ECOLOGY INTERNSHIPS IN ICELAND Summer 2015
We are looking for undergraduates or recent
graduates to join our team of interdisciplinary
researchers in northeast Iceland this coming
summer. We study the ecology of Lake Mývatn, and
interns will be expected to assist in our ongoing
LTREB (Long-Term Research in Environmental Biology) project.
ELIGIBILITY
We expect the internships to include both REU
(Research Experience for Undergraduates) and
non-REU positions. To be eligible for a NSF-REU,
applicants must be non-graduating undergraduate students with US citizenship.
SELECTION CRITERIA AND RESPONSIBILITIES
We will consider the ability of each candidate to
live and work with our team under field
conditions in rural Iceland, conduct a
semi-independent research project, and contribute
to our ongoing research efforts. We will also
consider how much each candidate would benefit from the experience.
The research focuses on the population dynamics
of midges in Mývatn and the consequences they
have for the aquatic and surrounding terrestrial
food webs. The work includes conducting lab and
field experiments, and collecting arthropod,
zooplankton, sediment and plant samples. The
research will be divided approximately equally
between aquatic and terrestrial systems.
Relevant skills and experience include previous
lab and, especially, field research.
Competitive candidates will have basic
proficiency in collecting and identifying
arthropods, foreign travel/cross-cultural
experiences, strong interpersonal skills, and the
ability to work both in a team and independently.
APPLICATIONS
If you are interested in joining our team, please apply with the following:
1. Cover letter
Your cover letter should outline your background
and the reasons why you would be a good candidate
for this position. Include a discussion of why
you want this position and how it relates to your
career goals. Also, be specific about experiences
and skills you are bringing to the position. Make
your case for why you are a good fit for the
position, highlighting details from your resume
or other pertinent information that might not
appear on your resume. Please include your
citizenship, and your current and future educational plans.
2. Resume
Include a current resume that details your
education and work experience. Please provide the
names and contact information for at least two
references that we can contact to ask specific
questions about your background and qualifications for the position.
Submit your application as a single PDF (only 1
file), including cover letter and resume. Email
your PDF to Joe Phillips [email protected].
Include your surname in the file (e.g.,
Smith_Iceland_application.pdf). Put â2015
Summer Research in Icelandâ in the subject line
of the email. After initial screening of
materials, finalists will be contacted for interviews in early February.
DEADLINE
For full consideration for summer 2015
internships, please submit your application by 30 January, 2015.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
All positions include travel expenses to and from
Iceland, food and lodging, and a small stipend.
Interns are expected to join the research team in
Iceland from the first week of June to late
August. A critical part of the program is
conducting your own research project under our
guidance. Past summer research interns have
completed their projects as senior research
theses or have presented their work at national conferences.
If you have any questions about the position, or
our work in general, please donât hesitate to
email us. More information about our work and
field experience can be found at our blog, http://uwmyvatn.blogspot.com/
Contacts:
Joe Phillips (graduate student) - [email protected]
Kyle Webert (graduate student) - [email protected]
Tony Ives (professor) - [email protected]
http://www.zoology.wisc.edu/faculty/ive/ive.html
Claudio Gratton (professor) - [email protected]
http://gratton.entomology.wisc.edu/category/ecosystem-linkages/
