NSF GRFP
NDSEG
Places to look for GRA funding (graduate research assistantships), job postings (field, lab and research technician jobs) or research experience
ESA postings board
Texas A&M Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries postings board
American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
Animal Behavior Society's postings
California Department of Fish and Game
Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation
Dolphin Research Center
Earthworks postings board
ECO.org
Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
MCBI Internships
National Association of Marine Labs job postings
NOAA
Saltwater Inc, fisheries observation
Smithsonian SERC Summer Internships
Student Conservation Association
The Nature Conservancy
Q&A from previous and present biology graduate students
How did you know you want to go to graduate school?
I volunteered as an undergraduate with research and I loved it. I had always been interested in conducting my own research, and it seemed the next logical step.
This was pretty straight-forward for me. I just felt that I hadn't learned enough during my undergrad. I wanted to continue my education and specialize in marine ecology.
What kinds of opportunities will grad school afford you?
What kinds of opportunities will grad school afford you?
I plan to stay in academia, hopefully working as a professor at a small college or university. However, there aren't many jobs of that description and there are more people getting PhD's than there are jobs for them. After my PhD I'm starting a postdoc (a temporary research position), which is necessary to stay in academia. It used to be that postdocs were just a year or two, but, with so much competition for jobs, they're becoming increasingly longer (making people older and older before they get a permanent job).
The convention is that grad school prepares you for eventual professorship. While it's true that you get trained as a researcher and as a teacher, you don't have to go the academic route. There are opportunities in government agencies, NGOs, and consulting as well. In addition to functioning as a researcher and/or teacher, you gain "expert" status, so you may become a decision/policy-maker/manager.
How do you go about finding people to work with or topics that interest you?
I searched the literature and asked around. Once I found a few people I was interested in working with, I read some of their papers and contacted their current graduate students to see how happy they were. Usually, graduate students will be pretty honest about their advisor's strengths and weaknesses.
I browsed the web. But a better way is talking to one of your professors in a field related to what you're interested in. They should have a pretty good idea of interesting avenues of research, who's working on what, and which schools have good programs. Talking to a professor is also a good idea because it shows initiative on your part, and they get to know you better and thus are able to write a stronger letter of recommendation for you.
How do you make yourself stand out if you haven't done research or written a thesis?
I didn't do an honor's thesis as an undergraduate, but I did help with a number of research projects. I established a good relationship with one lab and helped all the grad students in that lab. However, I also made an effort to go into the field with the professor in charge of that lab, so he got to know me personally. This isn't always possible (particularly with older professors who don't do much research anymore), but you can get to know the professor in other ways too (like attending lab meetings). I think that establishing a good relationship with one professor is very important because they will help you get into grad school if you make a good impression.
Research is by far the #1 way to stand out, so do it if you still have the opportunity. If you haven't done research, it is important to ask yourself why you want to go to grad school and what makes you feel like you are prepared for it. The personal statement is a way to stand out. Sometimes people have gained experience through other activities that can be valuable, such as non-research internships or leadership activities. Letters of recommendation are also extremely important.
What are the merits of a MS vs a PhD?
What are the merits of a MS vs a PhD?
I didn't get a master's before starting a PhD program and it meant that I spent the first couple years of grad school making a lot of mistakes. But, I knew I wanted to get a PhD, and I still finished on time (5 1/2 years), so it worked out. If you're unsure what research to pursue or whether or not you want to get a PhD, I would recommend getting a masters. If you're sure of what you want to study and you definitely want a PhD, you might as well go straight into it.
I'm not really sure about this one. If you are interested in doing research and/or academic positions, a PhD is the way to go. You can do management and conservation with either a PhD or an MS I think. I have heard that you can be "overqualified" with a PhD, but it might be a case-by-case thing. If you have reservations about a PhD, an MS can serve as a way to test the waters.
Do you need a PhD to do management or conservation?
Do you need a PhD to do management or conservation?
I feel like there are many ways to go into management or conservation, and you don't necessarily need a PhD. For example, if you want to go into conservation, NGO's like the Nature Conservancy or WWF look for people with a wide variety of skills (e.g. lawyers, veterinarians, community outreach coordinators, research scientists, etc). If you're interested in working in a particular location or with a particular company/agency, I would recommend looking at the job advertisements they are currently posting to get an idea of the skills and qualifications certain jobs require.
What is one thing you wish you knew before you applied or went to grad school?
I wish I had known that it's ok to make mistakes in grad school. :) My first few years in graduate school were really stressful because my research wasn't working and I felt like I was a failure. This is quite common, but I didn't realize it at the time. Research can be frustrating and many graduate students I know have considered quitting grad school at some point (including myself). But it can be worth it when a research project works out, you pass your qualifying exams, or you get a paper accepted. You should expect graduate school to be tough, and for there to be ups and downs.
I wish I were more familiar with the variety of courses offered at the schools I applied to and what they prescribed in their program of study. I also wish I were more familiar with the types/amount of financial support available at each school/department/lab.
