We work in tropical and temperate regions to understand how plant biodiversity changes across environmental gradients, and how these changes impact ecosystem functioning.
Prospective graduate students
We will advertise positions here when available. I am interested in highly motivated team members interested in plant and ecosystem ecology, natural resources, and with a keen interest in using geospatial technologies for resource management. We value enthusiastic and creative students, hard-working, productive and great team members. Research topics for prospective master and Ph.D students are open in the field of functional ecology, ecosystem ecology, and remote sensing. We welcome all interested students to join us.
Our graduate program at the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship (FRS) offers three options for pursuing academic or applied careers. Our research lab aligns with this philosophy by promoting basic and applied research in our three research themes: i) remote sensing of ecology, which provides a platform for students to enhance their quantitative skills and learn about cutting-edge geospatial techniques, ii) trait-based ecology, which takes advantage of large datasets and field-based approaches to answer fundamental questions on global change ecology, and iii) ecosystem function, which uses experimental and natural settings to understand how ecosystem exchange (e.g., carbon cycling) will respond to climate changes. Thus, as student in our lab you will have the opportunity to conduct multi-disciplinary research and pursue academic or applied careers depending on your research and career goals.
Funding options for graduate students
Funding support for graduate students is typically through Graduate Research and Teaching Assistantships from the FRS Department and other scholarships through Colorado State University.
- US Citizens or permanent resident: the NSF GRFP, the GEM fellowship program (GEM targets underrepresented groups in STEM), and NIFA predoctoral fellowship
- International students: the Fulbright Scholar Program and the American Association of University Women are good options.
Prospective postdocs and available funding options
We will advertise postdoc positions when funding is available. In the meantime, if you are looking for a postdoc and your research interests are aligned with our themes, send an email to Sandra.Duran@colostate.edu and let’s explore options for developing an application for a fellowship. Several funding options are available for US citizens and international scholars:
- US Citizens the NSF PRFB and the USDA Fellowship Program.
- International scholars: the AXA Fellowships (only for open calls), the Marie Curie Fellowships (for Europeans), Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships (Canadian citizens or permanent residents), the HSCP Fellowships (several countries eligible).
- Unrestricted of citizenship are those from NOAA Climate and Global Change, the the AAUW, the Life Sciences Research Foundation, and the Smith Conservation Fellowship.
Traits and Ecosystems Lab 