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Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Each summer, Tyson runs an active undergraduate research program in ecology, evolutionary biology, and related environmental sciences. Undergraduates participate in all aspects of research, intellectual discourse and camaraderie associated with field stations, including our weekly Summer Seminar Series and BBQ. In addition, discussion groups and field trips are aimed specifically at summer undergraduate researchers. Students prepare for their summer research experiences as early as the previous fall by attending informational sessions and enrolling in Environmental Studies 393 (Practical Skills in Environmental Biology Research) the spring prior to their summer research experience.

These internships are primarily intended for Washington University students. However, on rare occassions, outstanding students from other universities are admitted into this program. If you are interested, please send a detailed letter indicating your interest and experience in field environmental research, your career goals and why this internship will help you to achieve those goals to Kevin Smith (kgs[at]wustl.edu), Associate Director, as early as possible.

Research Internships

Paid Tyson Undergraduate Research Internships are available to a limited number of undergraduates. Volunteer or Credit-based internships are also available. Research Interns are typically freshman and sophomores who know that they are interested in ecological research, but may not yet have the experience needed to conduct their own mentored research. We anticipate that many Research Interns will then go on to become Research Fellows who will design and complete their own research projects in subsequent years.

Research Fellowships

In this program, student researchers, primarily from Washington University in St. Louis, are given the opportunity to design and execute their own field-based ecological research in close cooperation with a staff, faculty, or graduate student research mentor.

Advanced undergraduate researchers conducting their own research are typically funded by Tyson Research Center Undergraduate Research Fellowships, Washington University / Howard Hughes Medical Institute Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships, Environmental Studies research fellowships, and National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) fellowships. Most of our former Undergraduate Research Fellows have entered graduate programs or careers in the environmental sciences.

After completion of their summer research, all Research Fellows present the results of their research at the Washington University Undergraduate Research Symposium. Additionally, Fellows have presented their research at regional and national meetings and several projects have resulted in peer-reviewed scientific publications. The results of recent undergraduate research projects can be seen here.