Join Us | Alyson Santoro

Note: I am not accepting MEES students for Fall 2016.

I accept students interested in pursuing Master’s or Ph.D. level graduate work at Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) in marine microbial ecology. Students in the lab will have an opportunity to work on both field and laboratory projects using the latest techniques in molecular biology, genomics, and stable isotope geochemistry. Graduate students at HPL receive their degree from the University of Maryland as part of the Marine, Estuarine, Environmental Studies program. Applications to the program are submitted through The Graduate School at the University of Maryland. Interested students should contact me to inquire about current funding availability, and should actively pursue independent funding sources (see links below to get started). Please include your CV and a short description of your research interests as they relate to the lab when you email me.

There is an active graduate student community at HPL. Students enjoy a supportive learning and research environment, and close collaboration and interaction with scientists doing world-class research in microbial ecology, nitrogen cycling, and oceanography. The adjacent Chesapeake Bay provides a natural laboratory for studying microbial ecology, but students in my lab and at HPL pursue research all over the globe.

Postdoctoral Research

Current graduate students interested in pursuing postdoctoral work in the lab are encouraged to contact me as early as possible in the planning process to discuss potential funding opportunities, and to explore the funding sources listed below.

Undergraduate Research

Summer undergraduate research opportunities are available through the Maryland Sea Grant Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program.

Useful Information

Information for Prospective Students from the HPL website

Marine, Estuarine, Environmental Studies Program (MEES)

Prerequisites for the MEES program in Biological Oceanography

Application materials for The Graduate School at UMD (Deadline is Feb 1, annually)

Sources of Graduate Funding

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (deadline in late Oct – early Nov. annually)

EPA STAR Program (on hold for 2016-2017)

NOAA Nancy Foster Fellowship

National Defense (NDSEG) Fellowship