Arctic REU Greenland: Earth and Environmental Processes from the Inland Ice to the Ocean along the Aasivissuit–Nipisat World Heritage Corridor
Research Topics: TBA
Location: Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
On-Site Field and Lab Research: TBA
Applications Open: Update late December, 2024. Application Deadline: February 12, 2025 (11:59 PM MST)
Note: REUs are competitive, so be sure to broadly apply to other REU opportunities.
Overview
This NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) is focused on developing skills in arctic geoscience research. Our work will integrate studies of bedrock geology with records of environmental change in a remote, international setting.
Research projects: TBA. Participants will present their research at a national scientific conference in the fall.
REU Directors and Mentors
Dr. Joseph L. Allen, Co-Director, Concord University (Athens, WV)
Dr. David McWethy, Co-Director, Montana State University (Bozeman, MT)
Additional Mentors*: Dr. Stephen Kuehn (Concord University), Dr. Tom Saladyga (Concord University), Dr. Melissa Chipman (Syracuse University), Dr. Mark Skidmore (Montana State), Dr. Colin A. Shaw (Montana State), Dr. Jean Dixon (Montana State), Dr. Trista Vick-Majors (Michigan Tech), and Dr. Eric Sproles (Montana State).
*All additional mentors will not participate every year. Once students are accepted, we will match mentors with student interests.
Graduate Assistants: TBA
Student Support and Logistics
Support includes a $4800 stipend plus an additional $1000 to obtain your own cool-weather field clothing, a sleeping bag, a passport, and an iPad for geologic mapping. Travel, including travel to/from your home, lodging, and about 80% of meals are provided (airline travel days and some weekends are student responsibility).
The expedition will depart from Scotia, New York for Kangerlusuaq, Greenland.
Timeline
TBA.
October or December: Presentation of your research results at a professional conference such as the Geological Society of America or American Geophysical Union with additional career and graduate school mentoring (optional; funding provided).
Am I Qualified?
Applicants should be undergraduates who are rising sophomore, junior, or senior geology/geoscience or Earth science majors. We can consider some related disciplines such as ecology and environmental sciences, especially if you are at an institution without a geology major and as long as you have coursework in geology, chemistry, and physics.
Ideally, applicants will have completed or be enrolled in a course in mineralogy, petrology, or Earth materials although this is not required, especially for rising sophomores or two-year college applicants. Coursework in structural geology and/or field geology or field methods is useful.
NSF requires REU participants to be US citizens or permanent residents.
Participants must have a planned date of graduation no earlier than December, 2025. Because of the late start time, students completing a geology field camp early in the summer might be able to attend this REU.
We encourage applications from first-generation college students, veterans, and members of underrepresented groups including women, minorities, and native Alaskans. We also encourage applications from students at community colleges and from institutions with limited research opportunities.