subscribe to feed

Program Overview

Program Dates:  2 June –11 August, 2009

The Hubbard Brook REU program hosts eight undergraduates for the summer field season at the Hubbard Brook LTER site in Thornton and Woodstock, New Hampshire. The program is designed to appeal to students interested in both ecosystem research and, importantly, the communication of ecosystem science to broad audiences. Students interested in a careers in research, education, and natural resource management fields will find the program engaging and rewarding. 

The program has two major, but related, components. The first is a research project conducted under the mentorship of two scientists active in research at or related to Hubbard Brook. Students will select from eight research projects, organized into four separate research nodes, representing major areas of ecosystem research at Hubbard Brook. Students will be exposed to a full spectrum of ecosystem research at Hubbard Brook, including close relationships with their research mentors and other mentors in their research node, as well as mentors from other research nodes through weekly science presentations given by the mentors. 

• Research component details

The second component, unique to our program, is a science communication project developed to serve an outside organization with real-world science communication needs. The students will, with support of the education staff at Hubbard Brook and the research mentors, work with a regional organization such as a non-profit, local government, or public agency to create a product needed by the organization to communicate ecosystem concepts to a broad audience. The connection between the student, mentor team, and outside organization will be made before the program starts in order to give the outside group time to identify project needs. Thus the student will begin the program with a partner organization with a general science translation need. The development of the translation product will be supported by a weekly communicating science workshop examining successful science communication strategies and aiding in development of the final product.  

• Science communication/outreach component details

Approximately one month before the program begins students are mailed pre-program readings from their research mentors, as well as a few examples of successful science communication reports, such as the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation’s ScienceLinks™ program.

Students receive a $4,500 stipend for the 10-week program, in addition to a meal-plan allowance and free housing.

Funding for this program is provided by the National Science Foundation.

Visit our application page for information about how to apply. 

For more information, contact:

Geoff Wilson
Hubbard Brook Research Foundation
25 Dobson Hill Road
Thornton, NH 03285
(603) 726-8911
Email:  gwilson@hbresearchfoundation.org