How to Apply. A
completed application for the Research Experience for Undergraduates in Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology at Konza Prairie Biological Station will consist of four items.
- A completed copy of the 2-page
Application Form.
- An unofficial copy of your academic
transcript. If accepted into the REU program, applicants will be required to
provide an official copy before arriving in Kansas to start the summer program.
- Letters of recommendation from two
persons. Individuals that
are able to comment on the applicant’s academic ability are preferred, and
are usually faculty advisors at the student’s home institution, or mentors
from previous research activities. Please provide each of your respondents with the Report on the Applicant rating form
that is available in the table below. Letters of recommendation can be
included with your application package, just ask your referees to put the
report in an envelope and sign across the sealed flap.
- A two-page essay addressing the
development of the student's interest in ecology, evolutionary or molecular biology, the specific areas of
research interest in genomics or grassland ecology, and current professional career goals. Career goals
need not be in ecological research, and past participants have
included students with interests in journalism, environmental education and
social sciences. Many of our past participants have entered careers in
those fields. We recommend a clear focus on the goals and features
of this REU Site program, and recommend that you avoid describing formative events during childhood. Essays should be single-spaced with a
blank line between consecutive paragraphs, and should be in a legible font (11-12 point) with 1 inch
margins.
Application Tips.
Here are a couple of tips to assist you in submitting your application.
- Send all of the materials in one package by regular
mail. If all of the materials are sent in a complete package, there is
less chance that one or more items will go astray. If we are lacking
the transcript or letters of recommendation from one or more of your
referees, it will delay processing of your application.
- Plan ahead and submit in advance of the deadline.
We try to review the applications and make offers shortly after the March 1
deadline. It helps if the application files are complete so that we
can move quickly on reviewing the applications.
- Again, try to submit in the advance of the
deadline. Usually 80% of all of the applications arrive the week
before the deadline.
- In recent years, many of the REU applicants have
indicated a preference for working in vertebrate biology, especially
projects with reptiles, birds and mammals. If vertebrates are your
main research interest, you are welcome to apply for an internship in that
area but be aware that the positions may be more competitive. Students
with interests in specific research topics in ecosystem science, plant
genomics or invertebrate biology often have a better chance of being matched
to an available mentor.
- We will try to be sure and acknowledge receipt of
your application. If you do not hear from us, you are welcome to get
in touch to enquire about the status of your application.
Deadlines.
Completed applications, including the application form, unofficial transcript,
two page essay and letters of recommendation, should be received on or before
Monday, March 1, 2010.
We expect to notify applicants who are accepted to the REU program by Monday,
March 8, 2010. Students not receiving initial offers will be
wait-listed for opportunities. Students invited to participate in the REU program must accept or reject the
offer by Friday, March 12, 2010. Electronic
versions of the application forms can be downloaded below.
Materials may be
submitted by regular mail (preferred), e-mail or by fax to Dr. Bruce A.
Snyder, REU
Program Coordinator, Division of Biology, Kansas State University,
Manhattan, Kansas 66506-4901, e-mail:
basnyder@ksu.edu, phone (785) 532-6615,
fax (785) 532-6653.
Questions regarding the application and selections procedures can be directed to Dr.
Snyder by
e-mail.
| Available
File Formats |
Application
Form |
Report
on the Applicant |
|
Microsoft
Word files (DOC) |
applform.doc |
rateform.doc |
|
Wordperfect
files (WPD) |
applform.wpd |
rateform.wpd |
Adobe
Acrobat files (PDF) that can be printed out
and completed by hand or with
a typewriter |
applform.pdf |
rateform.pdf |
| Download
Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF files |
 |
|
The application files may not
display correctly when clicking on the above links. Right click on
the filename, save it to your computer with the correct file extension and
then open the file with your word processing software or with Acrobat. |