Background
Crater Lake National Park preserves America’s natural and cultural heritage,
is a source of public enjoyment and inspiration and provides an outstanding
outdoor laboratory and classroom. With more than 74,000ha encompassing
1300m of elevation, the park includes vast mixed conifer forests, aspen
glades, alpine meadows, and freshwater streams and springs. Thousands of
years of volcanic activity have created a complex landscape of craters,
cones, pumice, ash, and pinnacles in addition to the Lake’s caldera.
Furthermore, the park sits atop the watersheds of both the Klamath and Rogue
River Basins. More than 88Km of hiking trails, in addition to 53Km of the
Pacific Crest Trail provide access throughout the park.
In 2006 the National Park Service established the Crater Lake Science and
Learning Center (SLC) to expand research and educational programs and to
promote technology to aid park management. The Center is operated through a
partnership between the National Park Service, Oregon Institute of
Technology and Southern Oregon University and is funded through an endowment
from the Oregon Community Foundation.
In 2014 the Crater Lake Science and Learning Center will offer four
fellowships to support undergraduate and graduate student investigations.
Each fellowship may be funded up to $4,000.
Who is eligible?
Senior undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled in a
degree-seeking program at a college or university are eligible to apply.
Research Fellows must be self-directed individuals whose work will
contribute to issues of management concern at Crater Lake National Park. A
Fellow must be able to complete the proposed project within one or two years
from receipt of the fellowship award.
What types of projects will be funded?
The objective of the fellowship is to support student research at Crater
Lake National Park that can inform and advance the needs of management and
decision making at the park in four general areas: aquatic resources,
terrestrial resources, social science, and applied technology.
Applicants are encouraged to contact the SLC Science Coordinator and/or
those individuals listed as contacts under the four areas of research
interest listed below. These contacts will answer questions regarding
research topics of interest, complexities, and logistical concerns.
The “Hot Topics” listed under each general research areas below have been
identified by park staff as current priorities. However, project proposals
are not limited to these topics.
Projects with matching funds or that leverage outside resources will also
have high priority. Such matches may be in-kind but must be bona fide and
clearly defined in the proposed budget. Collaboration is highly desirable,
especially if the partnership can bridge to future projects.
The Crater Lake Science and Learning Center will award one student
fellowship of up to $4,000 in each of the following areas of interest:
• Aquatic Resources
Contact: Mark Buktenica, Aquatic Ecologist
Phone: 541-594-3077
Email: [email protected]
Hot Topics: Quantify the effects of nonnative fish on headwater streams
Inventory amphibians or aquatic invertebrates
Identify amphibian pathogens in park habitats
Develop biological tools for assessing aquatic species
Quantify life history characteristics of bull trout
Characterize discharge of park streams
Describe annual thermal regimes of park streams
Test assumptions of PIT-tag telemetry in streams
Test efficacy of nonnative fish exclusion barriers
• Terrestrial Resources
Contact: Sean Mohren, Terrestrial Ecologist
Phone: 541-594-3074
Email: [email protected]
Hot Topics: General species inventories.
Expand on park’s Northern Spotted Owl monitoring
Analyze fire effects on wildlife
Use repeat photography to examine vegetative change
• Social Science
Contact: Marsha, McCabe, Chief of Interpretation
Phone: 541-594-3091
Email: [email protected]
Hot Topics :
Effects of changing visitor demographics
Visitor use of park and concession facilities
Visitor expectations of park and programs
Effectiveness of interpretive media
Management implications of changing cultural values
Management implications of changing technologies
• Technological Applications to Natural Resource Management
Contact: Chris Wayne, GIS Specialist
Phone: 541-594-3076
Email: [email protected]
Hot Topics :
Convert CAD drawings of park utilities to GIS database
Convert historic and current imagery into a mosaic
Process and analyze acoustic data for amphibians
Prepare archaeological data to import into GIS database
Enter and analyze historic fire records into GIS database
Develop autonomous power supply for field monitoring equipment
What expenses will the fellowship cover?
Fellowship funding may be used to pay for direct project expenses including:
student stipend (up to a maximum of $2,500), room, board, project travel,
supplies and analytical costs. Requests for capital equipment will be
considered if appropriate and warranted by the proposal. Any equipment
purchased with fellowship funds will become the property of the National
Park Service and must be returned at the end of the project. Fellowships
will not fund tuition, fringe benefits, institutional overhead, thesis
preparation, publication of results, or costs associated with attendance at
professional meetings.
How do the fellowships work?
Eligible students must submit an application and project proposal by the
application deadline (see application process). Incomplete applications
will not be considered. The applications will be reviewed and judged by a
panel based on:
1. Significance to park management issues
2. Scientific and scholarly merit
3. Feasibility and the ability of the student to complete the work
4. Reasonable and realistic budget and timeline
The SLC Science Coordinator will contact the Fellowship award winners and
grant provisional acceptance pending approval of a research permit granted
by the National Park Service, which the Fellow is responsible to obtain
prior to initiating their project. Information about research permits can
be found at https://irma.nps.gov/RPRS/. The Science Coordinator will
administer the fellowship awards for approved expenditures ensuring that
students meet the benchmarks for agreed upon products.
In addition, a park employee will be identified as a mentor for the Fellows.
The Park Mentor will be the primary park point of contact for the award
winner, provide advice and direction throughout the project duration, and
assist with logistical needs while at the park.
Is there other support available for Fellows?
Yes. The National Park Service can also provide Fellows with:
• Free entrance to the park
• Short term housing (up to several weeks) at no cost
• Office space
• Internet access
• Access to park libraries
• Access to GIS facilities and data
• Use of park laboratory facilities
• Use of sampling and analytical equipment
• Use of research vessels
What are the requirements of award winners?
Each Fellow is expected to provide the following within approximately six
months of the end of their fieldwork:
• One hard copy and one electronic copy of a final report, thesis,
dissertation or publication as appropriate
• A one page summary in electronic and hard copy format of research
results
for a general audience
• One educational outreach product such as a presentation to park staff or
the visiting public
• Digital copies of all data collected along with the UTM coordinates of
sample locations.
• Three or more digital photographs (with captions and credits) of field
research in progress and permission for use by the SLC and National Park
Service.
How do I apply?
Interested candidates must submit the following for application:
1) A cover letter that identifies your student status and explains your
interest in conducting research at Crater Lake National Park
2) A research proposal which includes:
a) Project Title
b) Research objectives, questions, and hypotheses
c) Statement of significance to park management issues
d) Methods including data analysis
e) Itemized project budget showing any in-kind or additional support
f) Project timeline
g) Annotated list of project deliverables
3) A curriculum vitae or resume
4) A letter of support from an academic advisor or principle investigator
Applications must be postmarked by April 1, 2014 and sent to:
Dr. Jherime Kellermann, Science Coordinator
Crater Lake Science and Learning Center
Oregon Institute of Technology
3201 Campus Drive
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 541-851-5156
