International Research Experience for Students in China

Click Here to Learn More and Apply! 

• Program Info
• Contacts

Academic Level:
For most summer research programs, this is your upcoming status as of the fall. Always check with the individual program's website for details.

Undergraduates - Sophomore
Undergraduates - Junior

Note: this opportunity encourages applications from community college students.

Description:
The University of Florida will offer an International Research Experiences for Undergraduate Students Program funded by the National Science Foundation during the summers. In this 10-week summer program, students will conduct research in conservation science in southwest China. If travel is restricted due to the pandemic, the program will take place all or in part in Gainesville, Florida.

This IRES program will provide U.S. undergraduate students a rare opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary research on human-wildlife feedbacks in flagship protected areas in a biodiversity hotspot in the mountains of southwestern China. Students will work with U.S. PIs from the University of Florida and experts at China West Normal University in Sichuan, China. We ideally plan to spend two weeks in Florida and 8 weeks in China, but exact travel dates may vary due to post-covid visa restrictions.

Students will join long-term research projects related to three main types of human-wildlife feedbacks that are representative of those seen around the world. Feedbacks include complex interactions between (1) forest recovery and wildlife crop raiding, (2) antibiotic use in livestock rearing and the microbiome of giant pandas, and (3) interaction between non-timber forest product (NTFP) collection and wildlife occurrence. The diverse collection of interrelated projects will give students the opportunity to gain experience implementing a variety of field and lab techniques (e.g., infrared camera trapping, vegetation surveys, specimen collecting, molecular analyses, and semi-structured interviews) as they tackle key questions that shape cutting-edge development of interdisciplinary and systems-level research on wildlife conservation.

Student participants will gain soft skills and have career building opportunities through professional development workshops offered during the program. While abroad, students will also have a rare opportunity to be immersed in Chinese culture and expand their worldviews, in turn better preparing them to join the global internationalized workforce. Students will receive $500 in weekly stipend, Weekly food expenses will be covered while in China, Housing & Travel costs will also be covered.

Undergraduate students from any university who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents are invited to apply. Students from underrepresented backgrounds and minority groups are especially encouraged to apply. Students should be at a junior or sophomore level at the time of application. Please visit our website to learn more and apply!


Participating Institution(s):
(Click an institution to see all programs it hosts)

Program Materials:

This Program can be Described by:

Learn More and Apply!
This program is funded by:
National Science Foundation (NSF)


Page last updated 4/25/2023
Click here to submit updates to this program listing!
Create your own user feedback survey