Research Experience for Undergraduates Program in Estuarine and Coastal Marine Sciences

Overview

The National Science Foundation funded REU program will take place at the Duke Marine Lab located on Pivers Island in coastal Carteret County of North Carolina. Pivers Island is part of the Newport River estuary and is about 2 km from the ocean via the Beaufort Inlet. Coastal and estuarine invertebrate species and a variety of habitats (marshes, mudflats, sand flats, beaches, creeks, channels and coastal ocean) are readily available for research.

Nine students will participate in a 10 week semi-independent research program with faculty mentors in the following general areas:

Sensory physiology, ecology, and behavior
Environmental toxicology
Molecular biology and genetics
Coastal and estuarine processes

Each student will work with a faculty mentor, develop a research project, present progress and final oral reports and prepare a final written paper. Visit our frequently asked questions page for details.

Dates
June 4- August 10, 2012

Deadline
February 15, 2012

Stipend, travel and housing information
Students will receive housing and meals at the Duke Marine Lab in addition to a stipend and travel allowance.

Eligibility
Students must be US citizens or permanent residents in the US or its territories, and be a rising sophomore, junior or senior enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program. Applications are encouraged from U.S. citizens belonging to groups currently underrepresented in the marine sciences (i.e., Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, African Americans, Latino/Hispanics and Pacific Islanders).

To apply
Interested students are required to submit:

REU Application
Statement of interest (please indicate (i) your area(s) of interest from the list above, (ii) advisor(s) of interest from the list below, (iii)academic/research preparation for this research area, (iv) career plans, (v) usefulness of the REU program for your career objective)
Current resume
Two letters of recommendation
Official transcript

Please submit your application, statement of interest and resume together in one word document (in order) and send it to: dukemarinelab@nicholas.duke.edu

Application materials (including transcripts and letters of recommendation) can be sent electronically or by mail to:

REU Coordinator
Duke University Marine Lab
135 Duke Marine Lab Rd.
Beaufort, NC 28516

Deadline

February 15, 2012

Applications received after the deadline will be considered if space is still available. All students who are offered a position at this REU Site have until March 15th or later to accept or reject the offer. This REU Site is funded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences, and the cognizant Program Director for all OCE-funded REU sites is Lisa Rom at elrom@NSF.gov or 703-292-7709.

Faculty Mentors

Sensory Physiology, Ecology, and Behavior:

Dr. Richard Forward (Invertebrate physiological ecology)

Dr. Douglas Nowacek (Marine mammal behavioral ecology and bioacoustics)

Dr. Kathy Reinsel (Invertebrate ecology)

Dr. Dan Rittschof (Chemical ecology)

Dr. Jim Welch (Invertebrate ecology)

Environmental Toxicology

Dr. Patricia McClellan-Green (Marine toxicology)

Dr. Dan Rittschof (Marine toxicological effects on invertebrate reproduction)

Molecular Biology and Genetics

Dr. Dana Hunt (Microbial ecology)