Now accepting applications for MS students pursuing applied conservation research

Two opportunities are available for master’s degree training at Penn State as part of the Rachel Carson Applied Conservation Graduate Training and Fellowship Program. To be eligible, students should be interested in careers in applied conservation and a training experience that integrates research, fieldwork, policy, outreach, and engagement with conservation agencies. Penn State has a strong focus on pollinator conservation, but biodiversity projects on other insects also apply. In the area of pollinators, potential projects could include topics such as optimized pollinator plantings for bees, supporting bee nesting, roadside policy for pollinators, agricultural practices that promote beneficials, and land management to mitigate climate and pathogen stress for native bees. This student could start anytime from spring 2026 to fall 2026. Students would join either the Entomology or Ecology graduate program and be mentored by a faculty member in one of these programs.

About the program: The Rachel Carson Applied Conservation Graduate Training Program will fund graduate students pursuing master’s degrees in the area of applied conservation involving entomological research. Organizations that address insect declines are looking to hire individuals with graduate degrees to work on field data collection, land management, policy, and/or public education initiatives in their programs, but jobs are competitive. The goal of this program is to provide an opportunity for students interested in these careers to obtain an education that maximizes their chances of securing these jobs and, in the process, improve faculty mentor education regarding how to train these students.

Students will pursue a graduate research project with direct-to-application benefits for insect conservation. In addition to graduate research, students will participate in an internship-style engagement with an agency that performs this applied work, with relationships established by the student faculty mentor. Students will also be more engaged in outreach opportunities than typical students. Students will focus on obtaining coursework in outreach, policy, conservation, and management here at Penn State and will have a thesis that integrates their training and educational experience with their research experience.

Application process: Email program director Dr. Heather Hines (hmh19@psu.edu) with a CV and a statement of your interests in the program. Dr. Hines can connect eligible students with potential Penn State faculty mentors. Ultimately, the application process will involve students connecting with a faculty mentor, applying for the graduate program for 2026 enrollment (December 2025 deadlines), and submitting a letter written by a prospective faculty mentor stating the anticipated research project and agency engagement.

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