NSF REU – Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems LTER

Course/Program Dates: Jun 09, 2025 – Aug 15, 2025

Application due date: Mar 07, 2025

Dr. Jim McClelland invites applicants for a 10-week Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) position with the Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research (BLE-LTER) program. One applicant will be selected to work with Dr. McClelland and associates of the BLE LTER on questions about what controls the function of Arctic coastal ecosystems and how they are responding to climate-linked changes. The successful applicant will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team at field sites along Alaska’s northernmost coastline and spend time at the MBL Ecosystems Center. Much of Dr. McClelland’s research focuses on linkages between freshwater inputs and biogeochemical cycling in coastal ecosystems, and applicants should anticipate developing a project related to this topic.

Applicants should be prepared to spend about four weeks in the Arctic performing strenuous work under challenging environmental conditions. The field work will be split into two trips, with intervening time spent in Woods Hole.

The successful applicant will be part of a cohort of undergraduates working with BLE LTER investigators at different institutions during summer 2025, and the REU experience will include virtual and in-person group activities related to field safety, and professional development, and sharing of project ideas and results.

REU positions are available to U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents only who are currently enrolled as undergraduates at U.S. colleges or universities (no graduating seniors).

The following materials should be sent to Dr. McClelland at jmcclelland@mbl.edu to apply for this position:

  1. One-page statement of interest that includes information about the applicant’s background and motivations for applying
  2. Resume
  3. Undergraduate transcripts (unofficial)
  4. List of two references (name, institution, and e-mail for each)