Summer REU Internship Program

CRISSP, the University of Idaho, and the National Science Foundation are pleased to announce the 2010 Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Internship Program.  CRISSP will host 10 undergraduate students for summer internships at the University of Idaho in Moscow beginning in 2010.  Summer activities will span a 9-week period from June 7 - August 6, 2010. 

Summer Interns will participate in faculty and/or graduate student research, as well as activities designed to help prepare them for graduate school and a  career in science.  Interns will receive a salary of $450 per week for the 9-week internship.  Summer interns will also be provided with UI housing, food, identification cards, access to the library and recreational facilities, and email and internet privileges.  A weekend team-building raft trip on the wild and scenic Salmon River for summer interns and faculty members will also be offered as a part of a science ethics component.  Travel funds are also available.

2009 CRISSP REU interns on the Salmon River.  Photo by Mike Beiser.

Undergraduate students will gain valuable field and laboratory experience aimed at important natural resource issues.  The students will work as members of active research teams, will receive training in science, ethics, and graduate school preparation, and will be encouraged and supported to attend professional meetings.

2009 CRISSP REU intern, Wilfredo Falcón-Linero,
analyzed DNA extractions to determine multiple paternity in pygmy rabbits.

GOALS

The primary focus of the CRISSP Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Internship Program is mentor-guided research. Participants will work as members of research teams (field or lab groups), will share authorship in publication of research results, and will be encouraged to present results at professional meetings. In addition, students will explore ethics in science and the environment, graduate school preparation, and application of the scientific methods to natural resource issues. 

The goals of the CRISSP Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Internship Program are two-fold. First, we aim to involve undergraduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups (i.e. Native Americans, ethnic minorities, and women), in innovative and interdisciplinary research addressing regional and global natural resource issues. Second, we will foster development of skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm for successful completion of graduate study and preparation for careers in the natural resource sciences.

ACTIVITES 

Proposed activities that support CRISSP objectives include:

1) team-centered professional research under the close guidance of faculty mentors;
2) access to state-of-the-art research facilities for natural resource and biotechnology training;
3) seminars addressing scientific methodology, graduate school preparation, and skills for successful completion of graduate studies;
4) recreational opportunities aimed at building team skills and a shared sense of
community;
5) exploration of ethics in science and the environment; and
6) opportunities to participate in presentation of scientific results in professional outlets (conferences and publications)

HOW TO APPLY

The CRISSP Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Internship Program is accepting electronic applications beginning January 1, 2010.  You must be a US Citizen or permanent resident to apply.  CRISSP seeks applicants from underrepresented groups (i.e. Native Americans, ethnic minorities, and women).

     
To apply, please submit:

CRISSP REU Application Form

Letter of interest indicating your top 3 choices for Research Projects, previous research experience, and career goals.

Curriculum Vitae (or Resume)

Names and contact information (email and phone numbers) for 3 references.

Please send your electronic applications beginning January 1, 2010:

Marijka Haverhals
CRISSP REU Coordinator
Email: marijka@uidaho.edu

Applications will be evaluated by the CRISSP Summer Internship Committee on their strengths across the criteria listed above, and the best applications will be forwarded to faculty mentors.  Each mentor will contact interested students from the pool and conduct phone interviews; selected students will be notified electronically by the Principle Investigator, Dr. Janet Rachlow.

TIMELINE

January 1, 2010
Application process begins.  Please submit Electronic applications to Marijka Haverhals.

June 7
Internships will begin (unless other arrangements are made with the Principal Investigator).

RESEARCH PROJECTS

CRISSP undergraduate summer interns will find themselves in an energizing intellectual environment generated by faculty members from several disciplines, graduate students, and student teams all tackling field and laboratory projects designed to address important resource conservation and management issues. It is a dynamic atmosphere where an undergraduate student will learn, grow, and ultimately, share hypotheses and research findings with a team of co-researchers in the field of his or her choice. Research topics illustrate the breadth and interdisciplinary natures of research addressed by CRISSP faculty and are grouped under the two unifying themes of the CRISSP mission: ecology of invasive species and conservation of small populations.

QUESTIONS?
Student Intern Coordinator, Marijka Haverhals
Principle Investigator, Dr. Janet Rachlow