Summer Research Assistantship

Are you a Native student looking for research experience this summer?

The Native American Research Assistantship (NARA) Program offers an opportunity for Native undergraduate or graduate students to gain experience during a paid 3‑month summer research project with USDA Forest Service Research and Development (USFS R&D) scientists. Established in 2014, NARA provides training for careers in natural resource and conservation‑related fields, promotes Native student advancement in the wildlife profession, and elevates Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) within federal research projects.

USDA Forest Service R&D works at the forefront of science to improve the health and use of our Nation’s forests and grasslands. Together, The Wildlife Society and USFS R&D are committed to enhancing and sharing the diversity of human experiences and backgrounds within the community of natural resource professionals and are excited to continue our partnership for the 11th year of this Program.

Click on the link below to read this year’s application instructions or scroll down for more information.

Paid assistantships are available for Native students interested in wildlife ecology and natural resource research and management. Students will engage with representatives from TWS while learning from and working with an interdisciplinary team of researchers at USFS.

Students will participate virtually or in‑person (see project description) in laboratory or field‑based data collection, data entry, and analysis. The work experiences gained during the assistantship are intended to benefit the program participants, and comprise one of the many facets of training and educational opportunities provided to the students during the assistantship. Students can also expect to improve their oral and written communication skills as they will be provided the opportunity to assist in publishing manuscript(s) in peer‑reviewed journals, popular press, and/or present findings at scientific meetings along with project scientists (dependent on travel funding).

DEADLINE:
The deadline for applying to the 2025 NARA program is January 20, 2025.

To apply, students will need to prepare the following materials:

• A cover letter indicating to which research project you are applying
• Resume/CV
• Official or unofficial academic transcripts
• Documentation of tribal affiliation or descendancy
• Two letters of recommendation

Please review the application instructions available through the link below for specific project details and necessary qualifications for applicants.

The 2025 Final date to receive applications Has Passed

Validating Methods for Detecting Pregnancy Status in Rare Forest Mesocarnivores

Hunter Grove, enrolled in the Karuk Tribe and studying at Oregon State University, worked with Helen Chmura from the USFS on a laboratory‑based project to validate methods for assessing reproductive status in free‑living mesocarnivores (wolverine, Canada lynx) from non‑invasive measurement of hormone metabolites in scat.

Fulfilling Tribal Wildlife Research and Management Needs

Nadira Mitchell, enrolled in the Navajo Nation and studying at the University of Arizona, worked with Serra Hoagland from the U.S. Forest Service in the development of sections of a comprehensive Tribal Wildlife Management Plan (TWMP) requested by the Mescalero Apache Tribe (MAT).

Bat Diversity Along the Klamath River Before and During Dam Removal (USFS)

Ryan Matilton, member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe studying at Cal Poly Humboldt, worked with Ted Weller from the U.S. Forest Service. The objectives of this project were to quantify the diversity and activity of bat species along the Klamath River in northern California before and during dam removal in 2023.

Bison Grazing and Grassland Birds:
Evaluating Prairie Restoration on Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (USFS)

Tanikwah Lang, member of the Klamath Tribes studying at the Oregon Institute of Technology, and Sabrina Sanchez, studying at Texas State University, worked with PhD student Alejandro Chávez Treviño and Susannah Lerman from the U.S. Forest Service. The objectives of this…