of under-represented groups in science are encouraged to apply. We are seeking a person interested in pollination, tropical ecology, avian ecology/biology, and/or evolution to assist in pollination experiments in Costa Rica and develop an individually driven research project. The group’s current research efforts are designed to describe the presence or absence of ‘pollinator recognition,’ or the capacity for plants of the genus Heliconia to recognize pollinator species and preferentially invest in pollen transferred by long-billed hummingbirds (see Betts et al. 2015, PNAS), across taxa. The work is comprised of pollinator exclusion, hand pollination, and aviary experiments, and will test for pollinator recognition as well test hypotheses regarding the mechanism of recognition.
Expectations
The student will be expected to assist in ongoing research on pollinator recognition in Neotropical plants of the genus Heliconia. Daily activities will include, but are not limited to: mist-netting, aviary construction and repair, hummingbird monitoring, data collection and management, and hand-pollination experiments. The student will typically work 20-30 hours per week on pollination experiments with 10-20 hours per week on individual projects and should expect early mornings and hot, humid field conditions. The student will begin meetings with PIs and graduate students immediately following hire to build foundational knowledge in ongoing work and develop plans for potential research projects.
Minimum Requirements:
-US citizen or permanent resident
-Enrolled in undergraduate studies at an academic institution
-Planned graduation date no sooner than the end of the posted position
-Ongoing undergraduate degree program in ecology or evolution or related field
-GPA of 3.5 or higher
-Junior or senior standing
Desired Skills (though not mandatory):
– Fluency in Spanish and English
– Mist-netting experience
– Demonstrated experience in scientific research
– Undergraduate courses in ornithology and botany
Benefits
-There is no cost for participating students.
-The student will receive a stipend of $4,000 over the eight-week duration of the field
season.
-Round-trip plane ticket from your home institution to Costa Rica will be reimbursed, up to a maximum of $800.
-The program will cover housing and meals at Las Cruces Biological Station.
Application process:
Please submit a cover letter summarizing interest in the position, how you meet the required and desired skills, and what you hope to gain from the experience. The letter should be accompanied by a CV and contact information for 2-3 professional references. The CV should highlight relevant experience, coursework in biology, ecology, statistics, etc., and any applicable certifications. Please send application materials to Dusty Gannon (gannondu@oregonstate.edu) as a single file by December 1, 2018 for full consideration.
We will only contact those who are selected for an interview.