The Upper Midwest Water Science Center is offering three new summer research opportunities for recent graduates and current students interested in gaining hands‑on experience in environmental science. Participants will train alongside USGS chemists, microbiologists, and hydrologists while contributing to active research projects.

Available projects include:

• Environmental DNA for wildlife monitoring — Lansing, Michigan
• Microplastics in groundwater — Madison, Wisconsin
• Stream and river ecology assessment — Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Participants will engage in both fieldwork and laboratory analysis, gaining practical experience with USGS scientific methods and mission‑driven research.

To be eligible, applicants must have completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree within the past 48 months or expect to receive their degree by June 1, 2029.

Anticipated start date: June 15, 2026

Apply through the links below:

USGS Using eDNA to Monitor Wildlife Communities Associated with the Presence of Zoonotic Viral Pathogens - Lansing, Michigan

USGS Optimizing Methods for the Detection of Microplastics in Groundwater and Drinking Water - Madison, Wisconsin

USGS Watercourse Corridor Study: Ecological Assessments of Stream Sites in Milwaukee Area Waterways - Milwaukee, Wisconsin