This program provides research opportunities for Washington University in St. Louis students for 10 weeks during the summer of 2019.
Dates: June 3 – August 9, 2019
Location: Missouri Botanical Garden (some projects conducted at Shaw Nature Reserve)
Compensation: Weekly $575 stipend
Position Details:
Living Earth Collaborative (LEC) Summer Research Interns at the Missouri Botanical Garden program will work on independent mentored projects in plant systematics, conservation biology, and/or ethnobotany. Participants will have access to the Garden’s herbarium of more than 7 million specimens, an excellent botanical library, rich garden collections, laboratory facilities for plant anatomy, microscopy, digital imaging, SEM, and DNA analysis, and the Shaw Nature Reserve – a 2,400 acre ecological preserve featuring prairie, forest, glades, wetlands, and 14 miles of hiking trails.
Mentors and Projects:
Students will work closely with a Ph.D. mentor from the Missouri Botanical Garden on an independent research project. Projects available in 2019 involve subjects including taxonomy (especially of plants from biodiverse tropical regions), restoration ecology, conservation biology, plant morphology, and emerging crops. Students will be trained in all aspects of research, including project design, background research using library and electronic resources, methods, data collection and analysis, and presentation of results in a poster, public research symposium, and possibly a published paper. Click here for a complete list of projects offered in 2019
Additional Training:
Students will also participate in professional enrichment sessions dedicated to a variety of topics, including improving writing skills, ethics in research, intellectual property rights, getting into graduate school, taking the GRE exam, graduate school options, conservation, and sustainable living. Students will participate in weekly Lunch and Learn sessions in which these subjects will be discussed. Students will also participate in field trips to local natural areas and cultural attractions.
Application
To apply, please submit a cover letter, application form, letter of recommendation, and transcripts to Dr. Monica Carlsen at monica.carlsen@mobot.org
The Application Deadline is February 28, 2019