Invertebrate Collections Internship

The Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is currently accepting applications for an invertebrate collections internship opportunity.

PROJECT TITLE: Collection Management of BOEM Environmental Studies Program Invertebrates

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has contracted with the NMNH Department of Invertebrate Zoology (IZ) since 1979, to provide professional collection management services for the long-term curation of its collection of marine invertebrate specimens taken during the environmental baseline surveys of various oil and gas lease sites on the US East, West, and Gulf Coasts. These studies sampled existing biological communities along the continental shelf to document their composition and to help predict the potential impacts of future oil/gas explorations. BOEM and NMNH both appreciated the potential research value of these collections and collaborated on the creation of a project that would help ensure these invaluable collections would be cared for and made accessible for future research.

Project interns will assist in routine specimen processing, curation, and incorporation of specimens into the type and general collection or collection holding areas; assist in collection arrangement improvements; assist in data management tasks such as cataloging, accumulating station data, and updating project websites; photographing invertebrate specimens; and assist in packing and shipping of scientific loans and borrows.

QUALIFICATIONS: Undergraduates, graduate students, or recent graduates with course-work in invertebrate zoology and marine sciences are encouraged to apply. Familiarity with databases, photography, and digital imaging software is helpful.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Project interns will learn basic physical curation techniques applicable to invertebrate collections, basic invertebrate nomenclature & taxonomy, museum specimen databases & data standards, and packing & shipping protocols related to international shipping of scientific collections.

TIMETABLE: 10-week internship beginning on June 1, 2015 and ending August 10, 2015.

AWARD PACKAGE: Two positions are available with a stipend of $475 per week.

HOW TO APPLY: Please submit a resume, letter of recommendation, and description about what you hope to learn through this opportunity to William Moser (Email: moserw@si.edu, Tel. 301-238-1761) no later than Wed 5/20/15.