Research Experience for Undergraduates Program in Estuarine and Coastal Marine Sciences

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.

Program Dates 
June 3- August 9, 2013

Deadline
February 15, 2013

Eight 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. 

Additional resources

• REU Advisors and Projects page  provides examples of available research projects and advisers. 
• The frequently asked questions page contains information about housing, the application process, transportation, etc.
  
  

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

We prefer electronic submissions. Please submit your application, statement of interest and resume together in one MS Word document (in order) and send it to: dukemarinelab@nicholas.duke.edu. Transcripts and letters of recommendation can be sent electronically to dukemarinelab@nicholas.duke.edu or by mail to:

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

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. 

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. 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)

Dr. Zackary Johnson (Biological oceanography\biogeochemistry)

Dr. Tom Schultz (Marine conservation genetics)

Coastal and Estuarine Processes

Dr. Jim Hench (Shallow-water physical oceanography)

Please see the REU Projects page for detailed examples of available research projects and advisers. 

For additional information:
Dr. Richard Forward
rforward@duke.edu
252-504-7610

Funding for this REU site is provided by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Sciences located in Arlington, VA. The NSF contact for this program is Lisa Rom, elrom@NSF.gov or 703-292-7709. NSF does not handle REU applications; please contact each REU site directly for application information.