Career development opportunities
This page contains information about internships, community engagement projects, seasonal jobs, and other positions that may be of interest to students who want to gain job-related experience prior to graduation. Check this page periodically for updates, and note that some opportunities have specific deadlines.
Job Boards
Many groups compile job openings and post them on job boards.
Bioscience Association of Maine Job Board
Community Engagement
4-H STEM Ambassadors, University of Southern Maine [recruitment at the start of every semester]
Internships
Internship: Idexx Laboratories [Deadlines vary depending on position]
Internship: Aquaculture in changing waters: Impacts of ocean acidification on juvenile oysters
Mook Sea Farm, Walpole, MESummer 2019, 10 weeks, flexible start/end dates Mook Sea Farm (MSF) is offering an internship opportunity through theSustainable Ecological Aquaculture Network (SEANET) program. The internship will determine calcification rates of juvenile (seed) oysters in an aquaculture nursery setting with ambient and manipulated pH conditions. Pending funding, the internship will also determine differential gene expression of the oysters grown in ambient and manipulated pH conditions. It is well documented that ocean acidification has negative impacts on larval oysters, which can be corrected by buffering the seawater used in hatcheries. A largely unanswered question is to what degree ocean and coastal acidification (OCA) affect juvenile oyster calcification and gene expression. Aside from hatchery operators, oyster farmers have generally not seen impacts of OCA on their seed oyster growth. The objective of this project is to determine the impacts of OCA on seed oysters with a goal of communicating the findings with other oyster farmers.The intern will be co-mentored by Dr. Meredith White, Head of Research and Development at MSF and Dr. Damian Brady at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center. A stipend based on experience (starting at $11/hour), along with $100/week to help offset housing costs. It is strongly recommended that the intern has access to a car. Eligible candidates must be enrolled as an undergraduate in a Maine college or university, or be a Maine resident enrolled as an undergraduate at an out-of-state college or university at the time of the internship. This position will include computer and laboratory work as well as physically demanding indoor and outdoor activities. Competitive candidates will have completed the equivalent of two years of college study in sciences, engineering, economics, business, or another area of training relevant to environmental and marine sciences and be capable of working independently as well as in a team. Applications will be reviewed beginning February 18. To apply, please send a cover letter and 2 page resume with three references to Dr. Meredith White atmeredith.megan.white@gmail.com with ‘MSF OA Juvenile Oysters’ in the title.
Internship: Environmental influence on larval bivalve settlement success
Mook Sea Farm, Walpole, MESummer 2019, 10 weeks, flexible start/end datesMook Sea Farm (MSF) and the Damariscotta River Association (DRA) are offering a marine larval ecology internship through the Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Network (SEANET) program. Building onwork done in the summer and fall of 2018, the internship will explore the relationship between larval bivalve abundance and settlement success in the Damariscotta River and environmental variables including carbonate chemistry and food availability. Bivalve settlement in the Damariscotta River is variable year-to-year, with implications for both aquaculture and wild harvest. Byrelating settlement success to environmental variables measured at Mook Sea Farm and at a SEANET buoy, we hope to determine the factors that are most important to settlement success. The end-product of this internshipwill be a written SOP for citizen scientist monitoring led by the DRA in future years. The intern will be co-mentored by Dr. Meredith White, Head of Research and Development at MSF; Sarah Gladu, Director of Education and Environmental Monitoring at the DRA; and Dr. Damian Brady at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center. A stipend based on experience (starting at $11/hour) will be provided, along with $100/week to help offset housing costs. It is strongly recommended thatthe intern has access to a car. Eligible candidates must be enrolled as an undergraduate in a Maine college or university, or be a Maine resident enrolled as an undergraduate at an out-of-state college or university at the time of the internship. This position will include computer and laboratory work as well as physically demanding indoor and outdoor activities. Competitive candidates will have completed the equivalent of two years of college study in sciences, engineering, economics, business, or another area of training relevant to environmental and marine sciences and be capable of working independently as well as in a team. Applications will be reviewed beginning February 18. To apply, please send a cover letter and 2 page resume with three references to Dr. Meredith White atmeredith.megan.white@gmail.com with ‘MSF larval bivalve settlement’ in the title.
Internships at Martin's Point Health Care
Follow this link to summer internship positions available at Martin’s Point Health Care. Students should apply online for the position(s) they feel best qualified for at https://martin.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Internships
Review of applications begins at the end of February with interviews taking place in March.
Research Internships at Gulf of Maine Research Institute in downtown Portland
New for the summer of 2019, we are excited to announce the launch of our NSF-funded REU Site – ‘Integrated Studies in a Rapidly Warming Fishery Ecosystem’. Briefly, the program includes 10 weeks of hands-on research experience at our waterfront location in downtown Portland Maine, a $500/week stipend, housing, meal allowances and travel support for 6-8 students. For more information please visit:
https://www.gmri.org/about-us/join-our-team/internships/gmri-research-experience-undergraduates
We welcome applications from undergraduate students from a broad range of institutions and backgrounds including students from two- and four-year colleges and underserved communities (e.g., minorities, students with disabilities, first-generation college students, veterans).
Online applications are now open and will close on February 15th. Decisions will be made by March 15th.
Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity at Bigelow Labs
https://www.bigelow.org/education/reu/ Applications are due 15 February 2019.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES 2019
OVERVIEW
Beginning in 2013, the University of North Florida became one of the newest host sites for the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program. The UNF REU Program offers paid research training experiences in Coastal Biology to 10 undergraduate students during a 10-week period from late May through late July. REU participants are paired with Coastal Biologists at UNF and the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR) and conduct mentored research projects related to their advisor’s expertise. Prior to this, students will complete a 1-week orientation on performing research in Coastal Biology to prepare them for their directed research projects. Students will also gain experience in science communication by presenting the results of their project at a departmental-wide research poster mini-symposium. Participants will attend research seminars and workshops on career skills in science. Students may also have the opportunity to present their research findings at professional conferences.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for participation in the 2019 UNF REU program, students must be:
- S. Citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. or its possessions
- Enrolled in a degree program (part-time or full-time) leading to a baccalaureate degree.
- Available for the full duration of the program, from May 20th to July 26th (some exceptions possible)
Freshman- and Sophomore-level science students and students from minority groups underrepresented in science (African Americans, Latinos and Hispanics, Native Americans, Native Pacific Islanders, and Alaskan Natives) are especially encouraged to apply!
TRAVEL, STIPENDS, AND HOUSING
Students participating in the REU program will receive:
- Stipend of $5,500 over the 10-week period
- Free housing in a UNF dormitory and meals
- Support for transportation between UNF and their home institution
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Students interested in applying to the 2019 UNF REU program can acquire information on the application procedure from the program website. The deadline for applications is March 20, 2019.
See: http://www.unf.edu/coas/biology/coastal_biology/REU-Apply.aspx
ABOUT UNF
UNF is a 40-year old, comprehensive public university situated on ~1,300 acres of scenic timberland located 7 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean and 12 miles southeast of the urban setting of downtown Jacksonville, FL. Because of its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, the St. Johns River, and the GTMNERR, UNF is uniquely suited to serve as a base for contemporary research in Coastal Biology. For additional information about UNF, visit www.unf.edu
Visit us at: http://www.unf.edu/coas/biology/coastal_biology/REU.aspx
Seasonal positions
Central Michigan University Great Lakes Research Experiences for Undergraduates - Summer Research Program
https://www.cmich.edu/colleges/se/cmubs/students/Pages/CMU-Great-Lakes-Summer-Research-Program.aspx
Field Biology researcher to study wild bird populations
The Nature Conservancy in Maine is now hiring 3 seasonal staff to join our Freshwater Conservation Team! Applications must be received by February 8, 2019. All applicants must apply online via careers.nature.org -- direct links to postings below:
The Jed Wright Fellow for River Health (Job ID 47216, apply at https://bit.ly/2F4S6T4) The Jed Wright Fellow position is meant to provide opportunities for college students to explore and develop their interests in river and aquatic restoration. One of the objectives of this position is to create career opportunities for folks who come from backgrounds that don’t easily lend themselves to conservation careers. We are really hoping to attract candidates who have life experience such as racial or ethnic minority, urban upbringing, or economically disadvantaged. We desire Fellows who can bring a perspective to our work that is different from what is represented by much of our staff. Student should be between their junior year in college to studying in graduate school with an environmental/conservation academic focus. The Fellow will work closely with our staff, other crew members, and conservation partners to gain on-the-job experience and skills directly applicable to river and aquatic restoration in Maine. The Fellow will survey and monitor road crossings for fish passage in suburban, rural and remote areas of Maine. Tasks may include conducting surveys at and around culverts, coordinating survey sites, field work logistics, site data entry and quality control, photo file management, operating total station survey equipment, tablets and GPS field equipment to and measure physical metrics at survey sites, all in a variety of field conditions. This position will require extensive travel time, overnights, and work in remote locations. This is preferably a 15-week full time seasonal position beginning June 3, 2019; however, we have some flexibility on start dates and can consider a Fellow that needs a slightly shorter assignment.
The Stream Barrier Assessment Crew Member (Job ID 47217, apply at https://bit.ly/2R3ZjZV ) will work closely with other crew members and conservation partners to survey and monitor road crossings for fish passage in suburban, rural and remote areas of Maine. Tasks include conducting surveys at and around culverts, coordinating survey sites, field work logistics, site data entry and quality control, photo file management, operating total station survey equipment, tablets, and GPS field equipment to measure physical metrics at survey sites. The work will be performed in a variety of field conditions. This position will require extensive travel time, overnights, and work in remote locations. This is preferably a 15-week full time seasonal position beginning June 3, 2019; however, we have some flexibility on start dates and can consider crew members that need slightly shorter assignments.
The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is accepting applications for the following positions (22):
1) Disease Ecology Project Assistants, “Mouse-mast Project” (up to 3)
Job Description: Research the dynamics of mammalian communities and the relationships between mammals, ticks, oak trees, and Lyme disease. Location is the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York’s Hudson River Valley. Duties include live-trapping small mammals, taking blood, urine, and fecal samples, reliably recording trapping data, sampling abundance of ticks, collecting tree seeds, and conducting seedling surveys within eastern deciduous forest plots. Early morning and late afternoon hours, as well as occasional weekends, are required.
Qualifications: Prior experience handling small mammals is highly desirable.
Employment: Employment can begin as early as April 1 or as late as mid May, with an end date of approximately November 14, 2019.
To Apply: Please submit job application via http://www.caryinstitute.org/who-we-are/jobs and include a single PDF file consisting of a letter of application, a resume, and the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references. Be sure to cite Job Number 19001-I, "Mouse-mast Project".
2) Disease Ecology Project Assistants, “Tick-Climate Project” (up to 6)
Job Description: Research the effects of weather and climate on the survival and behavior of blacklegged ticks and risk of tick-borne disease. Location is the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York’s Hudson River Valley, with biweekly travel to sites between northern New York and North Carolina. Duties include maintaining lab colonies of mice and ticks, establishing and maintaining field plots with ticks, assessing and recording tick survival, and downloading data from dataloggers.
Qualifications: Meticulous attention to detail and experience in field ecology is mandatory. Prior experience handling small mammals is highly desirable.
Employment: Employment to begin between March 15 and May 1, with an end date of approximately November 30, 2019.
To Apply: Please submit job application via http://www.caryinstitute.org/who-we-are/jobs and include a single PDF file consisting of a letter of application, a resume, and the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references. Be sure to cite Job Number 19002-I, "Tick-Climate Project".
3) Disease Ecology Project Assistants, “The Tick Project” (up to 12)
Job Description: Research the effects of tick management interventions on the survival and behavior of blacklegged ticks and risk of tick-borne disease in people. Location is the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York’s Hudson River Valley, with travel to sites throughout Dutchess County, New York. Duties include sampling, collecting, and identifying collected ticks from suburban/village neighborhoods, live-trapping small mammals, gathering and entering data on tick encounters with local residents and cases of tick-borne disease, deploying wildlife cameras, and identifying species captured in wildlife camera photos.
Qualifications: Meticulous attention to detail and experience in field ecology is mandatory. Prior experience handling small mammals is highly desirable.
Employment: Employment to begin between April 1 and May 15, with an end date of approximately October 4, 2019.
To Apply: Please submit job application via http://www.caryinstitute.org/who-we-are/jobs and include a single PDF file consisting of a letter of application, a resume, and the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references. Be sure to cite Job Number 19003-I, “The Tick Project”.
4) Disease Ecology Project Assistant, “Tick Control Liaison” (1 position)
Job Description: Research the effects of tick management interventions on the survival and behavior of blacklegged ticks and risk of tick-borne disease in people. Location is the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York’s Hudson River Valley, with travel to sites throughout Dutchess County, New York. Duties include acting as liaison between research staff at the Cary Institute and the pest control personnel who deploy tick control interventions on our study sites. The project assistant will:
-Assure compliance with research protocols and methodologies
-Maintain quality control of the preparation, delivery, and application of tick control interventions
-Maintain the double-blind study design
-Oversee the application of tick control interventions in study neighborhoods
-Address questions and concerns of study participants and members of the public in study neighborhoods
-Collect and maintain meticulous records of tick control treatments and other relevant field data
The project assistant will also spend approximately 25% of their time over the summer assisting on other tick-related projects and will perform a combination of lab and field work related to sampling the abundance of ticks.
Qualifications: Prior experience with field ecology, regulatory compliance, and vector control is highly desirable.
Employment: Employment to begin between April 1 and April 15, with an end date of approximately September 30, 2019 with the possibility of extension.
To Apply: Please submit job application via http://www.caryinstitute.org/who-we-are/jobs and include a single PDF file consisting of a letter of application, a resume and the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references. Be sure to cite Job Number 19004-I, “Tick Control Liaison”.
All positions report to Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld and are full time, 35 hours/week. Wage is commensurate with education and experience. The final candidate will be required to complete a post-offer, pre-employment driving background check successfully. Candidates must be authorized to work in the U.S. On-site or nearby housing is available. Review of applications will begin on January 14, 2019. Postings are open until February 15, 2019 or until filled.
The Cary Institute is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA) employer. It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, familial status, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.
Gain valuable experience before you graduate!