Prospective Graduate Students

The Smith Lab is a coral reef ecology focused lab located at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). Finding the right graduate program is a difficult and lengthy process, but it’s essential that you find the right fit.  Our Ph.D. students focus on a wide variety of topics which include ocean acidification, causes of reef degradation, overfishing, and anthropogenic and climate effects on coral reef ecosystems.  They spend a lot of time writing grants to support their research and many have published papers in various prestigious scientific journals.They collect data for their individual projects at various sites which include areas in San Diego, Hawaii, Brazil, Moorea, and the Line Islands.

Here is a list of relevant experience and prerequisites that are considered for the Smith Lab:

• SCUBA certification & Scientific Diving certification from AAUS 
• Relevant field experience in Marine Ecology: Internships, Studying abroad, etc.
• Training and/or familiarity in statistics, marine biology, marine ecology, marine biodiversity, phycology, experimental methods, zoology, botany, oceanography, conservation, etc.

Students are also strongly encouraged to apply for grants and other fellowships to help support their research prior to applying for the graduate program through SIO.  There are many scholarships, grants, and fellowships available for graduate students, some of them include:

1. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP).
2. United State Environmental Protection Agency Fellowships (EPA)
3. The Nancy Foster Scholarship Program

If you’re interested in applying to be a part of the Smith Lab, you can contact Dr. Jennifer Smith at smithj@ucsd.edu.  Please include a CV and a detailed summary of your research interests.