Eastern New Mexico University Scholarship in USA

The Microbial Ecology and Macroevolution Group in the Department of Biology at Eastern New Mexico University (Portales, NM) is offering a funded M.S. position beginning Spring 2027.

The student will study how microbes shape the evolution of their metazoan hosts, working with turtles and amphibians and combining summer fieldwork in Panama (with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) and potentially the Ecuadorian Amazon (Tiputini Biodiversity Station) with shotgun and long-read metagenomics and computational analysis.

Thesis questions are developed with the PI within the group's research program.

• A B.S. in Biology, Microbiology, Ecology, Evolution, or a related field, with strong academic credentials, is required.

• Experience with bioinformatics and statistics is desirable, as is interest in the conceptual foundations of evolutionary biology.

• Significant fieldwork will take place outside the United States, primarily in Panama and potentially in Ecuador, so working knowledge of Spanish is preferred.

• Applicants should be able to work independently and comfortably in remote, physically demanding field conditions for extended periods.

• Strong applicants will show evidence of taking ownership of a project, such as an undergraduate thesis, independent research, or extended field or lab experience, and will communicate clearly in writing and in person.

• Competitive applicants will have tropical field research experience, preferably from their undergraduate program.

• Students must hold a valid driver's license and passport and be able to obtain any required visas for international travel.

Funding:

• the selected student will be offered a graduate assistantship (about $11,000 per 9-month academic year, plus in-state tuition), with a summer stipend of up to $5,000 for each field season and support for field costs.

• Together, this can total approximately $16,000 per year plus field costs. Students are also encouraged to apply for external funding if desired.

To apply,

• 1

  Click the green button below to go to the scholarship webpage.

• 2

  Email a statement describing your interest in the lab, this project, and your career goals, along with your CV, unofficial transcripts, and contact information for two references, to joseph.madison@enmu.edu (subject line: "ENMU MS Position").

• 3

  Applications are reviewed as received, with full consideration given to those received by 2 November 2026.

• 4

  Graduate assistantships are applied for separately through ENMU's employment site. Questions are welcome at the same email address.

• 5

  Full ad and how to apply: https://kvasir7.github.io/ENMU_MS_ad_2026.pdfQuestions: