Applications for summer 2024 are closed. Check back next year!
The Echinacea Project is looking for enthusiastic undergraduate researchers for the 2024 summer field season. Our project investigates how small population size and reduced genetic diversity influence individual fitness, population demographics, plant-insect interactions and evolution in the purple coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia. We seek students with interests in plant population biology, evolution and quantitative genetics, pollination biology, plant-insect interactions, and conservation biology. This REU (research experience for undergraduates) is a great opportunity for aspiring ecologists, conservation biologists, and evolutionary biologists to gain field research experience. There are also opportunities for those with quantitative backgrounds (statistics, math, computer science) to gain experience managing data, programming, or modeling. All will learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies! Read more general information about our field season.
Joey (REU 2022), Geena (field assistant), Sophia, Emma, and Johanna (REUs 2022) measure Echinacea plants in experimental plot p1
Program Details
The main field season runs June through August. The exact start and end dates are negotiable. There is a $640/week stipend and travel expenses to the research site are covered. We provide housing.
Independent project: You will develop an independent research project in consultation with the two principal investigators of the project, Dr. Stuart Wagenius and Dr. Ruth Shaw. You will also get an opportunity to practice informal and formal science communication with other members of the team. Projects can explore questions about the ecology and evolutionary biology of Echinacea angustifolia, other prairie plant species, pollinators, or herbivores. All work occurs in the context of prairie remnants which allows projects to be directly applicable to conservation challenges of habitat fragmentation. Here are some examples of potential projects:
“Performance of hybrid Echinacea plants compared to native Echinacea angustifolia”
“Influence of prescribed fires on the survival of old and young Echinacea angustifolia plants”
“Long-term effects of aphids on survival and growth of Echinacea angustifolia plants”
“Effects of fire on reproduction in common insect- and wind-pollinated prairie plants” (not Echinacea)”
“Trade-off between reproductive success and future reproductive effort in Echinacea angustifolia”
“Influence of fire on the environment experienced by emerging Echinacea angustifolia seedlings”
Qualifications: We are looking for undergraduate students who are willing to work outdoors in adverse conditions, exhibit patience, pay attention to detail, possess good hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, work well independently and as part of a team, and have a strong interest in scientific research. During the summer, REU participants must be enrolled in an undergraduate institution and be a US citizen or permanent resident of the US or its possessions. Individuals from groups historically excluded from sciences and conservation are particularly encouraged to apply.
No experience is necessary, but you must be enthusiastic and hard-working.
Liam (REU 2023) harvests an Echinacea head at a prairie remnant
How to apply
If you enjoy working outdoors and you are excited to learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies, please apply for an REU with the Echinacea Project. To apply, please do the following:
a statement that you are eligible for the REU program
your resume
your transcript (unofficial OK)
Ask a professor or employer to email us a letter of recommendation
Send your application materials via email to echinaceaProject@gmail.com with the subject line “Summer REU intern application” by Wednesday, 21 February 2024 at 11:59 pm CST. Format your cover letter, resume, and transcript as pdf files. Begin each file name with your surname.
To ensure that your application is thoroughly considered, submit by the deadline, 21 February 2024 at 11:59 pm CST. However, we will review applications until positions are filled. Please include an email address and phone number where you can be reached during late February-early March.
You are welcome to apply to multiple positions with Team Echinacea with the same application. Please indicate which positions you are interested in on the form you submit with your application.
Britney (RET 2022), Emma, Joey, and Sophia (REUs 2022) map Echinacea plants and collect demographic data at a prairie remnant
More information
First, read about our field season! If you have any questions, contact a team member via e-mail. Read about our lab and field activities on the flog and more about the project’s background.
I want to study all varieties of wild flowers and native grasses. I also wish to learn about how the environment affects them and the impact they have on the ecosystem around them. i am also very exited to be part of a team and learn how a research project like this one works!
Statement
I am from Hoffman, MN
In my spare time I like to hang out with friends, run, listen to music, and go hiking to explore the outdoors.
The Echinacea Project is looking for enthusiastic undergraduate researchers for the 2022 summer field season. Our project investigates how small population size and reduced genetic diversity influence individual fitness, population demographics, plant-insect interactions and evolution in the purple coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia. We seek students with interests in plant population biology, evolution and quantitative genetics, pollination biology, plant-insect interactions, and conservation biology. This REU (research experience for undergraduates) is a great opportunity for aspiring ecologists, conservation biologists, and evolutionary biologists to gain field research experience. There are also opportunities for those with quantitative backgrounds (statistics, math, computer science) to gain experience managing data, programming, or modeling. All will learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies! Read more general information about our field season!
2021 team members Allie (REU), Maris (field assistant), Miyauna (field assistant), and Wesley (REU) collect phenology data on a flowering echinacea
Program Details
The main field season runs June through August. The exact start and end dates are negotiable–this year starting in May may be possible. There is a $600/week stipend and travel expenses to the research site are covered. We provide housing.
Independent project: You will develop an independent research project in consultation with the two principal investigators of the project, Dr. Stuart Wagenius and Dr. Ruth Shaw. You will also get an opportunity to practice informal and formal science communication with other members of the team. Projects can explore questions about the ecology and evolutionary biology of Echinacea angustifolia, other prairie plant species, pollinators, or herbivores. All work occurs in the context of prairie remnants which allows projects to be directly applicable to conservation challenges of habitat fragmentation. Here are some examples of potential projects:
“Performance of hybrid Echinacea plants compared to native Echinacea angustifolia“
“Influence of prescribed fires on the survival of old and young Echinacea angustifolia plants”
“Long-term effects of aphids on survival and growth of Echinacea angustifolia plants”
“Effects of fire on reproduction in common insect- and wind-pollinated prairie plants” (not Echinacea)”
“Trade-off between reproductive success and future reproductive effort in Echinacea angustifolia“
“Influence of fire on the environment experienced by emerging Echinacea angustifolia seedlings”
Qualifications: We are looking for undergraduate students who are willing to work outdoors in adverse conditions, exhibit patience, pay attention to detail, possess good hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, work well independently and as part of a team, and have a strong interest in scientific research. During the summer, REU participants must be enrolled in an undergraduate institution and be a US citizen or permanent resident of the US or its possessions. Individuals from groups historically excluded from sciences and conservation are particularly encouraged to apply.
No experience is necessary, but you must be enthusiastic and hard-working.
Jay (REU 2019) plants Echinacea seedlings at a local Minnesota high school
How to apply
If you enjoy working outdoors and you are excited to learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies, please apply for an REU with the Echinacea Project. To apply, please do the following:
a statement that you are eligible for the REU program
your resume
your transcript (unofficial OK)
Ask a professor or employer to email us a letter of recommendation
Send your application via email to echinaceaProject@gmail.com with the subject line “Summer REU intern application” by 24 February 2022 at 12pm (noon) CST. Format your cover letter, resume, and transcript as pdf files. Begin each file name with your surname.
Review of applications will begin on 24 February 2022 at 12pm (noon) CST. To ensure that your application is thoroughly considered, submit by the deadline. However, we will review applications until positions are filled. Please include an email address and phone number where you can be reached during March.
You are welcome to apply to multiple positions with Team Echinacea with the same application. Please indicate which positions you are interested in on the form you submit with your application.
Allie and Wesley (REU 2021) hunt for Echinacea plants in experimental plot p1
More information
First, read about our field season! If you have any questions, contact a team member via e-mail. Read about our lab and field activities on the flog and more about the project’s background.
Please note that the Echinacea Project’s REU opportunity through Chicago Botanic Garden’s “Genes to ecosystems” REU program is the SAME as this opportunity.
The Echinacea Project is looking for interested and enthusiastic summer researchers for the 2020 summer field season. Our project investigates how small population size and reduced genetic diversity influence individual fitness, population demographics, plant-insect interactions and evolution in the purple coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia. We are seeking students with interests in plant population biology, evolution and quantitative genetics, pollination biology, plant-insect interactions, and conservation biology. We also encourage statisticians and computer scientists with an interest in ecology and evolution to apply. This REU (research experience for undergraduates) is a great opportunity for aspiring ecologists, conservation biologists, and evolutionary biologists to gain field research experience. There are also opportunities for those with strong quantitative interests to gain experience managing data, programming, or modeling. All will learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies! Read more general information about our field season!
Program Details
2019 Team members Erin (left,) Jay (center, REU participant) and Julie (right, REU participant) looking for Echinacea amidst corn.
The main field season runs June through August. The exact start and end dates are negotiable. There is a $600/week stipend plus housing and travel expenses to the research site are covered.
Independent project: You will develop an independent research project in consultation with the two principal investigators of the project, Dr. Stuart Wagenius and Dr. Ruth Shaw. You will also get an opportunity to practice informal and formal science communication with other members of the team. Projects can explore questions about the ecology and evolutionary biology of Echinacea angustifolia, another prairie plant species, pollinators, or herbivores. All work occurs in the context of prairie remnants which allows projects to be directly applicable to conservation challenges of habitat fragmentation. Here are some examples of past projects:
“Insect diversity in prairie remnants”
“The effect of remnant size on the diversity of Echinacea-visiting ant species”
“Effect of inbreeding on symmetry of floral display”
“Competition between Echinacea and thistles for pollinators”
“Pollinating bees of Echinacea angustifolia: who gets the job done?”
“Flowering Phenology of the Prairie Forb E. angustifolia in Fragmented Populations”
“Ant species richness and abundance in Western Minnesotan prairie fragmented by large-scale agriculture”
“Invasion by hybridization between native and non-native purple coneflowers”
“Management of invasive tree species in prairie experimental plots”
“The effect of prairie burns on Echinacea flowering synchrony”
Qualifications: We are looking for undergraduate students who are willing to work outdoors in adverse conditions, exhibit patience, pay attention to detail, possess good hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, work well independently and as part of a team, and have a strong interest in scientific research. During the summer, REU participants must be enrolled in an undergraduate institution and be a US citizen or permanent resident of the US or its possessions. Individuals from groups historically excluded from sciences and conservation are particularly encouraged to apply.
No experience is necessary, but you must be enthusiastic and hard-working.
How to apply
Jay along with the rest of the team plants Echinacea seedlings at a local Minnesota high school
If you enjoy working outdoors and you are excited to learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies, please apply for an REU with the Echinacea Project. To apply, please do the following:
a statement that you are eligible for the REU program
who will serve as your reference
your resume
your transcript (unofficial OK)
one letter of recommendation (sent by your reference)
Send your application via email to echinaceaProject@gmail.com with the subject line “Summer REU intern application” by 26 February 2021. Format your cover letter, resume, and transcript as pdf files. Begin each file name with your surname.
Review of applications will begin on 26 February 2021. We’ll accept applications until positions are filled. Be sure to include an email address and phone number where you can be reached during March.
You are welcome to apply to multiple positions with Team Echinacea with the same application. Please indicate which positions you are interested in on the form you submit with your application.
More information
First, read about our field season! If you have any questions, contact a team member via e-mail. Read about our lab and field activities on the flog and more about the project’s background.
Please note that the REU opportunity through Chicago Botanic Garden’s “Genes to ecosystems” REU program is the SAME as this opportunity.
The Echinacea Project is looking for interested and enthusiastic summer researchers for the 2020 summer field season. Our project investigates how small population size and reduced genetic diversity influence individual fitness, population demographics, plant-insect interactions and evolution in the purple coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia. We are seeking students with interests in plant population biology, evolution and quantitative genetics, pollination biology, plant-insect interactions, and conservation biology. We also encourage statisticians and computer scientists with an interest in ecology and evolution to apply. This REU (research experience for undergraduates) is a great opportunity for aspiring ecologists, conservation biologists, and evolutionary biologists to gain field research experience. This is a great opportunity for those with strong quantitative interests to gain experience managing data, programming, or modeling. All will learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies! Read more general information about our field season!
Program Details
2019 Team members Erin (left,) Jay (center, REU participant) and Julie (right, REU participant) looking for Echinacea amidst corn.
The main field season runs June through August. The exact start and end dates are negotiable. There is a $550/week stipend plus housing and travel expenses to the research site are covered.
Independent project: You will develop an independent research project in consultation with the two principal investigators of the project, Dr. Stuart Wagenius and Dr. Ruth Shaw. You will also get an opportunity to practice informal and formal science communication with other members of the team. Projects can explore questions about the ecology and evolutionary biology of Echinacea angustifolia, another prairie plant species, pollinators, or herbivores. All work occurs in the context of prairie remnants which allows projects to be directly applicable to conservation challenges of habitat fragmentation. Here are some examples of past projects:
“Insect diversity in prairie remnants”
“The effect of remnant size on the diversity of Echinacea-visiting ant species”
“Effect of inbreeding on symmetry of floral display”
“Competition between Echinacea and thistles for pollinators”
“Pollinating bees of Echinacea angustifolia: who gets the job done?”
“Flowering Phenology of the Prairie Forb E. angustifolia in Fragmented Populations”
“Ant species richness and abundance in Western Minnesotan prairie fragmented by large-scale agriculture”
“Invasion by hybridization between native and non-native purple coneflowers”
“Management of invasive tree species in prairie experimental plots”
“The effect of prairie burns on Echinacea flowering synchrony”
Qualifications: We are looking for undergraduate students who are willing to work outdoors in adverse conditions, exhibit patience, pay attention to detail, possess good hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, work well independently and as part of a team, and have a strong interest in scientific research. During the summer, REU participants must be enrolled in an undergraduate institution and be a US citizen or permanent resident of the US or its possessions. Members of groups underrepresented in science are particularly encouraged to apply.
No experience is necessary, but you must be enthusiastic and hard-working.
How to apply
Jay along with the rest of the team plants Echinacea seedlings at a local Minnesota high school
If you enjoy working outdoors and you are excited to learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies, please apply for an REU with the Echinacea Project. To apply, please do the following:
a statement that you are eligible for the REU program
who will serve as your reference
your resume
your transcript (unofficial OK)
one letter of recommendation (sent by your reference)
Send your application via email to echinaceaProject@gmail.com with the subject line “Summer REU intern application” by 1 March 2020. Format your cover letter, resume, and transcript as pdf files. Begin each file name with your surname.
Review of applications will begin on 1 March 2020. We’ll accept applications until positions are filled. Be sure to include an email address and phone number where you can be reached during March.
You are welcome to apply to multiple positions with Team Echinacea with the same application. Please indicate which positions you are interested in on the form you submit with your application.
More information
First, read about our field season! If you have any questions, contact a team member via e-mail. Read about our lab and field activities on the flog and more about the project’s background.
Please note that the REU opportunity through Chicago Botanic Garden’s “Genes to ecosystems” REU program is the SAME as this opportunity.
The Echinacea Project is looking for interested and enthusiastic summer researchers for the 2019 summer field season. Our project investigates how small population size and reduced genetic diversity influence individual fitness, population demographics, plant-insect interactions and evolution in the purple coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia. We are seeking students with interests in plant population biology, evolution and quantitative genetics, pollination biology, plant-insect interactions, and conservation biology. We also encourage statisticians and computer scientists with an interest in ecology and evolution to apply. This REU (research experience for undergraduates) is a great opportunity for aspiring ecologists, conservation biologists, and evolutionary biologists to gain field research experience. This is a great opportunity for those with strong quantitative interests to gain experience managing data, programming, or modeling. All will learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies! Read more general information about our field season!
Some of Team Echinacea 2013 looking for seedlings
Program Details
The main field season runs June through August. The exact start and end dates are negotiable. There is a $550/week stipend plus housing and travel expenses to the research site are covered.
Independent project: You will develop an independent research project in consultation with the two principal investigators of the project, Stuart and Ruth. Projects can explore questions about the ecology and evolutionary biology of Echinacea angustifolia, another prairie plant species, or plant associated insects. All work occurs in the context of prairie remnants which allows projects to be directly applicable to conservation challenges of habitat fragmentation. Here are some examples of past projects:
“Insect diversity in prairie remnants”
“The effect of remnant size on the diversity of Echinacea-visiting ant species”
“Effect of inbreeding on symmetry of floral display”
“Competition between Echinacea and thistles for pollinators”
“Pollinating bees of Echinacea angustifolia: who gets the job done?”
“Flowering Phenology of the Prairie Forb E. angustifolia in Fragmented Populations”
“Ant species richness and abundance in Western Minnesotan prairie fragmented by large-scale agriculture”
“Invasion by hybridization between native and non-native purple coneflowers”
Qualifications: We are looking for undergraduate students who are willing to work outdoors in adverse conditions, exhibit patience, possess good hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, work well independently and as part of a team, and have a strong interest in scientific research. During the summer, REU participants must be enrolled in an undergraduate institution and be a US citizen or permanent resident of the US or its possessions. Members of groups underrepresented in science are particularly encouraged to apply.
No experience is necessary, but you must be enthusiastic and hard-working.
How to apply
If you enjoy working outdoors and you are excited to learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies, please apply for an REU with the Echinacea Project. To apply, please do the following:
a statement that you are eligible for the REU program
who will serve as your reference
your resume
your transcript (unofficial OK)
one letter of recommendation (sent by your reference)
Ilse, Gretel, and Ruth mapping plants.
Send your application via email to echinaceaProject@gmail.com with the subject line “Summer REU intern application” by 28 February 2019. Format your cover letter, resume, and transcript as pdf files. Begin each file name with your surname.
Review of applications will begin on 28 February 2019. We’ll accept applications until positions are filled. Be sure to include an email address and phone number where you can be reached during March.
You are welcome to apply to multiple positions with Team Echinacea with the same application. Please indicate which positions you are interested in on the form you submit with your application.
More information
First, read about our field season! If you have any questions, contact a team member via e-mail. Read about our lab and field activities on the flog and more about the project’s background.
Wes Braker, an REU student in summer 2017, characterized the vegetation in remnant prairie, restored prairie, and old agricultural fields at Hegg Lake State Wildlife Management Area. Prairie communities with a large variety of native plant species are considered generally healthy communities. Wes wanted to characterize the plant communities at these sites and provide information to land managers.
Each area at Hegg Lake WMA was classified as remnant prairie, restored prairie, or abandoned agricultural field. Using Google Earth, areas were mapped out and labeled and three areas were chosen based on their availability for sampling, for a total of 27 study areas. Wes sampled vegetation each week for a total of 8 weeks across the growing season.
A snapshot of the landscape at Hegg Lake State Wildlife Management Area.
The purpose of this project was to characterize the vegetation at this site, building a species list for use by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for potential use in local seed sourcing for future restorations. From this project, Wes identified 25 native prairie species for use in future Hegg Lake seed collections. In addition, he identified 80 unique plant species at this site.
Ashely Barto, an REU student in summer 2017, developed an independent project looking at how pollination influences reproductive success in Echinacea angustifolia. She was interested in how heads that get pollinated each day differ from heads that only get visited infrequently, but receive a lot of pollen on those sporadic visits.
Over 19 days in July 2017, 1980 styles from 21 capitula were pollinated following a randomly assigned pollination schedule: pulse or steady. Capitula assigned to the pulse pollination treatment received pollen on all emergent styles at the same time, so there was a range of style ages. Steady pollination capitula received pollen daily, so all styles were pollinated on the day they emerged. Style shriveling, a proxy for pollination, was used as the response variable.
Using a generalized linear model, interactions between style age, floret position, and pollination treatment were considered to create a pollination rate model. Style age and pollination treatment did not interact or have an additive effect on pollination rates. Instead, floret position within the capitulum was the only factor essential to modeling pollination rates in Echinacea. The results suggest resource allocation plays a major role in Echinacea reproduction. Ashley will investigate seed set from the same capitula later this year to further elucidate the role of style age, floret position, and pollination treatments in Echinacea reproduction.
Echinacea on its third day flowering. Within the disc florets, there are persisting styles in Row 1 (A), fresh styles in Row 2 (B), and new anthers in Row 3 (C).
Ashley presented her work at the 2017 Arkansas INBRE Conference on October 28. Arkansas INBRE is the Arkansas Institutional Development Award’s network of biomedical research conference, and this year, it was hosted at the University of Arkansas. While this conference attracted undergraduates from many states to present on biomedical research in biology, chemistry, and physics, there were many posters like Ashley’s sharing summer research outside of the medical scope central to the conference’s theme. Ashley was able to talk about the Echinacea Project’s big picture work and how her independent REU Project fit into that larger image.
Ashley presenting her summer REU project at the Arkansas INBRE Conference in October 2017.
Start year: 2017
Location: Nice Island, prairie remnant
Physical specimens:
21 harvested Echinacea heads at the CBG, ready for cleaning and x-ray
The Echinacea Project is looking for interested and enthusiastic summer researchers for the 2017 summer field season. Our project investigates how small population size and reduced genetic diversity influence individual fitness, population demographics, plant-insect interactions and evolution in the purple coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia. We are seeking students with interests in plant population biology, evolution and quantitative genetics, pollination biology, plant-insect interactions, and conservation biology. We also encourage statisticians and computer scientists with an interest in ecology and evolution to apply. This REU (research experience for undergraduates) is a great opportunity for aspiring ecologists, conservation biologists, and evolutionary biologists to gain field research experience. This is a great opportunity for those with strong quantitative interests to gain experience managing data, programming, or modeling. All will learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies! Read more general information about our field season!
Some of Team Echinacea 2013 looking for seedlings
Program Details
The main field season runs June through August. The exact start and end dates are negotiable. There is a $500/week stipend plus housing and travel expenses to the research site are covered.
Independent project: You will develop an independent research project in consultation with the two principal investigators of the project, Stuart and Ruth. Projects can explore questions about the ecology and evolutionary biology of Echinacea angustifolia, another prairie plant species, or plant associated insects. All work occurs in the context of prairie remnants which allows projects to be directly applicable to conservation challenges of habitat fragmentation. Here are some examples of past projects: “Insect diversity in prairie remnants,” “The effect of remnant size on the diversity of Echinacea-visiting ant species,” “Effect of inbreeding on symmetry of floral display,” “Competition between Echinacea and thistles for pollinators, “Pollinating bees of Echinacea angustifolia: who gets the job done?,” “Flowering Phenology of the Prairie Forb E. angustifolia in Fragmented Populations,” “Ant species richness and abundance in Western Minnesotan prairie fragmented by large-scale agriculture,” and “Invasion by hybridization between native and non-native purple coneflowers.”
Qualifications: We are looking for undergraduate students who are willing to work outdoors in adverse conditions, exhibit patience, possess good hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, work well independently and as part of a team, and have a strong interest in scientific research. During the summer, REU participants must be enrolled in an undergraduate institution and be a US citizen or permanent resident of the US or its possessions. Members of underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.
No experience is necessary, but you must be enthusiastic and hard-working.
How to apply
If you enjoy working outdoors and you are excited to learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies, please apply for an REU with the Echinacea Project. To apply, please do the following:
a statement that you are eligible for the REU program
who will serve as your reference
your resume
your transcript (unofficial OK)
one letter of recommendation (sent by your reference)
Ilse, Gretel, and Ruth mapping plants.
Send your application via email to echinaceaProject@gmail.com with the subject line “Summer REU intern application” by 23 February 2017. Format your cover letter, resume, and transcript as pdf files. Begin each file name with your surname.
Review of applications will begin on 23 February 2017. We’ll accept applications until positions are filled. Be sure to include an email address and phone number where you can be reached during March.
You are welcome to apply to multiple positions with Team Echinacea with the same application. Please indicate which positions you are interested in on the form you submit with your application.
More information
First, read about our field season! If you have any questions, contact a team member via e-mail. Read about our lab and field activities on the flog and more about the project’s background.
The Echinacea Project is looking for interested and enthusiastic summer researchers for the 2016 summer field season. Our project investigates how small population size and reduced genetic diversity influence individual fitness, population demographics, plant-insect interactions and evolution in the purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia. We are seeking students with interests in plant population biology, evolution and quantitative genetics, pollination biology, plant-insect interactions, and conservation biology. We also encourage statisticians and computer scientists with an interest in ecology and evolution to apply. This REU (research experience for undergraduates) is a great opportunity for aspiring ecologists, conservation biologists, and evolutionary biologists to gain field research experience. This is a great opportunity for those with strong quantitative interests to gain experience managing data, programming, or modeling. All will learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies! Read more general information about our field season!
Some of Team Echinacea 2013 looking for seedlings
Program Details
The main field season runs June through August. The exact start and end dates are negotiable. There is a $500/week stipend plus housing and travel expenses to the research site are covered.
Independent project: You will develop an independent research project in consultation with the two principal investigators of the project, Stuart and Ruth. Projects can explore questions about the ecology and evolutionary biology of Echinacea angustifolia, another prairie plant species, or plant associated insects. All work occurs in the context of prairie remnants which allows projects to be directly applicable to conservation challenges of habitat fragmentation. Here are some examples of past projects: “Insect diversity in prairie remnants,” “The effect of remnant size on the diversity of Echinacea-visiting ant species,” “Effect of inbreeding on symmetry of floral display,” “Competition between Echinacea and thistles for pollinators, “Pollinating bees of Echinacea angustifolia: who gets the job done?,” “Flowering Phenology of the Prairie Forb E. angustifolia in Fragmented Populations,” “Ant species richness and abundance in Western Minnesotan prairie fragmented by large-scale agriculture,” and “Invasion by hybridization between native and non-native purple coneflowers.”
Qualifications: We are looking for undergraduate students who are willing to work outdoors in adverse conditions, exhibit patience, possess good hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, work well independently and as part of a team, and have a strong interest in scientific research. During the summer, REU participants must be enrolled in an undergraduate institution and be a US citizen or permanent resident of the US or its possessions. Members of underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.
No experience is necessary, but you must be enthusiastic and hard-working.
How to apply
If you enjoy working outdoors and you are excited to learn about the ecology and evolution of plants in fragmented prairies, please apply for an REU with the Echinacea Project. To apply, please do the following:
a statement that you are eligible for the REU program
who will serve as your reference
your resume
your transcript (unofficial OK)
one letter of recommendation (sent by your reference)
Ilse, Gretel, and Ruth mapping plants.
Send your application via email to echinaceaProject@gmail.com with the subject line “Summer REU intern application” by 26 February 2016. Format your cover letter, resume, and transcript as pdf files. Begin each file name with your surname.
Review of applications will begin on 26 February 2016. We’ll accept applications until positions are filled. Be sure to include an email address and phone number where you can be reached during March.
Members of groups underrepresented in science are particularly encouraged to apply.
You are welcome to apply to multiple positions with Team Echinacea with the same application. Please indicate which positions you are interested in on the form you submit with your application.
More information
If you have any questions, contact Stuart via e-mail. Read about our lab and field activities on the flog and more about the project’s background.
