Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Prgram DEADLINE DEC. 2014

Applications for 2015 Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program Are Open

Background:

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program  is the Smithsonian Institution’s centrally-funded flagship fellowship program. SI Fellowships are awarded annually to scholars wishing to conduct independent study or research at one or more of the Smithsonian’s 19 units and research centers.

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship award amounts are as follows:

Graduate Student Fellowship**: $7000.00 for 10 weeks

Predoctoral Student Fellowship: $32,700 annually; research allowance up to $4,000 total.

Postdoctoral Researcher Fellowship: $48,000 annually; research allowance up to $4,000 total.

Senior Researcher Fellowship: $48,000 annually; research allowance up to $4,000 total.

Fellows in earth/planetary sciences are eligible to receive $5,000.00 over the amounts above.

**Graduate student fellowships are offered for ten weeks and are not available for periods of less or more than ten weeks.  Relocation and research allowances are not offered for graduate student fellowships.

Stipends for all fellowships other than graduate students are prorated for periods of less than twelve months.

Smithsonian fellowship stipends are not salary or compensation. They are meant to support study and research during the tenure of the appointment and cannot be issued retroactively.

All funds provided under Smithsonian Institution fellowships, including stipends and research and travel allowances, are subject to tax. Fellows awarded stipends receive a financial summary at the end of each calendar year and are responsible for meeting their own state and federal tax obligations.

In addition to the stipend, allowances to assist with the fellow’s research related expenses and for temporary relocation to the Smithsonian are possible. The budget for the research allowance should not include costs for relocation to the Smithsonian, which is awarded separately. A maximum research allowance of $4,000 is available. The amount awarded will be determined based upon the budget and justification presented by the applicant.

The Office of Fellowships and Internships cannot provide funds for the travel or living expenses of dependents.

Determination of the fellowship category for which to apply should be based on the anticipated academic level at the time the fellowship would begin.

Funded graduate positions in microbial ecology in Montreal

Graduate student positions (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) available: Montreal QC,Canada.

*Understanding the importance of insect and plant microbiomes during spruce budworm outbreaks*

Fully-funded graduate student positions (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) are available for motivated students interested in studying the ecology of microbial communities (microbiomes) associated with spruce budworm and their host trees during the current outbreak that is having major impacts on Quebec forests.

The objectives of the project are to use field surveys and experimental manipulations of spruce budworm and host tree microbiomes, in order to understand the processes responsible for variation in microbial community structure in the budworm gut at multiple scales, and to quantify the effect of gut microbes on budworm growth, survival, and ecological interactions.

Students will be co-supervised by Dr. Steven Kembel (UQAM) and Dr. Patrick James (UdeM), and/or Dr. Daniel Kneeshaw (UQAM). The students will also work closely with a multidisciplinary team carrying out research on spruce budworm outbreak dynamics and forest ecology, including Dr. Louis DeGrandpré, and Dr. Deepa Pureswaran (Canadian Forest Service, NRCan). Students will have the opportunity to develop projects and receive training in diverse areas including field ecology, laboratory and greenhouse experiments, high-throughput environmental sequencing, biostatistics, and bioinformatics for the quantification of microbiome structure.

The ideal candidate will have a strong academic record and an interest in ecology (insect, plant, or microbial) and quantitative methods in community ecology or bioinformatics.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions have been filled. To apply, please submit a cover letter stating your research interests, CV, unofficial transcripts, and contact information for three references to:

Dr. Steven Kembel (kembel.steven_w@uqam.ca)
Dr. Patrick James (patrick.ma.james@umontreal.ca)
Dr. Daniel Kneeshaw (kneeshaw.daniel@uqam.ca)

Ecological Science/Engineering PhD students wanted

Ecological Science/Engineering PhD students wanted

I am recruiting two PhD students to join the Landscape Flux Group
within the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at
the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. These positions can start
immediately, in January 2015, or in summer or fall of 2015. Students
should have a background in one or more of the following disciplines:
wetland ecology, biogeochemistry, biometeorology, environmental
engineering, watershed or surface-water hydrology, agricultural
sciences or engineering. Some ability to code in Matlab or a related
language is beneficial, as is experience in gas flux measurements
using either chamber-based or eddy covariance methods. These positions
will require a valid US driver’s license.

My research group develops budgets of water, energy, and carbon in
different wetland ecosystems. This research uses micrometeorological
techniques to evaluate land-atmosphere fluxes of water vapor, carbon
dioxide, methane and heat. For example, the eddy covariance technique
is used to determine the turbulent flux within atmospheric boundary
layers, whereas hydrological methods are used to estimate the
horizontal fluxes of dissolved carbon in surface and subsurface
waterways. Together these methods quantify major environmental fluxes
that serve as inputs for process-based predictive modeling and
landscape management.

The PhD research projects will be based in agriculturally-affected
wetlands in Arkansas and low-lying permafrost tundra wetlands in the
Arctic. Both projects will use flux budgeting methods to understand
the landscape’s ecological and hydrological functioning. This research
will connect between site dynamics and climate drivers with the goal
of creating simplified process representations used at the scale of
the global climate model. Resources are available for travel,
equipment and international collaboration.

Additional information about graduate admission requirements, possible
supplemental fellowships, and material about the department may be
found here: http://www.baeg.uark.edu/1932.php. Information about the
university and its land grant mission may be found here:
http://arkansas.edu/about/index.php. Furthermore, the university
offers competitive Doctoral Academy Fellowships, which are awards over
and above the departmental stipend. Details on these opportunities are
available here: http://grad.uark.edu/future/funding/index.php.

The University of Arkansas is in the middle of a significant period of
growth in both its student numbers and in raising its profile in
research and innovation. There are significant opportunities here for
collaborations on-campus in water, soil, nanotech, and other
laboratories. Fayetteville Arkansas is a beautiful and culturally
vibrant college town amidst the Ozark Mountain Range. There are
plentiful outdoor recreational activities, good restaurants, and
proximity to the world-class art collection of the Crystal Bridges
Museum of American Art.

Please email me, Dr. Benjamin Runkle (brrunkle@uark.edu), with a CV,
unofficial transcript, the names of two references, a sample of your
scientific writing, and a description of your research interests.

Benjamin R. K. Runkle

Assistant Professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 72701

ENGR 231

Phone: 479-575-2878

brrunkle@uark.edu

http://wordpress.uark.edu/brrunkle/

http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SeZEXyoAAAAJ&hl=en

ropical Forest Ecology Field Course in Panama

2014 WINTER COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT (December 20, 2014-January 9, 2015)

FIELD COURSE IN TROPICAL RAINFOREST AND CANOPY ECOLOGY (TRE W-14)

COURSE LOCATION: Bocas del Toro Biological Station, Boca del Drago, Isla
Colon, Republic of  Panama.  The biological station is located on a hill
facing the Caribbean Sea.  Coral reef and seagrass ecosystems are out in
front of the station and lowland tropical rain forests lie directly behind.
This juxtaposition of the two most biologically diverse ecosystems provides
tremendous opportunities for education and research.  See
http://www.itec-edu.org/index.html for details.

INSTRUCTORS:
Dr. Peter N. Lahanas,  Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation,
phone: 352-361-9128, email: lahanas@itec-edu.org.   Specialty: Neotropical
forest ecology, animal behavior and herpetology.

Prof. Joe Maher, Director, Tree Climbing U.S.A. , 413 College Street,
Dawsonville, GA, phone: phone: 229-732-5973, email:
jmaher@treeclimbercoalition.org, Specialty:  Tree canopy access,
photography.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This field course is designed to provide the student
with a foundation in ecological concepts and field techniques as applied to
tropical rainforest ecosystems.  The material covered is equivalent to a
university upper level course in tropical ecology.  The course is divided
into three parts.  During the first few days students will become familiar
with the many ecosystems found in our area and with the trail systems during
³orientation² walks.  The bulk of the first 10 days will be spent learning
field techniques and carrying out various group projects or exercises (see
below).  It is during this time period that students will learn to access
the canopy using various rope techniques (Climbing Certification is
available, please contact Joe Maher for details).  Midway through the course
the entire station community takes a 3-day field trip to cloudforests of
Boquete (see details below).  On returning to the field station, students
work on their individual research projects and continue to receive lectures
in the evening.

Formal lectures.  Formal lectures will take place in the classroom and will
include the use of PowerPoint presentations and chalkboard.  Lectures will
generally be given in the evening so that more daylight hours can be spent
in the field.  Lecture topics will include:

o  Neotropical Life Zones and Forest Types
o  Tropical Forest Structure
o  Tropical forest Productivity
o  Epiphytes, Lianas and Creepers
o  Tropical Forest Dynamics
o  Nutrient Cycling
o  Neotropical Vertebrate Ecology
o  Neotropical Invertebrate Ecology
o  Biodiversity Hypotheses
o  Plant-Animal Interactions
o  Animal Defensive Strategies and Mimicry
o  Plant Defensive Strategies
o  Pollination and Dispersal ecology
o  Consequences of Human Use
o  Tropical Forest Conservation

Informal Lectures.  Informal lectures will be provided periodically during
orientation walks (when you first arrive), during group field projects or in
discussion groups. These will cover a wide variety of topics and will
generally be prompted by what we encounter in the field, or by the direction
taken during group discussions.

Readings.  Readings corresponding to lecture subjects will be assigned in
the text.  We will also read and critique papers brought by students and
faculty and additional readings may be assigned from time to time.  In
addition, each student will read, critique, and provide oral reports on
published papers brought to Bocas.

Required Texts: Kricher, John (1999).  A Neotropical Companion, 2nd Ed.
Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.  ISBN 978-0-691-0097-42.

Field Book.  A field book will be required in the course.  A field book will
contain all data related to group projects and independent research
project.  The field book should also contain all other incidental
observations such as species lists, behavioral notes, etc., and contain
detailed location information. The field book must be water-proof and either
pencil or water-proof ink used to record data.

Group Field Projects, Exercises, Demonstrations and Excursions.  These are
research or demonstrational projects designed by the faculty and worked on
in groups of four or six students.  The purpose of these projects is to
familiarize students with an array of field sampling techniques and
equipment commonly used in field studies.  With help from a faculty member,
students set up projects, collect data, and generally (depends on the
project), analyze data, present the results to the class, and write a
report.

Group Project, Demonstration and Excursion Topics
o  Canopy access techniques
o  Population ecology in poison-dart frogs
o  Tail flicking behavior in geckos
o  Forest structure and biodiversity
o  Biodiversity of insular freshwater fishes
o  Leaf-litter decomposer fauna
o  Niche partitioning in forest lizards
o  Cave ecology, bats, rats & invertebrates
o  Soropta canal, caimans and crocodiles
o  Bird Island, a pelagic seabird nesting colony
o  Mangroves, reefs and seagrass fauna & flora

Individual Research Projects.  Working closely with faculty, students will
be responsible for designing and completing an original research project of
their choosing.  The project may deal with any topic in tropical ecology or
conservation.  These projects will be carried out during the second half of
the course and students will have about 10 days for data collection.  A few
days before the end of the course students will analyze their data, write a
technical report, prepare a PowerPoint presentation of their work and orally
present their findings during a station-wide symposium on the last day of
the course.

BOQUETE CLOUD FOREST FIELD TRIP:  This field trip will allow students the
opportunity to visit other areas of Panama, to experience Panamanian
culture, and to visit tropical cloud and seasonal forests first hand.  We
travel in ITEC boats to the mainland and then by chartered bus to Boquete
which lies at the base of 11,000 ft. Volcan Baru.  The bus trip will take us
up and over the central mountain range and through Palo Seco National Park.
Several stops will be made in route.

COURSE LENGTH: ITEC Winter field courses are about three weeks in length.
The TRE W-14 will run from December 20, 2014 through January 9, 2015.

TUITION: $1850 USD.  Tuition fee includes all lodging, meals and airport
transfers in Bocas del Toro.  The tuition also covers transportation and
lodging during the 3-day cloud forest field trip on the mainland.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: November 20, 2014.  The course is limited to 10
students and applications will be evaluated as they arrive.  Applications
can be found at http://www.itec-edu.org/application.pdf.  If you believe
that your application may arrive late, notify ITEC.

GRADING and COURSE CREDIT:  Up to 6 units of credit will be given, 3 for the
lecture portion and 3 for the field portion.  A letter grade will be
assigned based on exams, reports, proposals, attendance at lectures, as well
as by less tangibles such as personal attitude, motivation, and contribution
to the course.  Course credit must be arranged through the student¹s
institution.  Contact ITEC for details.

CONTACT:  Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation,  2911 NW 40th PL,
Gainesville, FL 32605, phone: 352-367-9128, email: itec@itec-edu.org
<mailto:itec@itec-edu.org> , web: http://www.itec-edu.org
<http://www.itec-edu.org> .  ITEC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
founded in 1996.

*********************************
Peter N. Lahanas, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Institute for Tropical Ecology
and Conservation (ITEC)
2911 NW 40th Place
Gainesville, FL 32605, USA

phn: 352-367-9128
web: http://www.itec-edu.org

In Panama: 011-507-6853-2134
lahanas@gmail.com

Bocas del Toro Biological Station
Boca del Drago, Isla Colon, Panama
Field Station Manager, Enrique Dixon
011-507-6624-9246

PhD Fellowships at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) is pleased to announce
graduate fellowships to support incoming Ph.D. students starting fall semester, 2015. The
Presidential Fellowships are merit-based and designed to support recruitment of outstanding
students into the UMCES graduate programs interested in working with any faculty member. Up to
three years stipend, health benefits, and tuition will be covered.

UMCES is Maryland’s premier research institution aimed at advancing scientific knowledge of the
environment. UMCES scientists conduct research at four laboratories: the Appalachian Laboratory
in the mountains of western Maryland, the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory on the western shore
of Chesapeake Bay, the Horn Point Laboratory on the Eastern Shore, and the Institute of Marine and
Environmental Technology in Baltimore.

UMCES faculty members advise and support more than 80 graduate students annually through
three collaborative Ph.D. programs: Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences, Environmental
Toxicology, and the Graduate Program in Life Sciences.

For more information about the fellowships, see:
http://www.umces.edu/education/graduate/fellowships

For more information about UMCES, see: http://www.umces.edu

APIASF Scholarship

If you are interested in a Scholarship Fund, please read the criteria below and apply. Student Parents at Manoa is sharing this as a courtesy for the Asia & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund. Please do not respond to this email.

To apply for the APIASF Scholarship:

secure.apiasf.org/

For more information:  www.apiasf.org/scholarship_apiasf.html

Minimum Eligibility Criteria for Asia & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund

• Be of Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity as defined by the U.S. Census
• Be a citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the United States. Citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau are also eligible to apply
• Be enrolling as an undergraduate student in a U.S. accredited college or university in the Fall of 2015. Please read the scholarships by supporter details below for specific eligibility requirements regarding the academic standing required for each scholarship.
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale (unweighted) or have earned a GED
• Must apply for federal financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Submit one letter of recommendation online.

Award Amount: $2,500 – $15,000
Deadline: Friday, January 9, 2015 at 11:59pm EST

How to Apply

The APIASF Scholarship Program application must be completed online and submitted electronically once all of the required questions have been answered. You do not have to complete the online application in one sitting. Until you are ready to submit, you may access your application and edit your answers as many times as you like with your login from any computer with internet access. Please read all of the important instructions below as it contains information you need to complete the application process. Mozilla Firefox Recommended.

1. REGISTER FOR AN ACCOUNT. Your email address will be your user name and you can create your own password. Please note that you can start creating an account on September 2, 2014 when the application is available online.
2. CHECK YOUR EMAIL. Once you create an account, you will receive an email from applicant@apiasf.org. This email will contain your verification token number to allow you to verify your email and to provide you further access to the application.

   Make sure to add applicant@apiasf.org to your address book to ensure that emails from APIASF are delivered to your inbox.

3. REQUEST A RECOMMENDER. You are required to submit one letter of recommendation from an individual who knows you and is familiar with your community service and leadership activities. A teacher, advisor, work supervisor, community service leader, or any other adult familiar with you could serve as a recommender. Recommendations from relatives will not be accepted.

   To request a recommendation go to the Request Recommendation section of your application and input your recommender’s information. You can request a recommendation at any time during the application process. Once you complete this section, your recommender will receive an email from applicant@apiasf.org requesting a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Please contact your recommender to make sure they have received an email from applicant@apiasf.org and that they understand the instructions provided in the email. If your recommender does not receive the email a few hours after you sent the request, contact outreach@apiasf.org or call 877-808-7032 x104.

   Remember it is your responsibility to ensure that your recommender submits a letter of recommendation for your application. Make sure to inform your recommender at least 3 full weeks before the deadline that you have selected them to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf and are applying for a scholarship through the APIASF Scholarship Program. Also, tell your recommender to add applicant@apiasf.org to their address book to ensure that emails from APIASF are delivered to their inbox.

   Your whole application, including your letter of recommendation, is due January 9, 2015, 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time. It is your responsibility to ensure that your letter of recommendation is submitted on time.

   Recommenders should describe the applicant’s community service, leadership skills, financial need, academic accomplishments and future plans. Recommenders should also include how the student and his/her community may benefit, if the student were to receive an APIASF scholarship.

   APIASF welcomes and appreciates any additional comments about the applicant that will help the selection committee in the evaluation process. For example, some applicants, due to family economic conditions, must work and will not have much time for service/civic engagement. If this describes the applicant’s situation, please elaborate on why he/she is a deserving student.

4. SUBMIT AND CERTIFY YOUR APPLICATION. The deadline to submit your application for the APIASF Scholarship is January 9, 2015, 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time. Do not wait until the last minute to complete your application. You may have important questions that you need answered and we will not accept any late applications. To certify your application, you must click “Certify” on the Certification tab (TAB 10) on the online application form. Applications that are not certified will be disqualified from the scholarship process.
5. ANSWER ADDIITONAL QUALIFICATION QUESTIONS UNDER ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS TAB. Once you submit and certify your application, some of you may be directed to the Additional Scholarships section (Tab 12) to answer any additional questions. If Tab 12 does not appear for you, then you do not need to submit any additional information.
6. COMPLETE THE FREE APPLICATION FOR STUDENT AID (FAFSA) ONLNE. Make sure to complete the FAFSA by mid February. Applicants that are selected to the next round will be asked to submit a Student Aid Report (SAR), which is generated by the FAFSA. Please note that your FAFSA is not required in order to certify your online application.
7. WAIT TO BE NOTIFIED. If you submit your complete application by the deadline, you will be notified in May on the status of your application.
8. PASSWORDS. APIASF Staff cannot assist you in retrieving your password for your online application. You must click on the “Forgot Your Password” link on the application and follow those instructions in order to receive a new password

To apply for the APIASF Scholarship:

secure.apiasf.org/

For more information:  www.apiasf.org/scholarship_apiasf.html

PhD opportunity: mammal declines and disease outbreaks in Australia

*PhD opportunity to study undiagnosed mammal declines and disease outbreaks
in Australia*

*James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia*

Outbreak Investigations in Australian Wildlife

An outbreak investigation approach has been fundamental and essential in
determining the cause of many population declines. The cause of enigmatic
amphibian declines remained unsolved for 20 years (from 1978-1998, Berger
et al 1998 PNAS) until an outbreak investigation approach began in 1996
(Laurance et al 1996 CB).

There has been a sudden, rapid and catastrophic decline of brush-tailed
bettongs or woylies,* Bettongia pencillata*, in southern Western Australia
and widespread declines of small mammals in the Top End of the Northern
Territory and Kimberley region of Western Australia in recent years (Wayne
et al 2013 Oryx, Woinarski et al 2011 CL). These declines remain
undiagnosed and ultimately unresolved resulting in an increased threat of
species extinction.

The One Health Research Group at JCU have funds to conduct prospective and
retrospective outbreak investigations for these declines and other declines
that have occurred in Australia including those due to chytridiomycosis and
Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease. The project initially involves
epidemiological analyses with the potential to expand into other discipline
areas depending on research findings. The PhD candidate will be able to
pursue their own areas of interest within this framework. The project is
multidisciplinary and involves collaborators such as the WA Department of
Parks of Wildlife and WWF-Australia. The outcomes of the project are likely
to lead to improved conservation of Australian wildlife and advances in the
fields of wildlife epidemiology and management. The PhD graduate will
achieve competencies that will enable them to fulfil a number of roles such
as managing a wildlife health research or wildlife health biosecurity
program.

The One Health Research Group investigates the causes and control of
infectious diseases in wildlife that impact biodiversity, human health and
domestic animal health.  For more information please see
http://www.jcu.edu.au/phtmrs/abc/JCU_107907.html

The selected applicant would need to apply for a PhD scholarship
(Australian residents and citizens only, due 31 Oct to commence in 2015;
International Students, to commence in 2016).  Please see
http://www.jcu.edu.au/grs/scholarships/index.htm

Ideal PhD candidates will have:

1. 1st class honours or equivalent research credentials in a relevant
discipline such as veterinary science or zoology majoring in epidemiology
or ecology, 2. Knowledge of wildlife diseases, 3. Demonstrated publication
record in international scientific journals, and 4. Demonstrated
interpersonal and communication skills.

Please send CV, cover letter and 2 reference letters by Sept 30th to or for
further information please contact Lee.Skerratt@jcu.edu.au .

Thank you, hope to hear from you soon.

Dr. Lee Skerratt

One Health Research Group

School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine

James Cook University

Townsville, QLD 4810

Click here to Reply, Reply to all or Forward

Student research opportunity in Hawaii and Mexico with the Barton lab

From: Kasey Barton <kbarton@hawaii.edu>
Date: Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 11:04 AM
Subject: Student research opportunity in Hawaii and Mexico with the Barton lab
To: Kasey Barton <kbarton@hawaii.edu>, Botany Faculty <uhmbotfac-l@lists.hawaii.edu>, Botany Undergrad Students <uhmbotunder-l@lists.hawaii.edu>, Department of Botany Graduate Program <botgrad@hawaii.edu>

I am looking for a few enthusiastic and hard-working students (undergraduate and graduate) to participate in a year-long research project investigating the functional ecology of prickly poppies (genus Argemone). This is a great opportunity for students who want to gain experience in ecological research, who are thinking about or already pursuing graduate school in ecology and evolution, and who love to work with plants.
We will be examining how functional traits (such as prickles, latex, photosynthesis, phenology, and leaf anatomy) vary between the endemic Hawaiian prickly poppy (pua kala) and the related Mexican prickly poppies, how traits vary during plant development, among populations, and as phenotypic plasticity.

Students will need to commit to the entire year-long project, including 2 credits of BOT 399/499/699 during the Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 semesters. We will be taking 2 research trips to Mexico, the first for a week in early January, and the second for 3 weeks in Summer 2015.

Come to our first organizational meeting on Friday, August 29 at 1pm in St John 400 to learn more (and see attached flier). If you cannot make this meeting or want to find out more before then, please email me at kbarton@hawaii.edu

Aloha,
Kasey Barton
—

Kasey E. Barton
Assistant Professor

Department of Botany

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

3190 Maile Way, Room 101

Honolulu, HI 96822

Website http://seedlingscience.org

Two PhD positions available at the University of Waikato

Fully-funded Ph.D. positions available at the University of Waikato, New Zealand.

 

The Coastal Marine Group at the University of Waikato in Hamilton New Zealand is seeking students for two 3-year, fully-funded, PhD projects examining the key drivers of environmental change in Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand.  We are looking for students to start by the end of 2014/early 2015.

 

Project 1: The project will investigate dissolved nitrogen fluxes within Tauranga Harbour.  The project seeks to determine the relative magnitude of sources of DIN within the Harbour, the exchange of nutrients between harbour sub-regions, the groundwater and finally exchange to the surrounding shelf. These questions will be explored using a numerical hydrodynamic-water quality model and observational data acquired during field experiments.  The project will be supervised by Karin Bryan, and Isaac Santos (Southern Cross University, Australia), Christian Winter (University of Bremen, Germany) Conrad Pilditch (University of Waikato). This project requires a student with a research BSc (Hons) or research Masters degree with demonstrated numerical skills and an understanding of coastal physical and biogeochemical processes.

 

Project 2: The objective of this project is to examine hydrodynamic controls on sedimentation within Tauranga Harbour. The student will use a combined numerical modelling and observational approach to elucidate the processes of sediment deposition, timescales for remobilisation and dispersal across different benthic environments.  The project will be supervised by Julia Mullarney, Karin Bryan, and Conrad Pilditch (University of Waikato) and Tobias Moerz and Christian Winter (University of Bremen, Germany).  This project requires a student with a research BSc (Hons) or research Masters degree in physics, mathematics, oceanography, engineering or a closely-related field (demonstrated numerate skills).  Experience in running coastal hydrodynamic and sediment transport models is preferred.

 

Applicants for either project should also have demonstrated English language proficiency (if English is not your first language, TOEFL or IELTS scores should be submitted with your application if available).  Please indicate which project you are interested in. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

 

Although based in New Zealand, successful applicants will be part of the international graduate school ‘INTERCOAST’ between the Universities of Waikato and Bremen, Germany. For more information on the programme see:

http://www.marum.de/en/INTEGRATED_COASTAL_ZONE_AND_SHELF_SEA_RESEARCH.html

 

The projects are funded by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and relate to their requirement to develop harbour management strategies; therefore the project would suit someone who was interested in applying their knowledge to a practical problem.  Nevertheless, the group is committed to training students that achieve high-level research outcomes through international publication of their findings.  The student would join a vibrant group of ~15 PhD students and 6 staff, working and living near some of world’s most beautiful landscapes.

 

Contact:

k.bryan@waikato.ac.nz, juliam@waikato.ac.nz,

http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/about-us/people/kbryan

http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/about-us/people/juliam

http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/research/centres-and-units/cmg

NextEra Energy – Ford Dry Lake Scholarship Program Changes and New Deadline

NextEra Energy – Ford Dry Lake Scholarship Program Changes and New Deadline

AISES and NextEra Energy Foundation are announcing a change in the program scope and an extension of deadline for the recently launched “NextEra Energy – Ford Dry Lake Scholarship Program.” 

Over the next four years, AISES will administer $300,000 in scholarship funds on behalf of the NextEra Energy Foundation available to members of participating Arizona and California Indian Tribes pursuing post-secondary educational opportunities.

The NextEra Energy-Ford Dry Lake Scholarship Program is designed to enhance educational opportunities for tribal members who are pursuing post-secondary educations at accredited four year colleges/universities, two-year colleges, or vocational schools.  NextEra Energy is committed to solving our energy needs now and in the future with clean technologies, and to encouraging and assisting Native Americans as they pursue education in growth areas of our economy that will meet the needs of future generations.  Through these scholarships, one of several Genesis Solar Energy Project Public Outreach activities, NextEra believes that additional skill sets will be brought back to impacted tribal communities and ensure that these communities benefit from the growing trends in clean energy.

For the 2014-2015 academic year, scholarships will be awarded to students pursuing post-secondary educations at accredited four year colleges/universities, two-year colleges, or vocational schools.

Tribal Membership Requirement
Applicants for this scholarship MUST be a member of one of the following participating tribes in the Ford Dry Lake Area:

• Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
• Cahuilla Band of Indians
• Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
• Cocopah Indian Tribe
• Colorado River Indian Tribes
• Fort Mojave Indian Tribe
• Morongo Band of Mission Indians
• Quechan Indian Tribe
• Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians
• Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians

 

Scholarship Details
In 2014, each selected scholar is eligible for a maximum amount of $20,000 in Scholarship Awards which are payable in installments of $2,500 per semester, up to a maximum of 8 semesters or until the student graduates, whichever occurs first.  Funding will be provided directly to the scholar.  Funds may only be used to cover tuition, books and living expenses for the recipient’s vocational, undergraduate or graduate program. Scholars will only apply once, and will continue to receive the award, as long as they maintain a 2.66 GPA (on a 4.0 scale), acquire and maintain an AISES membership, and are considered full-time students (12 credit hours per semester or meet their school’s definition of a full-time student).  There is no longer a specified major or field of study requirement, however, the student must be enrolled in a program leading to a degree or certificate.

Eligibility Requirements
Only applicants meeting the following requirements will be considered for this program:

• Student must have a 2.66 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher cumulative grade point average (GPA);
• Must be or will be a full-time student at an accredited four year college/university or a full-time student at a two-year college enrolled in a program leading to an academic degree, or a full-time student enrolled in a vocational program leading to certification;  and
• Must be an existing member of AISES, or join AISES within 30 days of award.

Application Dates
The application deadline is July 30, 2014 at 12:00 a.m. PDT.  ALL required materials must be submitted by that date.  Scholarship recipients will be notified by August 22, 2014. 

Application Process
AISES only accepts applications submitted online via our online scholarship platform, https://aises.starsscholarshipsonline.com/stars/default.aspx. 

For More Information
For more information about this scholarship and other AISES scholarship programs you may be eligible to apply for, please go to:  http://www.aises.org/scholarships  You may also call or email Katherine Cristiano, Programs Manager at (720) 552-6123 or kcristiano@aises.org.

About NextEra Energy
The NextEra Energy Foundation, Inc. is a private foundation organized as a not-for-profit corporation for the purpose of financially assisting charitable, scientific, literacy and educational organizations.  NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $15.1 billion, approximately 42,500 megawatts of generating capacity, and approximately 13,900 employees in 26 states and Canada as of year-end 2013.  Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., NextEra Energy’s principal subsidiaries are Florida Power & Light Company, which serves approximately 4.7 million customer accounts in Florida and is one of the largest rate-regulated electric utilities in the United States, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which together with its affiliated entities is the largest generator in North America of renewable energy from the wind and sun.