Great research opportunity

Andrea, a grad student in my wife's lab is looking for good undergrads to help with summer research (and possibly to pair up with to apply for a grant for grad-undergrad research teams). 

This is a fantastic opportunity to get involved in a very exciting research project. The Briggs lab works on a number of research areas but much of the current focus is on the frog-killing Chytrid Fungus in the California Sierra Nevada.

Like most folks in the lab Andrea will be doing some back-country field work, but also does a lot of molecular biology (genotyping chytrid strains and characterizing bacterial communities that are symbiotic on the skin of frogs).  The general idea is to understand how bacterial community composition and chytrid strain contribute to the outcome of infection (persistence or die-off of populations).

Let me know asap if you are interested and I'll put you in touch with Andrea. Cherie has had lots of great CCS students in her lab and I'd like to continue that tradition.

REU

I posted about REU's before. The posting below is from just one of the dozens of opportunities available. If you want a summer research adventure then now is the time to be checking them out and applying.

Texas A&M is offering a summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, which will be held from June 1 to August 5 in College Station.  The theme is Interdisciplinary Research on Imaging and Biomarkers.  The application can be found at:  http://etidweb.tamu.edu/hsieh/REU and the flyer is attached.
 
Activities will include joining a research group led by a faculty mentor, completion of a 10-week research project, and participation in weekly faculty seminars, field trips, and career development workshops.  Students will write a report and present their research to their REU cohort and at an REU poster session on campus. They will also be strongly encouraged to polish their reports after completing the program, with a view toward presenting at a national conference and/or publishing in an academic journal.
 
Each participant will receive a stipend of $450/week for ten weeks. Other benefits include allowances for housing, meals and round trip travel to College Station; 1.0 credit hour of undergraduate course credit; and full access to university recreational facilities.
 
Criteria for selection include: 

• Desire to participate in research as evidenced by application responses and faculty recommendation;
• Completion of at least the sophomore year of the curriculum for an academic major in engineering, computer science, or the life sciences;
• GPA of 3.00 or above (exceptions may be made based on review of an applicant's last 60 hours of coursework);
• Citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. or its possessions;
• Plan to graduate no earlier than December 2011.

Students who have limited opportunities to participate in research on their home campuses or who are from groups traditionally underrepresented in engineering and science are highly encouraged to apply.

Worster Awards

I'm copying below this year's Worster Award announcement. Note that although the graduate student must be in EEMB, the undergraduate does not and a number of CCS students have benefited from this award in the past. This is a great opportunity for Summer funding and if you are interested then you need to talk to a friendly EEMB grad student.
John



The Worster family has again graciously given EEMB a gift of $30,000. As in previous years, this award is to support the development of graduate and undergraduate research in ecology, evolution and/or marine biology through a mentoring program that pairs an undergraduate with a graduate student mentor during the summer. All graduate students that have their thesis committee chaired by an EEMB faculty member are eligible to apply for this award. We anticipate that stipends this year will be $6000 for each team ($3000 for the graduate and $3000 for the undergraduate, to be paid during the summer). We will be able to fund 5 teams this coming summer.

Applications for this award (electronic, Word or PDF files AND a printed copy delivered to my office or placed in my EEMB mailbox) are due to me by Friday, April 1st, 2011. Please be sure to send and to deliver both electronic and hard copies.

Please include:

1. Brief (2 pages, prepared by the graduate student) description of the research project and how the undergraduate student will participate in it.

2. CV of the graduate student, including progress toward his/her degree and any prior mentoring experience.

3. A brief statement from the undergraduate regarding his or her professional goals and how the research experience will prepare him/her to meet them. Undergraduates are expected to complete a senior honors thesis during the 2011-2012 or 2012-2013 academic year and express their intent to do so. In addition, undergraduate promise, experience, and GPA in their major will factor into the decision for funding.

4. Letter of support from the grad student's major professor.

Please note that recipients will be obligated to write a summary of their team's progress and accomplishments at the end of the summer. These summaries will be sent to the Worster’s in the fall as part of a package thanking them for this important gift.

Undergraduates who will graduate in June 2011 are NOT eligible for this award.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Craig Carlson

Summer opportunities

Hopefully you all got the SURF announcement from CCS. SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) provides a stipend to support CCS students in summer research projects working in a faculty-led research group at UCSB.

If you are a CCS student and did not get this e-maik then CCS does not have your correct e-mail address and you shoudl rectify this since you are missing important e-mails (like the SURF announcement).

On the subject of summer a great source of opportunities is the NSF REU program (National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates).

NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel.

CCS students have been very successful in obtaining these and we hope that some of you continue this tradition. NSF maintains a website that can help you find these opportunities - you can search for REU sites by topic, keyword or geographic location. Applications are all made through the individual sites.

Restoration internship and research opportunities

The Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER) has 3 paid restoration intern positions and 2 aquatic biology research positions available this winter.  The first aquatic research position includes regular sampling for aquatic invertebrates in local vernal pools and sample processing and will be best for an independent and detail-oriented student.  The second position is to continue our study of Campus Lagoon sediment quality. We are looking for someone interested in gaining lab and field experience and doing some independent research.  All positions pay $300/quarter.

Interested applicants should send their resume and letter of interest to Lisa Stratton:  stratton@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Undergraduate Research Scholarship

I checked and the following opportunity is NOT restricted to MCDB students and IS open to CCS students. 

The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology is pleased to announce the Summer 2011 Crowe Family Undergraduate Research Scholar award, given by the Crowe family to support undergraduate summer research in an MCDB lab. The award will provide a stipend to a student in the amount of $2300 for a commitment lasting at minimum 10 weeks in the summer of 2011.

If you have identified a faculty sponsor to work in their lab this summer and are interested in competing for this award, please contact the faculty and ask them to nominate you.

The application for the Crowe Family Undergraduate Research Scholar Award should include three documents:

1. A one page maximum description of the proposed research prepared by the undergraduate applicant.
2. A copy (unofficial) of the most recent undergraduate transcript and a listing of quarter courses in progress.
3. A brief letter from the MCDB Faculty sponsor stating that the proposed summer research will by supported in the faculty member's lab, and a brief description of who will be mentoring the student researcher during the award period.

The application documents should be submitted to Andrew Kroes at the Undergraduate Advising Office in LSB 3316 as soon as possible prior to 4PM on Friday, January 21, 2011. Selection of the award recipient is anticipated to take place shortly thereafter.

Evolutionary Ecology Internship Opportunities in the Mazer Lab

The Mazer lab tests predictions and develops hypotheses concerning the process and outcome of evolution by natural selection in wild plant species. In our current work, we’re examining the causes and consequences of the evolution of plant mating behaviors (yes, plants behave!). The "mating system" of wild plant and animal populations refers to the ways in which sperm and egg unite within and between individuals. In plants, outcrossing occurs when pollen is transferred (often by insects or by wind) from one plant's flowers to another's. In contrast, self-fertilization (selfing) is an extreme form of inbreeding that occurs when a single plant pollinates itself; the united egg and sperm originate from the same individual! Just as in humans and other animals, inbreeding in plants can have harmful effects on their offspring. Nevertheless, the evolution of selfing (from outcrossing ancestors) is quite common in plants. Indeed fully 20-25% of living plant species regularly engage in selfing. Detecting the “costs” and “benefits” of self-fertilization — especially in a stressful and changing climate, where pollinators may become a highly limiting resource — and predict the ecological conditions under which selfing evolves are the central goals of our research.

We would like to recruit undergraduates into the Mazer lab to help with a supervised research project on mating system evolution in several species of the California native wildflower, Clarkia. Undergraduate researchers will work with Professor Mazer, graduate students, postdocs, other undergraduates in the lab to learn a variety of lab, greenhouse, and computing techniques that we’ve developed to study:
1) The physiological performance of selfers vs. outcrossers under stressful conditions
2) Genetically based associations between mating system, physiology, and fitness
3) The ways in which natural selection operates under field conditions

Time Commitment: 8-10 hours per week, including a weekly meeting. Students who work for at least two full quarters will be eligible for paid positions in future quarters (pending available funding).
Current Lab Members:
• Dr. Susan Mazer, Principal Investigator (mazer@lifesci.ucsb.edu)
• Dr. Leah Dudley, Post-doc (dudley@lifesci.ucsb.edu)
• Alisa Hove: PhD Student (hove@lifesci.ucsb.edu)
• Brian Haggerty: PhD Student (haggerty@lifesci.ucsb.edu)
Please contact Leah Dudley (dudley@lifesci.ucsb.edu) if you are interested in joining our research group. Also describe why you are interested in this project and what preparation you’ve had that might help you to be an excellent co-worker (Examples: course work in ecology or evolution, organizational skills, statistical experience, data entry, lab work, chemistry, camping, wilderness experience, or field work). We will meet
Tuesday, January 4, 2010, the first week of the new quarter in LSB 4301 2-3pm to introduce ourselves and chat about schedules and possible projects. However, please contact me beforehand if you are interested in the lab and especially if you cannot make it to this meeting time.

Summer research opportunities

Caltech is excited to announce two summer research opportunities available to continuing undergraduate students. Questions about these programs can be directed to Carol Casey at casey@caltech.edu or (626) 395-2887.

MURF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

The MURF program aims to increase the participation of underrepresented students (such as African American, Hispanic, and Native American, females who are underrepresented in their discipline, and first-generation college students) in science and engineering Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. programs and to make
Caltech's programs more visible to students not traditionally exposed to Caltech.

Eligibility: Students must be current sophomores through non-graduating seniors and must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.

Support: MURF students will receive a $6000 award for the ten-week program.
Additional housing and travel support may be provided.

Application: Online applications are due January 12, 2011.

For more information, please visit www.murf.caltech.edu

AMGEN SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Caltech's Amgen Scholars Program is geared towards students in biology, chemistry, and biotechnology fields. Some of these fields include biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, and chemistry.

Eligibility: Students must be current sophomores through non-graduating seniors, must be attending a four-year university, and must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents. A minimum GPA of 3.2 is required.

Support: Amgen Scholars will receive a $5500 award, round-trip air transportation, a generous housing allowance, and a food allowance.

Application: Online applications are due February 15, 2011.

For more information, please visit www.amgenscholars.caltech.edu

Carol Casey
Associate Director
Student-Faculty Programs
California Institute of Technology
Mail Code 330-87
Pasadena, CA 91125
(626) 395-2887
casey@caltech.edu

Geeky science students wanted

As CCS students you should not restrict yourself to those labs that actively advertise for undergraduates. But if research on the molecular mechanisms underlying polycystic kidney disease and mechanisms of epithelial cell function and kidney physiology sound like your thing then this is a great opportunity.

Geeky science students invited to apply for undergraduate research internships in the Weimbs lab in MCDB

Do you have a passion for research? Did you spend your childhood looking at dirt samples under a microscope or mixing concoctions with a beefed-up chemistry set? Are you serious about a career in research and attending a PhD program in a top graduate school? Do you want to make a real contribution to research on a human disease that affects millions? Do you want to be intellectually involved, read research papers, come up with new ideas and test them yourself? Are you unafraid of learning new scientific techniques, tinkering with experiments over and over until you get them to work, spending long hours in the lab, reading papers all night long, presenting your findings in front of the research team?

If this sounds like you, we want you in the lab!

You would be teamed up with and trained by an experienced scientist in the lab. You would be expected to work more and more independently over time, manage your own experiments and schedule, plan and interpret experiments, understand what you are doing, be productive, move your research project forward.

Look up our research on the web to see if this excites you. If it does, send your resume and list of grades to:

Thomas Weimbs, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
weimbs@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Lab opportunity

Subject: Freshman/Sophomore Lab Position Available in Collin's Lab

Research Project:
The overall research is to determine the influence of environmental and hormonal factors on the constituent phase of embryo and larval development as they occur within the ovaries of viviparous nearshore rockfish(Sebastes spp)

Undergraduate Contribution:
The undergraduate will be responsible for validating protocols for incubating embryos and larvae aspirated from the ovaries of rockfish at various stages of development. The student will carry out incubations at different osmolalities and in the presence of various potential growth promoting factors. The student will assess development by morphometric analysis of fresh specimens and histological sections.

If you are interested, please contact Adam Karevoll at
akarevoll at umail.ucsb.edu

Labwork opportunity

Tom Smith, a grad student in  in Cherie Brigg's lab is looking for a couple students to help him sort and ID insects and algae, etc. His project involves describing Sierra Nevada alpine lake communities and their response to extinction of endemic frogs.
Contact Tom directly if you are interested.

Midterm answer and job opportunity

Ecology 'midterm' answers, plus a few comments, are here. (If you need the midterm itself it is here).

Here's one more job opportunity for the summer if any of you are looking for gainful employment.

The Valentine Lab of the Earth Science Dept. and Marine Science Institutute at UCSB is seeking an undergraduate assistant for summer 2010. This student will aid in field collection and organization of marine water samples and related equipment as part of our seeps-related research into the methane budget for the waters of the Santa Barbara Basin. Additional laboratory experience will be gained as well. Experience with working aboard UCSB's small watercraft is a plus (but not required). The stipend for this position will be approx $12.50/hr at 20-40 hrs a week - taking summer school is ok but ability to work all day on Tuesdays is important. Those interested please contact Frank Kinnaman at kinnaman@geol.ucsb.edu for more information.

Short-term research assistant needed in June

Christian Balzer, a Graduate Student in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology is looking for a motivated undergraduate to assist him for 80 hours in June. Pay is $10/hour and work schedule is flexible. The only constraint is that the 80 work hours should be completed within approx. 3 weeks. The earlier in June, the better.

Tasks will include processing soil samples in the lab and possibly helping out with some field work at Sedgwick reserve, depending on interest. His project is investigating how temporal fluctuations in water and nitrogen availability affect species coexistence (and hence, plant diversity) in grasslands.

Interested students should contact Christian Balzer directly.

Saturdaze

This is a GREAT opportunity for CCS Biology students. Check out last year's winners - Caitlin is a CCS Bio student.

The 15 June deadline for applying for the Saturdaze NatureJournal scholarship for research in natural history is fast approaching . This scholarship has been established with the cooperation of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. I would appreciate it if you would notify your contacts and your students of this award. This scholarship is not widely advertised, so generates a small applicant pool. Please encourage undergraduates currently involved in natural history research to apply.

The application form is online and is extremely simple to complete. Thanks.

Larry Friesen, PhD
Director, Saturdaze / NatureJournal
http://www.sbnature.net

----------------------------------------------------------

Scholarship amount: $2,000 and $500 annual awards

Application deadline: 15 June

Award date: 15 July

Application website: http://www.sbnature.net/scholarship/index.htm

Use of scholarship award : unrestricted

Scope of Saturdaze NatureJournal Scholarships: Awarded to undergraduates involved in research in natural history and majoring in a biological sciences major. Research area must be within one or more of the following geographic areas: San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County, and/or northern Channel Islands or conducted by a student from one of the institutions listed below.

Applicant field: Applicant must have been an undergraduate student during the last year at one of the colleges or universities within San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara Counties: Santa Barbara City College, Cuesta College, Allan Hancock, University of California Santa Barbara, Westmont College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

>From the Saturdaze NatureJournal website . . .

Natural History is the broadest study of science and attempts to tie together observations of the natural world into a single interwoven fabric. As such, the knowledge base of natural history has grown beyond a single category of study and has been divided into smaller and smaller and more and more isolated disciplines. It is not uncommon that professional biologists study a single organism in a laboratory, far removed from its natural habitat. The Saturdaze Scholarship for Natural History Research supports the broader view.

Natural History is accessible to all who love and enjoy observing nature. In his essay on the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin, as a naturalist, wrote that . . .

"It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent on each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us."

Who among us has not contemplated nature and been inspired to learn about the connectedness within diversity? In this sense, natural history has attracted not only the scientist, but the artist and poet; natural history has become the romantic science. The romance of natural history stems from our desire to relate to the natural world, to regain a connectedness to it, and to preserve its diversity.

Saturdaze has partnered with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and has funded a scholarship to encourage research that helps to explain one or another "entangled bank". The Saturdaze NatureJournal Scholarship for Natural History Research rewards exceptional students attempting to discover interactions in nature. Saturdaze and the Museum share the goal of "inspiring a passion for the natural world".

Clinton Global Initiative

Forwarded from Bruce. The deadline is rather close but it's an interesting looking program.

Apply now to fund your student project! The Clinton Global Initiative University's 2010 Outstanding Commitment Awards, sponsored by Walmart, will award anywhere from $1,000 - $10,000 to support student-led projects in the areas of Education, Environment & Climate Change, Peace & Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation, and Public Health. The deadline for these awards has been extended to Friday, April 30th.

The CGI U Outstanding Commitment Awards were launched in 2008 to provide financial support to innovative, student-driven initiatives. To view a map of previous award winners and their projects: http://www.cgiu.org/commitments/award_winners_map/

Take advantage of this funding opportunity by submitting an application today: http://www.cgiu.org/funding/

REU opportunity in Bermuda

The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences has received National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) funding to support 8 fellowships for undergraduate student research at BIOS during the 2010 fall semester (DATES: arrive on September 1, 2010 - depart on November 24, 2010). Students will design and conduct independent projects under faculty supervision within several research areas including:

• Biology, chemistry and physics of the open ocean
• Biology, physiology and biochemistry of reef building corals and reef ecosystems
• Aspects of the molecular biology of marine organisms
• Environmental chemistry of Bermuda's atmosphere and inshore waters
• Effects and consequences of global environmental change

See their website for further details

Initial selection begins May 30 which is the unofficial deadline for applications. Students who have completed at least two years of undergraduate study and will still be undergraduates in the fall of 2010 are eligible to apply.

Summer Research Position

Undergraduate Summer Research Position
Evolutionary Ecology

Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY

We are seeking undergraduates interested in gaining hands-on research experience studying the interactions between plants and insects. The project will involve both field and laboratory research. Field research will be conducted at the Archbold Biological Station in Lake Placid, Florida for 4-8 weeks. Travel to and housing in Florida will be paid in addition to an hourly salary ($8-$10/hr). Laboratory research will be conducted at Syracuse University in the Department of Biology after returning from Florida. Job duration is 8-10 weeks and is full-time.

On-the-job training will be provided and no research or field experience is required. Applicants should be planning an ecology/evolutionary biology career and have taken at least one of the following courses: Evolution, Ecology, Population Biology, Field Biology, Entomology, Botany, or an OTS course. Applicants must enjoy working outside and should not have an aversion to handling insects. The start date is late April-early May (non-negotiable).

Interested applicants should send a statement of interest, résumé, transcript, one letter of recommendation, and contact information for two additional references. The statement of interest should be less than 500 words with the following information: (i) career goals, (ii) interest in position, and (iii) statement agreeing to commit to the research position
for 10 weeks without other obligations.

Send application materials in one PDF or .doc file to Dr. Kari Segraves (ksegrave@syr.edu). Letters should be e-mailed directly from the recommender with the applicants name in the subject line. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The position will be filled no later
than Mar 30, 2010.

Winter internship opportunity

Bruce Tiffney passed this one on:

CCBER has several Coastal Fund-supported restoration intern positions (~ 6 hr/week) available this winter as well as several paid student worker positions (~10hr/week) available for students interested in developing their hands-on restoration skills. Lots of planting, plant identification, site maintenance, nursery work and camaraderie in the field!
Please send e-mail of interest including mention of relevant experience, winter schedule and an indication of the amount of time you want workduring the work week to Lisa Stratton: stratton@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Thank you very much,

Lisa

--
Lisa Stratton, Ph.D.
Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration (CCBER)
Harder South, Rm 1005
UCSB, MC 9615
Santa Barbara, CA 93106

Office: (805) 893-4158
Fax: (805) 893-4222

stratton@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Summer Research opportunity #1

Kathy Foltz passed this one on:

Dear Colleague:

We would appreciate you sharing the following opportunity with your students.

Caltech is excited to announce two summer research opportunities available to continuing undergraduate students. Questions about these programs can be directed to Carol Casey at casey@caltech.edu or (626) 395-2887.

MURF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

The MURF program aims to increase the participation of underrepresented students (such as African American, Hispanic, and Native American, females who are underrepresented in their discipline, and first-generation college students) in science and engineering Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. programs and to make Caltech's programs more visible to students not traditionally exposed to
Caltech.

Eligibility: Students must be current sophomores through non-graduating seniors and must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.

Support: MURF students will receive a $6000 award for the ten-week program.
Additional housing and travel support may be provided.

Application: Online applications are due January 13, 2010.

For more information, please visit www.murf.caltech.edu

AMGEN SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Caltech's Amgen Scholars Program is geared towards students in biology, chemistry, and biotechnology fields. Some of these fields include biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, and chemistry.

Eligibility: Students must be current sophomores through non-graduating seniors, must be attending a four-year university, and must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents. A minimum GPA of 3.2 is required.

Support: Amgen Scholars will receive a $5500 award, round-trip air transportation, a generous housing allowance, and a food allowance.

Application: Online applications are due February 16, 2010.

For more information, please visit www.amgenscholars.caltech.edu

Carol Casey
Associate Director
Student-Faculty Programs
California Institute of Technology
Mail Code 330-87
Pasadena, CA 91125
(626) 395-2887
casey@caltech.edu

The Green Initiative Fund

The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF), a student-governed committee awarding grants for sustainability projects on the UCSB campus, is currently soliciting project proposals for the 2009-10 grant cycle. Any UCSB student, staff, or faculty member is eligible for funding for projects that reduce the university's impact on the environment. Ideal projects will show a quantifiable change (energy, waste, water reduction, etc.) while also educating the campus community.

Do you work in a campus department that could use a little money to create a program that leads to behavioral change - turning off lights, purchasing Environmentally Preferable Products, purchasing reusable coffee cups, etc.? Are you a faculty member that would like to perform a small research project on a sustainability issue affecting UCSB? Are you a student member of a campus group that could use a little seed money to start that environmental initiative? All of these are perfect projects for TGIF funding!

If you have an idea for a project, but need some help fleshing it out, please contact the TGIF Grants Manager, Jill Richardson at jill.richardson@vcadmin.ucsb.edu.

Applications are available now and due on Monday, January 25, 2010.

For more information on previously funded projects or to download the application, please visit the TGIF web site: http://sustainability.ucsb.edu/tgif

We look forward to reading your proposals!

Sincerely,
The TGIF Grants Committee