Wintersession Internships for Harvard Students

October 2, 2023

6 students and mentors smile in the forest in winter

Paid winter internships in January 2024 will bring 4-7 Harvard students (graduate and undergraduate) to Harvard Forest, providing a mentored, full-time research experience as well as room, board, and transportation for those staying on-site. (See logistics section at the bottom of this page and notes in each project description.)

Read highlights about the work of our January 2023 interns and January 2022 interns.

Applications for January 2024 are now closed. Applications for January 2025 will open in October 2024.

Note to student applicants: apply directly to each individual project that interests you. See the required application materials at the end of each project description. Submit a combined PDF file of application materials by October 31, 2023 to the individual project listing in the Crimson Careers portal or via email to bgoulet@g.harvard.edu.

Project 1: Do Deer and Moose Alter the Future of the Eastern Hemlock Forest?

(Open to Harvard undergraduates and graduate students - in-person preferred, but remote is possible)

Mentored by Audrey Barker Plotkin, Harvard Forest Senior Ecologist, and Dr. Ed Faison, Senior Ecologist at Highstead

Herbivory by deer and moose can dramatically alter forest plant community composition, especially in forests that are regenerating after canopy mortality. Throughout the northeastern US, eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forests are declining from an invasive insect, the hemlock woolly adelgid – but in addition to these tiny insects, large mammals may also shape the future forest. Deer and moose love to browse the tree saplings that grow after hemlock trees die and the forest transforms from a shady, mature forest to a dense thicket of young trees and sun-loving understory plants. We established the Harvard Forest Hemlock Removal Experiment in 2003, and early on during the experiment, we observed deer and moose browsing. Therefore, in 2011 we installed fences that enclose half of each plot and exclude moose and deer.

We seek a Harvard student intern to analyze 10 years of data to investigate whether the structure and composition of tree saplings and/or understory plants is altered when deer and moose browsing is excluded. The student will also have the opportunity to visit the research plots and collect tree sapling abundance data. This project will contribute to our ecological understanding of herbivory in shaping the forest after disturbance. In addition, this work will inform a practical outcome: the decision whether to maintain or remove the deer and moose fencing in the experiment.

A successful candidate will possess a combination of the following skills and experiences:

Working with data in spreadsheets
Some experience in the R statistical language or willingness to complete a self-paced intro to R (~6 hours) during the first 3 days of the program.  
Coursework in ecology, environmental science, or earth science
Clear communication regarding project-related questions and challenges
(Optional) Ability and interest in collecting data outdoors in the winter with a research mentor for up to 4 hours at a time, including walking 0.5 to 1.5 miles (possibly in snow) to access research sites

To apply, please submit a combined PDF file to this project posting in Crimson Careers or to <bgoulet@g.harvard.edu> by Oct. 31 that includes:

A full resume or a resume “lite” that includes your contact info, study concentration, and graduation year, plus a list of 3-5 relevant courses you have taken, and 3-5 relevant jobs or activities you have had
Contact info for two academic or professional references
A 250-500-word statement of interest exploring these questions:
- Why do you think that this internship would be a valuable opportunity for your growth as a scientist?
- What do you hope to learn/gain from this experience?

Project 2: Cold but Not Asleep: Winter Field Science to Understand Mechanisms of Forest Methane Cycling

(Open to Harvard undergraduates and graduate students, in-person only)

Mentored by Dr. Jackie Matthes, Harvard Forest Senior Ecologist (Harvard College '07); Naomi Hegwood, Harvard Forest Research Assistant (Harvard College '23); and Jon Gewirtzman, PhD candidate at the Yale School of Environment

Methane is an important greenhouse gas causing climate change. Measuring the background natural methane cycling in forests is critical for being able to understand the efficacy of global methane reduction efforts (e.g. reducing fossil fuel leakage). In forests, it has been a big puzzle about if/when/how methane might be produced by and/or transported through forest trees and ultimately into the atmosphere. Periodic measurements during the summer at Harvard Forest have shown that tree stems are sometimes sources of methane to the atmosphere, especially for wetland-adapted species when soils are flooded. However, the mechanisms of this methane release are not well understood, where methane could be produced by microbes within the tree stem microbiome or transported from water up the tree stem with xylem water flow. Interns with this project will work together to collect the first wintertime measurements of tree stem methane and carbon dioxide exchange in field conditions at Harvard Forest. Measuring the soil and stem flux of methane during conditions when deciduous trees are largely dormant will yield critical data that help to inform and potentially revise our understanding of methane dynamics in temperate forests.

A successful candidate will possess a combination of the following skills and experiences:

Willing to spend several hours at a stretch outdoors doing winter fieldwork (Harvard Forest can help to provide wintertime gear for safety and comfort in cold conditions)
Must be able to carry a 20lb backpack for about a mile, or pulled by sled if there is sufficient snow
Possess a collaborative team attitude toward problem solving and work with others to manage small day-to-day challenges (equipment malfunctions, etc.)
Familiarity with spreadsheets for data entry and organization
Prior experience using the R coding language could be helpful but is not required

To apply, please submit a combined PDF file to this project's listing in Crimson Careers or via email to <bgoulet@g.harvard.edu> by Oct. 31 that includes:

A full resume or a resume “lite” that includes your contact info, study concentration, and graduation year, plus a list of 3-5 relevant courses you have taken, and 3-5 relevant jobs or activities you have had
Contact info for two academic or professional references
A 250-500-word statement of interest exploring these questions:
- Why do you think that this internship would be a valuable opportunity for your growth as a scientist?
- What do you hope to learn/gain from this experience?
- Describe your relationship with winter in New England. Do you have any prior experience working/spending time in outdoor wintertime conditions in this type of climate?

Project 3: Exploring STEM Identity in a K-12 Community Science Program (open to Harvard graduate students only)

(Open to Harvard graduate students, remote only; can choose to complete the internship during January, or space out the hours over the spring semester)

Mentored by Katharine Hinkle, Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology Program Coordinator; Clarisse Hart, Harvard Forest Director of Education & Outreach; and Dr. Tara Goodhue, Science Teacher at Lowell High School

The Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology Program is community science project that across almost two decades has engaged over 40,000 students in authentic STEM data collection in their local schoolyards in the Northeast US. The Schoolyard Team is preparing for a large study of STEM identity of student participants, examining how students' STEM identity might shift during participation in our program. This internship will be focused on conducting literature reviews of relevant studies as well as compiling methods/tools and frameworks used in similar studies. The intern will help to develop sample survey questions for user testing during the spring.

A successful candidate will possess a combination of the following skills and experiences:

Background understanding of sociological / educational research studies
Prior research experience
Knowledge of relevant academic journals

To apply, please submit a combined PDF file to this project's listing in Crimson Careers (GSAS students) or via email to <bgoulet@g.harvard.edu> by Oct. 31 that includes:

A full resume or a resume “lite” that includes your contact info, study concentration, and graduation year, plus a list of 3-5 relevant courses you have taken, and 3-5 relevant jobs or activities you have had
Contact info for two academic or professional references
A 250-500-word statement of interest exploring these questions:
- Why do you think that this internship would be a valuable opportunity for your growth?
- What do you hope to learn/gain from this experience?
- How is a project exploring STEM identity relevant to your educational and career goals?

Project 4: Long-term impacts of summer research experiences at Harvard Forest

(Open to Harvard undergraduates and graduate students, in-person or remote)

Mentored by Ben Goulet-Scott, Higher Education & Laboratory Coordinator at Harvard Forest (Harvard OEB PhD '22); Audrey Barker Plotkin, Harvard Forest Senior Ecologist

Undergraduate research experiences in STEM fields provide many students with their first hands-on experience in research. However, a recent review (Linn et al. 2015, Science 347:627) suggested that available program data are insufficient to determine whether students’ future “success” in science is improved by their participation in undergraduate research experiences. The goal of this winter session project is to design an approach based on the available survey data to evaluate the short- and long-term impacts of participating in the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology (HF-SRPE). This data analysis plan will form the basis for completing an IRB-approved study on HF-SRPE student experiences and outcomes.

The HF-SRPE annually supports 20-30 undergraduates from diverse backgrounds, each of whom participates in 11 weeks of mentor-supervised research on forest ecosystems. Students also participate in seminars, educational workshops, and career/graduate school panels. The current longitudinal survey began in 2016 and tracks individuals before, during, and after their participation in the HF-SRPE. This study builds on prior work; since 2006 Harvard Forest has administered pre- and post-program student evaluation surveys to assess (1) acquisition and enhancement of scientific research skills; (2) satisfaction with the URE learning experience; and (3) post-program plans for STEM education and career development. An annual survey also assesses long-term STEM education and career trajectories of HF-SRPE alumni.

A successful candidate will possess a combination of the following skills and experiences:

Experience or interest in Education Research
Experience working with data in spreadsheets and designing graphs and figures for scientific communication of data 
Passion for investigating complex real-world questions and datasets
Clear communication regarding project-related questions and challenges

To apply, please submit a combined PDF file to this project's listing in Crimson Careers (Harvard College + GSAS students), or via email to <bgoulet@g.harvard.edu> by Oct. 31 that includes:

A full resume or a resume “lite” that includes your contact info, study concentration, and graduation year, plus a list of 3-5 relevant courses you have taken, and 3-5 relevant jobs or activities you have had
Contact info for two academic or professional references
A 250-500-word statement of interest exploring these questions:
- Why do you think that this internship would be a valuable opportunity for your growth as a researcher?
- What do you hope to learn/gain from this experience?

Logistics for All Internship Projects

Program dates: Wednesday, January 3 through Friday, January 19, with MLK Day off (84 total hours of work)
Interns will be paid a one-time stipend of $1920 (undergraduates) or $2112 (graduate students) at the conclusion of the internship
Most interns will live on site and work full-time (35 hrs/wk). Interns who are master's students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (who take a full load of Harvard courses during January), can work remotely and part-time throughout the spring term, and will be paid monthly.
Room and board are provided at no cost to the intern. Interns (we anticipate ~5-6 on site this winter) are housed in a small farmhouse dorm on the Harvard Forest campus, with students in single or shared (double and triple) bedrooms and shared common areas.
Interns will cook their own meals in the dorm kitchen and be driven to the local Market Basket grocery store weekly to obtain groceries (funded by Harvard Forest) for those meals.
Transportation between Harvard Square and Harvard Forest at the beginning and end of the program is provided cost-free as part of the internship. Students who have their own cars are welcome to bring them (we will reimburse your mileage between Harvard Square and Harvard Forest at the beginning and end of the program).
Harvard Forest is located in a remote area (Petersham, Massachusetts is a rural town of 1,000 people), 70 miles west of the main Harvard campus. Public transportation is not available here. Interns’ work and free time will be spent here on the quiet Harvard Forest campus, unless they have their own car.
Harvard University wifi is available throughout campus, including the dorm.
Interns are given their own desk in a shared office workspace in the main HF building and all necessary supplies.
Interns can expect daily or near-daily check-ins with their project mentors - but there also will be a strong expectation for independence and self-motivation in the work. The full intern cohort will be offered a weekly guided field trip to explore the local landscape. For your free time, there are many hiking trails at Harvard Forest and we will provide snowshoes for those who would like to use them.
Harvard Forest has a Code of Conduct that everyone working and living here is expected to follow.
Harvard Forest is a department of Harvard University, so all relevant university policies, including COVID protocols, are in place here.
The Harvard Forest welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation for the application process or have questions about the physical access and resources provided on-site, please contact us at hfvisit@fas.harvard.edu.