Undergraduate Student Intern in Sustainable Land and Water Resources

Program Description: This REU introduces undergraduate students to the key elements of research on land and water resources that are essential to improving management practices. Research teams are hosted on two Native American reservations and at the University of Minnesota and projects are developed in collaboration with the tribes’ resource management divisions. The REU incorporates an interdisciplinary team-oriented approach that emphasizes quantitative and predictive methods, Indigenous and community-based research methods, and traditional ecological knowledge.

Projects take place on the main campus of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Northern Minnesota; and at Salish Kootenai College on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. Students in Civil Engineering, Earth Sciences, Hydrology, Chemistry, Biology, Ecology, Sustainability, Mathematics, Natural Resources, Wildlife and Fisheries, Social Sciences and related disciplines are invited to apply.

The REU on Sustainable Land and Water Resources introduces undergraduate students to the key elements of research on land and water resources that are essential to improving management practices, with a focus on Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and diverse interdisciplinary research teams. Students work on one of three teams on interdisciplinary projects.  Research teams are hosted on two Native American reservations and at the Univ. MN and projects are developed in collaboration with the tribes’ resource management divisions.  The REU incorporates an interdisciplinary team-oriented approach that emphasizes quantitative and predictive methods, CBPR, indigenous research methods, and traditional ecological knowledge.

The REU encourages participation by underrepresented students and students who are unsure about how they fit into the world of science to pursue STEM careers.  The REU develops unique rigorous scientific research projects that are place-based, meaningful, and that are the product of an intensive collaboration with Native American communities. This REU supports students in ways that go far beyond a typical REU, and takes place at three different and geographically dispersed sites (Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Montana; the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus; and the reservation of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, with students living and working at the University of Minnesota, Duluth). 

The REU encourages all students to apply, including Native Americans, students from other groups underrepresented in the sciences, men and women, nontraditional students, parents, veterans, and students with disabilities. The students, faculty, graduate and post-doctoral mentors, tribal professionals, and other community members will be intimately engaged in community-based participatory research (CBPR).  The protocols and methods for effective CBPR (and in particular with tribal entities) will be modeled and supported by literature and practice.  Projects developed through CBPR for this REU will inherently support tribal resource management goals.  Results will be disseminated to tribal authorities and community members as well as the broader scientific community.

Structure:

The program runs in person for 9 weeks in the summer from mid-June to mid-August with an additional 40 hours of self-directed activities and 1-2 1-hour meetings required before the program starts. Participants live and work on three teams in three locations but form one research community. Participants gather at the beginning of the program for an Orientation in Glacier National Park in Montana. Housing, food, and transportation are arranged and paid for. After intensive team-building activities, and orientation to our core program elements of Community-Based Research and Ethical Research on Tribal Lands, participants head for their research locations (at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, MT for Team SPA; in Minneapolis, MN for Team Stream; and in Duluth, MN for Team Zaaga’igan). Weekly videoconferences keep our community closely knit, and participants share their research progress. Participants are mentored to write an ESRI story map and create a poster. An All-Team Gathering at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory in Minneapolis, MN at the end of the summer allows everyone to come back together and share their research. Finally, students have the opportunity during the following year to share their research at a national conference.

Student Support:

STIPENDS

Participants receive of stipend of $7000 for the summer (9 weeks in summer + 40 hours before program begins).

HOUSING

Participants’ housing is in dormitories at Salish Kootenai College, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, or University of Minnesota, Duluth. Dormitories either have a student food plan or cooking facilities.

TRANSPORTATION

Participants’ round-trip travel to their research site, travel to the orientation and All-Team Gathering is paid for. Tickets are purchased by the REU. Cars are not provided. However, transportation is arranged to provide for participants’ needs and varies by team. Some participants choose to drive their own car to their research location. In such cases, we can pay for mileage up to the cost of airline tickets. However, parking in Minneapolis can be expensive and we do not pay for parking on campus.

RESEARCH EXPENSES

All research expenses are covered by the REU.

CONFERENCE

All students are encouraged to share their research at a professional conference. The REU pays up to $1000/participant to support this activity.

Application deadline:  February 4, 2024

In-person program dates:  June 10 to August 9, 2024

We will start our journey in Glacier National Park in Montana on June 10 and then begin work at our research sites on June 16. We will gather in Minneapolis in August during the last week of the program for final activities and an All-Team Poster Symposium. All transportation is provided.

Application and Eligibility

The program is open to undergraduate students majoring in Civil Engineering, Earth Sciences, Hydrology, Chemistry, Biology, Ecology, Sustainability, Mathematics, Natural Resources, Wildlife and Fisheries, Social Sciences and related disciplines. We encourage applications from students of all genders who are Native American, tribal college students, community college students, non-traditional students, veterans, students who have been historically under-represented in their discipline, and students who are first-generation college students. The program provides transportation, housing, and food or full kitchens depending on location, plus a $700/week stipend to all participants. 

Visit http://reuslawr.org for more information and application.