FSU Biology - Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
This page lists postings for undergraduate research opportunities. If you are interested in any of the following please contact the individual listed below. Further opportunities can be found on individual faculty webpages.
Reproductive ecology of marine fishes: I need one or two assistants to help out with a project investigating the success of different mating tactics in a small seabass, Serranus subligarius. Field work will begin in June and will include tagging fish, collecting fertilized eggs from spawns, video taping and observing fish behavior. Lab work will include dissecting fish for data on gonad morphology and fish age, microscope work for counting fertilized eggs and some processing of fish tissue for later molecular analysis. This work involves some diving and a lot of snorkeling, so interested students need to be very comfortable in the water and have their own snorkel gear (scientific diving certification is required to dive with me, but snorkeling help is also needed) . Field site is in Panama City and we will be going there about twice a week from June-September. This is not a paid position, but could be part of a DIS project.
Contact: Mia Adreani Email:madreani@bio.fsu.edu Phone Number: 850-644-2678 Last updated: April 17, 2008
DIS-phylogenetic analyses on bivalves: I have DIS or volunteer opportunities for undergrads to conduct PCR and sequence editing
starting summer (2 semester minimum) to conduct phylogenetic analyses on bivalves.
DIS in virus effects on human cancers: DIS opportunities are available to motivated junior or sophomore students who are seeking research experiences. The major theme of our research is to find out how viruses cause human cancers. Requirements: GPA>3.5; basic knowledge in chemistry and biology (we will give you a simple test); flexible time>15 hrs per week.
Lab technician in molecular genetics lab: 1) Job description: Lab technician in a molecular genetics lab. Must be able to perform independent research under PI’s direction and help analyze data. Must have good work ethics and a teamwork spirit. Familiarity with PCR, molecular cloning, and DNA gel electrophoresis is highly desirable.
2) Minimum requirement: B.S. in Biology or a related field.
3) Pay rate: OPS, commensurate with experience.
Do insects regulate plant populations?: We are exploring the effect of insect herbivores on the perennial weed Solanum. To tackle this question, we have set up a field study site in Quincy (about 20 miles west of FSU). We are looking for a hardworking field assistant to help with the data collection and maintenance of our field site. This is a great opportunity to join a team of dedicated scientists working on a fundamental question of population ecology. Applicants should be ready to work outdoors in the hot and humid conditions of the Florida summer. This project is a collaboration between Stacey Halpern (Pacific University) and Nora Underwood (Florida State University). Please visit Dr. Underwood’s Web Site for a full description of the project and the position.
Contact: Nora Underwood
Fire Ecology: I will need some hourly help during March-April doing fuel collection and fire behavior measurements during prescribed burns on Tall Timbers Research Station. The employment will be a little erratic, such is the nature of prescribed burning, but I would like to have a list of potentially interested people to call on short notice.
Also we usually have a few summer internships, which provided about a $900 per month stipend. Tasks are yet undetermined, but usually include vegetation measurement, fire behavior measurement, soil sampling, soil lab work, and data entry.
Finally, I would like to hire one or two people to help with the re-measurement of trees in the Woodyard Hammock long-term forest demography study in October 2008. Pay would probably be at the internship rate.
Herbarium Volunteer: There are volunteer opportunities in FSU's Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium. The herbarium is a museum-quality collection of over 200,000 plant specimens. Most of these document the distribution and natural variation of the 2,400 species of flowering plants, ferns, conifers, and cycads found in northern Florida-one of North America's biodiversity hotspots. Volunteers will be trained to mount new specimens and/or re-file specimens. A commitment of at least 3 hours per week for 1 semester is required.
Seed dispersal: I am interesting in getting a DIS student, though not until the fall of 2008 or spring of
2009. I plan to set up an experiment in which I will test the hypothesis that amphicarpy
is a means of avoiding sibling competition. Amphicarpic plants produce both underground
and aerial seeds. In Amphicarpaea bracteata, the UG seeds are produced on lateral
branches of the maternal plant and the AER seeds are produced on branches that twine on
other plants. AER seeds are ballistically dispersed when the fruits dehisce, so they
have the potential to be dispersed further than the UG seeds. Previous studies have
suggested that amphicarpy evolved as a means of avoiding sibling competition between the
UG and AER seeds of a plant, which would reduce the total fitness achieve by the maternal
plant. What I plan to do is to plant amphi seeds in isolated locations where no other
plants are present (probably at Tall Timbers). I plan to implement three different
treatments. I will allow each plant to grow to maturity and produce seed. For all of
the plants, I will locate the UG seeds. For 1/3 of those plants, I will remove the UG
seeds. For the other 2/3, I will leave the seeds in place and mark their locations. For
1/3 of the plants, I will allow the AER seeds to disperse naturally. For the last 1/3 of
the plants, I would open the AER fruits and disperse the seeds at random within the range
of dispersal of the UG seeds. Depending on when the DIS took place, the undergrad would
be involved in either implementing the treatments next fall or monitoring emergence of
the seedlings in the following spring or both depending on how long I would have the
student. It would not be a paid position as far as I know, but would be a great
opportunity.
Contact: Sarah Tso Email:tso@bio.fsu.edu Location: Tall Timbers and other local field locations Last updated: April 17, 2008
Marine Certificate Program: The Certificate Program in Marine Biology is designed to prepare you to enter the workforce or graduate school (M. Sc. or Ph. D.) in a marine-related field in basic or applied science, from conservation to natural resource management. The highlight of the program is an undergraduate research experience that provides hands-on internship opportunities in marine biology with a marine scientist mentor. The goal is to increase your awareness of the great issues and challenges of marine science and conservation and to have you experience the thrill of making real contributions to advancing scientific knowledge. Refer to the URL for further information
Undergraduate Research-College of Medicine: Undergraduate research experience provides a means by which undergraduates can participate in, and meaningfully contribute to, the research programs of the faculty in the FSU College of Medicine. In addition to providing valuable technical training, such research experience affords students a better understanding of science as a career. This experience can prove invaluable in helping students to plan and prepare for their own post-baccalaureate careers – whether in research, medicine or industry. Please refer to the URL for further information.
TNC Science Internship Program 2008: The Nature Conservancy (TNC) will be hosting science and conservation internships during the summer and fall of 2008. This is a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between what is learned in the classroom and work done in the real world of conservation to promote a sustainable planet. The Conservation Science
Internship Program (CSIP), designed to help TNC draw broadly from a variety of socio‐cultural experiences, to build diversity in conservation, and to increase its programs’ conservation science capacity, will match qualified and enthusiastic college and university students with appropriate TNC programs and mentors
throughout the world. TNC CSIP staff will ensure good matches between intern and mentor/host program such that interns receive a quality experience, a committed mentor, and relevant training. Interns begin the program with an orientation retreat (travel expenses covered) in which TNC science leaders and academic
mentors gather and share professional and career experiences, as well as help formulate internship
projects so that they have greatest chance to succeed. In addition to mentoring, the intern program will provide an outstanding network of conservation professionals to draw on in future years. Although our program is still relatively small in 2008, we hope to expand it over time, reaching greater numbers of diverse students around the world, and eventually contributing to the diversity, size, and effectiveness of
the global conservation workforce. For further information, please refer to URL.
REUs at Kellogg Biological Station (Michigan): Kellogg Biological Station has 20 positions this summer for undergraduates to participate in ecological research. All of these are PAID opportunities!
REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) Opportunities for 2008 include:
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center:
Biodiversity, sustainability, and ecosystem services in biofuel cropping systems---
KBS Long Term Ecological Research Site: Ecological Genetics, Aquatic Biogeochemistry, Perennials in sustainable agriculture, Temporal variation in perennial productivity---
KBS Learn and Intern Program:
Perennial Plant Cover in Agricultural Ecosystems, Parental Investment in House Wrens, Plant-Mycorrhizal Interactions, Community Ecology in Temporary Ponds, Integrated Food System Internship---
We also have paid internships for students that want less research and more career-related experience: Bird Sanctuary Student Internship, Crop and Dairy Internship, PR/Marketing Internship---
Undergraduates at KBS will be part of a lively research community. Students will receive training in many facets of the research process,
and work closely with a mentor-scientist. All these programs include a PAID stipend, and many also include room and board. We encourage applications from underrepresented groups in the sciences.
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