The Station is pleased to offer the Project CLEAR (Community and Lakes Environmental Awareness and Research) Fund Fellowship. CLEAR began as a student-led project conducted from 1977-81 at the Biological Station. Its members have funded this fellowship.
CLEAR Fellows have two roles and commitments:
1. They will be spring/summer interns for the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council (May 1 - August 11)
2. They will be UMBS students for the Summer Term Session (July 1-29).
From May 1 to June 30 and July 31 to August 11 before and after the UMBS Summer Session, CLEAR Fellows will be full-time interns for Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. CLEAR Fellows will continue to work as interns at the Watershed Council on a half-time basis, once the Summer Session begins.
During this time, Fellows will be required to:
- Conduct independent research on freshwater ecosystems, with the guidance of UMBS faculty or Watershed Council staff (e.g. water quality improvement, ecosystem protection or stewardship, or freshwater sustainability);
- Involve/engage local communities in their research/research findings;
- Enroll concurrently in one summer term field class at UMBS (tuition support provided).
Support: This fellowship provides tuition support, room, board, research fees, and supplies at UMBS.
Fellows will report to the Monitoring Programs and Research Director at the Watershed Council.
CLEAR Fellows Responsibilities:
- Volunteer Monitoring Programs: Fellows will work to organize and carry out volunteer monitoring activities, including trainings, field data collection, laboratory analyses, and quality assurance.
- Field Surveys, Inventories, and Restoration Projects: Fellows get their feet wet in the water resource management field assisting both our Monitoring and Research Director and our Watershed Projects Director with a variety of field projects, but also helping in the lab with calibration and maintenance of field survey equipment, water quality monitoring instrumentation, sampling gear, and GPS.
- GIS (Geographical Information System), Database, and Office Tasks: Fellows assist staff on the GIS front by processing field GPS data, developing GIS data layers, producing display maps, performing spatial analyses, and ground-truthing in the field.
Qualifications: Must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in natural resources, environmental studies, or equivalent; possess strong written and verbal skills; and have a valid driver’s license. Proficiency in swimming and paddling (kayak and canoe), as well as the ability to work 10+ hours/day, is required for fieldwork. Prior experience with field work, macroinvertebrate identification, and GIS is a plus. Strong computer skills are also required, including familiarity with Microsoft Office software such as Access, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
To Apply:
Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to UMBS Associate Director Karie Slavik (slavik@umich.edu ; 734-763-4462).
Deadline: open until filled.
We invite graduate and advanced undergraduate students from any institution to apply to conduct their research at the University of Michigan Biological Station. UMBS offers an optimal location for research in ecology and evolutionary biology, as well as atmospheric chemistry. We have a variety of habitats on or near Station property and state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for data collection and analysis. For many research sites, we have long-term or historical data sets for baseline or reference points.