*Research Internship in Panama:*
*Ecology, Evolution and Behavior of Leaf-breeding Treefrogs*
We seek highly motivated US and Latin American students to join us for
the summer of 2009 as interns on our NSF-funded project "Fear, death,
and life history switch points: cumulative effects of predation and
phenotypic plasticity across three life stages."
*SUMMARY:* Internships are for 3 months of field research at the Gamboa
Field Station of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, in Panama
with Professor Karen Warkentin of Boston University and Professor James
Vonesh of Virginia Commonwealth University. They include a monthly
stipend, funds for travel to the field site, and shared housing in
Gamboa. We will hire 2-3 summer interns (~June--August, exact dates
negotiable) and may also hire interns for later in the year
(~September--November), pending additional funding. The research
includes laboratory work in Gamboa, field work at local ponds, and
large-scale mesocosm experiments with frog eggs, tadpoles, and
metamorphs, and their natural enemies. The Warkentin and Vonesh lab team
in Gamboa for the 2009 field season will include several graduate
students and postdoctoral fellows as well as interns. Interns will be
trained in animal behavior, evolutionary and population ecology, and
tropical herpetology, and mentored on career development. The
Smithsonian offers a diverse and intellectually rich international
scientific community in a tropical rainforest environment.
*BACKGROUND:* Members of the Warkentin and Vonesh lab at STRI study
predator-prey interactions and plastic anti-predator defenses in
red-eyed treefrogs (and some other frogs). Red-eyed treefrogs hatch
early to escape from egg-eating snakes and wasps, metamorphose early in
response to predaceous giant water bugs, and delay metamorphosis in
response to semi-aquatic spiders that eat froglets. Current research
addresses how the consequences of plastic 'choices' at different life
stages accumulate over the life cycle, and the relative importance of
plastic responses to predators vs. direct predation mortality for
population processes under different ecological conditions.
*TRAINING:* The interns will gain practical research experience,
including participating in large collaborative experiments and
conducting individual observations and/or experimental research. They
will learn a substantial amount about the behavior, ecology, and natural
history of leaf-breeding treefrogs and their natural enemies. They will
also gain experience with appropriate methods for collecting and
handling all of the animals to be used in the experiments, and with
analytical methods and scientific computer software. Daily interactions
with the Warkentin/Vonesh team will build a strong theoretical framework
for the research, including the fundamentals of experimental design. The
Gamboa Frog Seminar series, and well as seminars at STRI in Panama City
will add breadth to their understanding of behavior, ecology and
evolution and, more generally, tropical biology. This background,
combined with the opportunity to make personal natural history
observations and to discuss ideas with members of the Warkentin lab,
should position the interns well to develop an individual research
project after the internship.
*ELIGIBILITY: *Interns must be either US citizens or residents, or
citizens of a Latin American country. Latin Americans may be
undergraduate students or recent graduates. For summer 2009, US
citizens/residents must be undergraduate students; we may have
internship opportunities for recent US graduates during fall 2009. This
program is not designed for students already in graduate school.
Interns will be selected based on merit, potential for the experience to
benefit the intern, and potential for the intern to benefit the project.
We will consider academic training and skills relevant to the research
as well as personal suitability for working under field conditions and
living in shared accommodations in Gamboa. We strive to create a
diverse, congenial, and productive team each field season.
*APPLICATION DEADLINES:* For full consideration for summer NSF-funded
internships, application materials must be received by *January 15, 2009*.
We will consider later applications for summer internships from students
who have or are seeking their own funding from other sources (e.g. UROP,
McNair, etc), or if we receive additional funding ourselves; email us to
inquire.
Latin American students applying for STRI internships under Prof.
Warkentin's sponsorship should send application materials to her /at
least/ two weeks prior to the STRI deadline for her review (earlier is
better). The relevant STRI deadlines are Feb. 15, May 15 and Aug. 15.
*FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO APPLY*
*SEE THE WARKENTIN LAB WEBSITE*
*people.bu.edu/kwarken*
Informal inquiries prior to submission of applications are welcome:
email Prof. Karen Warkentin ([EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>) or
Postdoc. Michael McCoy ([EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>).
