The Elliott Biogeochemistry Laboratory in the Department of Geology & Environmental Science at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) is hiring 1-2 graduate students at the PhD level to participate in a NSF-funded grant that explores the efficacy of liposome-encapsulated nitrogen fertilizers on plant growth and leaching losses. The PhD student will be responsible testing and documenting the impact of new fertilizer on soil nitrogen and carbon cycling, plant productivity, and leaching losses using enriched isotope tracers in greenhouse-based plant growth and soil incubation experiments.
The PhD student(s) will join an interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers in testing new carriers that deliver nitrogen-based fertilizers to crops with minimal leaching losses. I am specifically looking for applicants interested in soil science, plant/soil interactions, isotope tracers, sustainable agriculture, and nutrient dynamics. Candidates from diverse disciplinary backgrounds are welcome but prior research experience is required. MS degree preferred but not required. Outreach opportunities are available through the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory, housed at the University of Pittsburgh and through programming at the University of Pittsburgh’s field station, Pymatuning Lab of Ecology. Research in the Elliott lab is focused on understanding reactive nitrogen dynamics in Earth systems using stable isotope bio/geochemistry. More information about the Elliott lab can be found on the lab website at (http://www.pitt.edu/~eelliott/). Applications are due January 15. Further information regarding application materials can be found here (How to Apply | Department of Geology and Environmental Science | University of Pittsburgh). Interested candidates should contact Dr. Elliott directly ([email protected]) with an email explaining educational goals, research interests and experiences, and a CV. The ideal candidate will possess excellent writing, communication, and teamwork skills; these qualities should also be addressed in your email. The Elliott lab is motivated to maintain a diverse and inclusive lab environment; students from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply. Ideal candidates will be available for either a start date in May-June or August 2024. |
PhD opportunity: Water quality Improvement through Soil and plant Experiments with novel fertilizers (WISE) Become a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh and work with us on an exciting research project about the role of innovative fertilizers in plant-soil interactions. |
Are you considering graduate school and interested in joining our research team?
I am always looking for bright, creative, motivated and collaborative students with an interest in stable isotope biogeochemistry to join our team. However, I generally will not take on PhD students if I can’t fund their research. Note that the University of Pittsburgh does not generally fund graduate work at the M.S.-level, thus if you are interested in pursuing an M.S. degree, you must be self-funded. Students are generally supported through: 1) teaching assistantships, 2) research assistantships, and 3) fellowships.
Are you a good fit for our team?
Consider the following:
To help me make this assessment, please send me the following information:
If you decide to apply to the University of Pittsburgh, see the Department of Geology & Environmental Science webpage for information about application deadlines and requirements. Our graduate program invites highly ranked candidates (=plenty of research experience, strong academic training, and a good fit with potential advisor) to interview in person in early Spring. Admissions decisions are made by a committee of graduate faculty within the department.
I am always looking for bright, creative, motivated and collaborative students with an interest in stable isotope biogeochemistry to join our team. However, I generally will not take on PhD students if I can’t fund their research. Note that the University of Pittsburgh does not generally fund graduate work at the M.S.-level, thus if you are interested in pursuing an M.S. degree, you must be self-funded. Students are generally supported through: 1) teaching assistantships, 2) research assistantships, and 3) fellowships.
Are you a good fit for our team?
Consider the following:
- Are you willing to spend much of the next five years of your life either collecting field samples, conducting isotope analyses, or other types of analytical chemistry?
- Can you read at least 3 publications from our lab publications page at one sitting and remain alert and curious? When you read these papers, are you generating new questions and “what if” statements?
- Do you have a passion for using stable isotope tracers to understand how human activities are changing the complex interaction among biogeochemical elements, water and ecosystems?
- Do you have strong written and verbal communication skills? Are you a good team player and collaborative by nature?
To help me make this assessment, please send me the following information:
- a detailed statement of why you want to attend graduate school and how your interests fit into the broader context of my research program; and
- a description of your past research experience including any former advisors, publications, and presentations related to your work.
If you decide to apply to the University of Pittsburgh, see the Department of Geology & Environmental Science webpage for information about application deadlines and requirements. Our graduate program invites highly ranked candidates (=plenty of research experience, strong academic training, and a good fit with potential advisor) to interview in person in early Spring. Admissions decisions are made by a committee of graduate faculty within the department.
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Graduate student funding:
In addition to receiving funding from external grants and teaching assistantships, graduate students are encouraged to pursue fellowships based on their research interests. Ideally, graduate students are funded through a combination of these three sources. Potential fellowship opportunities include the following:
-NASA Earth Systems Science Graduate Fellowships
-National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
-Geological Society of America, Graduate Student Research Grants
-NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
-NASA Earth Systems Science Graduate Fellowships
-National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
-Geological Society of America, Graduate Student Research Grants
-NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Undergraduate research and funding opportunities:
If you are interested in gaining either research or laboratory experience in interdisciplinary geoscience research, please email me ([email protected]). Pitt has several internal funding mechanisms to facilitate undergraduate research including:
-University of Pittsburgh, Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowships
-University of Pittsburgh, University Honors College, Brackenridge Summer Research Program
If you are looking for opportunities outside of Pittsburgh, subscribe to the Ecological Society of America listserv, where abundant paid, summer field research opportunities are listed weekly.
-University of Pittsburgh, Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowships
-University of Pittsburgh, University Honors College, Brackenridge Summer Research Program
If you are looking for opportunities outside of Pittsburgh, subscribe to the Ecological Society of America listserv, where abundant paid, summer field research opportunities are listed weekly.