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REU Site: Undergraduate Research in Plant Systematics, Conservation Biology, and Ethnobotany at the Missouri Botanical Garden. (Supported by NSF award DBI-1157030) |
The Missouri Botanical Garden is pleased to announce the opening of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program that will provide research opportunities for 10 students, for 10 weeks during the summer of 2013. Students will work on independent mentored projects in plant systematics, conservation biology, and ethnobotany. Participants will have access to a herbarium of 6.2 million specimens, an excellent botanical library, rich garden collections, a laboratory with facilities for plant anatomy, microscopy, digital imaging, SEM, and DNA analysis, and the Shaw Nature Reserve - a 2,400 acre ecological preserve featuring prairie, forest, glades, wetlands, and 14 miles of hiking trails.
Eligibility - Students must be returning to an undergraduate degree program in the fall following the REU program. If you will be graduating in May or June in the year of the program, you are not eligible. To be eligible you must also be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.
Benefits - REU interns receive food and lodging, support for research, and a weekly $500 stipend.
Mentors and Projects - Students will work closely with a PhD mentor from MBG or associated university on an independent research project. Projects for 2012 include taxonomic description of newly discovered plant species from the tropics, DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, DNA barcoding, pollen analysis, pollination biology of rare species, seed morphology and anatomy, conservation biology of threatened species, ecology of invasive species, herbarium study of historically important collections, Native American ethnobotany, and revisionary studies of economically important plants. Students will be trained in all aspects of research, including project design, background research using library and electronic resources, methods, data collection and analysis, and presentation of results in a poster, public research symposium, and possibly a published paper.
Additional Training – Students will also participate in professional enrichment sessions dedicated to improving writing skills, ethics in research, intellectual property rights, getting into graduate school, taking the GRE exam, graduate school options, conservation and sustainable living. Students will participate in twice-weekly Lunch and Learn sessions in which these subjects will be discussed. Students will also participate in field trips to local natural areas and cultural attractions. The REU program will be integrated in other ongoing MBG programs involving herbarium and garden support staff, high school students and undergraduates, graduate students, professional botanists, educators, and visitors.
Application – To apply, please submit a cover letter, application form, letter of recommendation, and transcripts.
Application Deadline - February 28, 2013
For More Information:
2012 REU: Participants and Projects
Application Instructions
Mentors and Projects
Frequently Asked Questions
Missouri Botanical Garden
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For information not covered by the website (reu@mobot.org)
MBG Mission "to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life"
