Independent Research (ESPM 99/199)

Undergraduates wishing to pursue independent research in ESPM may do so through ESPM 99/199 courses. ESPM 99 is available for students with freshman or sophomore standing; ESPM 199 is available for students with junior or senior standing. Research conducted in these courses is done so under the guidance of a faculty sponsor. To take advantage of this opportunity, students must first identify a faculty sponsor, complete the ESPM 99/199 Application and submit it to the appropriate Undergraduate Staff Advisor. Applications must be submitted for each semester you want to receive independent study credit.

For more research opportunities, please visit College of Natural Resources Undergraduate Research Page.

Honors Program

Students in their junior or senior year with a GPA of 3.2 or higher may enroll in the College of Natural Resources Honors Program (H196) once they have reached upper division standing. To fulfill the program requirements, students design, conduct, and report on an individual research project working with a faculty sponsor. Students who successfully complete the Honors Program ill earn recognition at graduation and receive a notation of Honors in their major on their diploma. The Honors Symposium, held once each semester, gives all Honors students the opportunity to present their research to fellow students, faculty, Deans, friends, and family.

To participate in the Honors Program, students must:

· Complete 8 units of a two-course H196 series (4 units per course) under the guidance of a Faculty Sponsor. You must enroll in both H196 courses for a letter grade; the courses do not have to be completed in consecutive semesters.
· Earn grades of a B or better in each H196 course.
· Write a publishable research paper conforming to the expectations of the relevant discipline, and submit copies to your Faculty Sponsor/Research Mentor, your undergraduate staff advisor for your major, and the Associate Dean of the Office of Instruction and Student Affairs.
· Give a 15-minute oral presentation at the Honors Symposium.

To apply to the Honors Program, students must:

• Complete the Honors Program Enrollment Form.
• Write a 300-word research proposal.
• Identify a Research Mentor, who can be any faculty member or other qualified instructor on campus.
• If you choose to do research with a mentor from another a department other than ESPM, you must also identify a Faculty Sponsor in ESPM.
• Submit your Enrollment Form to your Undergraduate Staff Advisor by the last day of the first week of the semester in which you plan to enroll in the Honors Program

Students applying to the Honors Program are also encouraged to apply for Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) funding as well. For more information visit: http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/site/spur_students.php

University Academic and Research Opportunities

ESPM Field Programs

• Forestry Summer Camp - Priority Deadline April 16th. Forestry Field Camp is an eight-week program consisting of five courses. The camp is located in the California Sierra Nevada. The overall goal of the summer field program is to serve as an introduction to natural resource management as a field of scientific and professional work. Students in the program study the ecology of the Sierra Nevada, apply environmental monitoring and measurement techniques, and explore first-hand the management of forests, watersheds, and firesheds. By participating in the program students acquire a broad working knowledge of the concepts and techniques which foresters, land managers and environmental scientists use in their work. Studying these subjects in a field setting is the best way to learn about the ecology and management of forest and grassland ecosystems.

• Moorea Island Program - Application Deadline April 6. The Gump South Pacific Research Station is located on Moorea Island in French Polynesia. Students attending classes on Moorea study subjects ranging from biology to archaeology with UC Berkeley professors.

Additional Field Programs

• Australia Marine Biology & Terrestrial Ecology Program - The Marine Biology and Terrestrial Ecology Program is offered through the University of Queensland’s Centre for Marine Studies. The Centre coordinates research and teaching focusing on the ocean, coast, estuaries, and reefs of Queensland, and brings together the activities conducted through various research stations.

• Tropical Biology and Conservation Program, Monteverde Institute - UC students attending this quarter-long program take advantage of the unique opportunities of Monteverde, a rural community of Costa Ricans and North Americans who share a bicultural and bilingual lifestyle in a growing eco-tourism area.