Undergraduate Opportunities

SMAST Spring & Summer Research Internships for Undergraduates: MAR 499

The School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST), which includes the Departments of Estuarine and Ocean Sciences (DEOS) and Fisheries Oceanography (DFO), offers a 4-8 week, two-credit spring and summer research internship that is open to undergraduate science and engineering majors from within and outside the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

The goals of the internship are to provide undergraduates with hands-on research experiences in marine science in the lab and/or field and to engage students who may have an interest in pursuing a graduate degree and professional career in oceanography. Please see below for a list of current opportunities.

Specific internship topics may be focused on the following general research areas:

Integrated ocean observations, numerical modeling, and analysis
Oceanographic remote sensing
Coastal engineering and fluid mechanics
Coastal ecosystems
Marine biogeochemical cycles and climate change
Marine plankton ecology
Marine sedimentation processes
Ocean mixing and stirring
Turbulence and fluid dynamics
Fisheries oceanography
Fisheries biology and aquaculture
Marine Autonomous Remote Operated Vehicle (AUV) design and development

Internship Sessions & Summer Courses

Each intern will be matched to and work with a particular faculty member determined by mutual research interests, communication prior to the internship, and the development of an internship project/activity.

Students should contact Professor Steve Cadrin (scadrin@umassd.edu) for the Spring session of MAR 499.
Students should email asksmast@umassd.edu for the Summer session of MAR 499.

All summer courses are offered through Online & Continuing Education. To register, contact the UMass Dartmouth Student Service Center.

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 am-7 pm
Friday, 8 am-5 pm
508.999.8857 or 508.999.8866

Pertinent readings and/or background information relative to each internship research area and project will be provided by the individual SMAST faculty hosting/advising the summer intern. Evaluation of the internship performance (pass/fail) will be flexible & based upon an agreed-upon activity schedule and completion of a research activity report by the student at the end of the internship period. Summer living expense support/stipend payment is available through faculty research grant support.

Internship Opportunities

Biodegradability Lab

The Biodegradability Lab has opportunities for interns to participate in research during the summer and throughout the academic year. The Biodegradability Lab is designed to study the biological breakdown of plastics in the world's oceans as well as in landfills, soil, and compost. In addition to measuring the biodegradation of plastic products in different environmental conditions, the lab provides a space for businesses to test and develop more sustainable and biodegradable products and materials. Assistance is needed with various lab duties in preparation for standard operating procedure development and biodegradability testing for the Biodegradability lab. To apply for an internship, please send a statement of interest and resume to Micheline Labrie (mlabrie@umassd.edu).

Fisheries Biology and Assessment Lab

The Fisheries Biology and Assessment Lab has opportunities for interns to participate in research during the summer and throughout the academic year. Research areas include all aspects of fisheries science, ranging from the life history of fishes to fishery management strategies, and emphasize collaborative research with fishermen. Current student and staff research projects include stock identification, tagging, bycatch avoidance, monitoring the impact of offshore wind farms, environmental effects on fisheries, stock assessment models, and population simulations. To apply for an internship, please send a statement of interest and resume to Steven Cadrin at scadrin@umassd.edu

The Fay Fisheries & Ecosystem Management Lab

Undergraduate research technician positions in data science, marine ecology, and science communication are occasionally available in the Fay lab, which work to develop quantitative tools for fisheries and marine ecosystem-based management. Available positions will be listed on CORSAIR Jobs and at the Opportunities page of the Fay lab website.

Fish Behavior and Conservation Engineering Lab

The Fish Behavior and Conservation Engineering Lab has opportunities for interns to participate in research during summer and throughout the academic year. Research areas include camera observation at SMAST pier or in Buzzards Bay, video/data analysis, and participation of trawl surveys and other sea trials if timing permits. To apply for an internship, please send a statement of interest and resume to Pingguo He at phe@umassd.edu

Marine Fisheries Field Research Group––Stokesbury Lab

The Marine Fisheries Field Research Group in the Department of Fisheries Oceanography is looking for qualified laboratory technicians to assist with image processing of Atlantic sea scallop and groundfish video surveys. Optical surveys are an accurate and precise method for stock assessments and can provide long-term benefits to the fishery. Since 1999 our lab has worked cooperatively with the fishing industry to survey sea scallop and groundfish density distributions, benthic substrates, and the presence of megabenthos along the continental shelf of the northwest Atlantic. We are also working closely with the wind farm industry to assess the environmental impacts of development through optical, ventless lobster trap, and ichthyoplankton surveys. To apply for an internship please send a statement of interest and resume to Kyle Cassidy at kcassidy@umassd.edu.

Internship Opportunities with the Coastal Systems Program

The Coastal Systems Program has opportunities for interns to participate as part of the research effort in the summer and throughout the academic year (contingent on funding availability). Research areas include water quality monitoring, nutrient cycling, coastal ecosystems, and wetlands ecology.

Interns participate in a wide range of field and laboratory work, including but not limited to nearshore and offshore sampling, citizen-based environmental monitoring, maintenance of long-term experiments in wetlands, sample preparation, and a wide variety of laboratory analytical procedures. Successful candidates should be capable of working both independently and as part of a team.

To apply for an internship, please send an unofficial transcript along with a cover letter and a resume, including the names of at least three references, to:

Dr. David Schlezinger
SMAST
706 South Rodney French Blvd.
New Bedford, MA 02744
508.910.6314

Cover letters and resumes can also be attached as Word files and emailed to dschlezinger@umassd.edu.

NUWC Student Programs

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, Rhode Island, offers a suite of research and employment opportunities for students. Current or prospective SMAST students should contact Professor Miles Sundermeyer at msundermeyer@umassd.edu to learn how NUWC programs dovetail with graduate studies at SMAST.

Undergraduate/Graduate Programs

Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP)
-18-27 students at NUWC for 10 weeks in the summer
- Application deadline mid-January
- More information
Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship
- Student commits to working at NUWC upon completion of degree – receives a scholarship from DoD
NUWC Student Services Contract
- 10-15 students at NUWC during the year - 20 hours per week during the academic year, 40 hours during summers and vacations
- Program is administered by URI; however, students from any institution can apply
- POC Sally Marinelli (401) 874-5467
- More information

Undergraduate Research Incentive Program (URIP)

The Undergraduate Research Incentive Program (URIP) is an opportunity for undergraduate students to participate in research with a faculty member.