Program Website and Application Information
What is ROADS?
Research opportunities and access for diverse scientists (ROADS) is an NSF-funded RaMP (Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates) program that aims to provide the next generation of global change scientists with transformative research training and professional development - all while engaging them within a supportive academic network at the University of Texas at El Paso, which is a top tier minority-serving research institution (~80% Hispanic – reflecting the local population).
Applications for this immersive training program are open to recently graduated baccalaureate (post-bac) students who have received their degree within the past 4 years; or students who are completing their bachelors degree in Spring 2024 (Before May 30th 2024*). Applicants must have a final GPA of 3.0 and Post-baccalaureates from traditionally underrepresented groups that have had limited, or no research experience are particularly encouraged to apply.
*Please contact us at ramp@utep.edu to check if your graduation date counts towards this requirement.
Applicants who are selected for this post-bac training program will:
- Develop and conduct a year-long research project at UTEP within a faculty members lab (with potential for summer experiences at partnering universities and institutions)
- Experience innovative science that focuses on identifying the effects global change has on biogeochemical, ecological, evolutionary, and environmental processes in the extreme dryland environments of the Arctic and desert
- Participate in expert led workshops, seminars, and networking events that aim to enhance the professional skills needed to thrive in graduate school or STEM careers
- Have an opportunity to publish their findings in scientific journals
- Be part of a supportive and collaborative team of mentors and peers
In the application, candidates will have the opportunity to select a mentor from a pool of more than 10 faculty driven projects/topics, each focusing on a discipline related to extreme dryland ecosystems in the Arctic or desert.
UTEP Faculty Mentors
Elizabeth J. Walsh - Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics of Freshwater Invertebrates
Vanessa L. Lougheed - Ecosystem Ecology of Desert and Arctic Environments, Nutrient Limitation of Primary Production
Jennie McLaren - Plant Community and Ecosystem Ecology
Michael L. Moody - Botany, Evolution, and Genomics
Philip Lavretsky - Population and Evolutionary Genetics
Elizabeth LaRue - Ecosystem Science, Remote Sensing, Plant Species Distributions, and Structural Diversity of Ecosystems
Vicente Mata-Silva - Field Biology, Herpetology, Desert Ecology
Brett Seymoure - Animal behavior, Sensory Ecology, Light Pollution, Predator-Prey, Entomology
Michael G. Harvey - Diversity, Evolution, and Genomics of Birds
Lixin Jin - Chemical, Physical, and Biological Processes in Natural and Managed Zones in Drylands
ROADS PROGRAM Coordinator:
Kathleen Schaeffer –Expertise in Desert Soil Carbon and Ecology
Each ROADS participant will be guided directly by a member of the ROADS faculty team, but they will participate in several activities as a cohort that shares research interests in environmental, ecological, and evolutionary studies.
As a cohort, ROADs participants will participate in regularly scheduled and interactive workshops/seminars, that cover a variety of enriching professional development topics, such as:
- Methods for recording research (keeping a research notebook, entering data and metadata)
- Essential skills (time management, using bibliographical tools, data management, science communication, poster presentations, and more!)
- How to apply for Graduate School and prepare for a career in STEM
- How to share science with non-science audiences (outreach with El Paso and other communities)
- At the end of the program, ROADS participants will also present the results of their projects at a scientific conference (e.g., COURI)
The major objective of this program is for participants to develop skills for conducting independent and collaborative research, with an overarching goal of preparing them for the next stage of their professional career.
Important Dates & Info
Deadline for application: March 1st, 2024
Program Duration: One year
Start Date: May 30th, 2024
End Date: May 29th, 2025
Note: Participants will need to be on-site for the duration of the program (excluding the summer research experience for which location will vary with project).
Applicants admitted to the program will receive:
- 1-year of full support ($32.5K stipend, as well as funds for research, travel, and subsistence)
- Immersive research and professional development activities to prepare for graduate school and access to a diverse and supportive professional network of mentors and peers
ramp@utep.edu
