MROC2S
The Mentoring and Research Opportunities for Careers in Coastal Science (MROC2S) Program at Georgia Southern University provides year-round mentoring, professional development, and diverse research training opportunities in natural resource science for postbaccalaureate participants. MROC2S aims to develop a strong and inclusive research and technical skills program that produces a more diverse STEM workforce.
Participants will be integrated into a diverse network of natural resource professionals devoted to research, management, and conservation efforts in the Atlantic Coastal Plain and Gulf Coast regions with the goal of exposing them to careers and opportunities in this field. MROC2S consists of a network that includes academics as the primary research mentors, partnerships with state/federal agencies and NGOs, and long-term research sites. Network partners contribute to projects and experiences centering on the restoration, conservation, and management of natural resources of the region.
Awardees will join a cohort of ten total fellows for the year-long experience. Based on their research interests, fellows will be paired with a faculty mentor who will guide them through an independent research project during the program. Fellows will work collaboratively and exchange ideas and findings with their fellow cohort members as well as with the faculty, staff, and graduate students within the Department of Biology. Fellows will also be receive relevant trainings on practical skills in coastal science research and be exposed to the research that many of our program partners are conducting through field trips, workshops, and seminars.
The 2024 MROC2S cohort is well underway and we are excited to welcome our second cohort in August 2025! We encourage students from primarily-undergraduate institutions or those with limited access to research opportunities during their undergraduate studies to apply. As a program, we also strive for the increased inclusivity of historically underrepresented groups in coastal science. We encourage interested applicants who identify with these groups to consider our program.
The National Science Foundation's Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates program supports research, mentoring, and training for recent college graduates who have had few or no research or training opportunities during their undergraduate studies. The RaMP program aims to create create strong evidence-based, inclusive and culturally-aware mentorship programs that will advance the goal of creating a competitive and highly representative science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce in the U.S. with a focus on the biological sciences.
Individuals from groups underrepresented in STEM, first generation college students, and students at under-resourced institutions frequently have limited opportunities to participate in the undergraduate research experiences that are necessary to be competitive for graduate programs or other STEM career pathways. This program will provide postbaccalaureate research experiences for cohorts of trainees, either in ongoing research programs, existing research networks, or in new research projects designed specifically for the RaMP networks.
MROC2S fellows will join a cohort of ten aspiring researchers with interests in coastal ecosystems for the year at Georgia Southern University. Fellows will gain valuable experience by conducting independent research under a faculty mentor, receiving a variety of professional development opportunities (i.e. trainings, workshops, certifications), and being directly exposed to program partners in government agencies and NGOs. Fellows will be paid a monthly stipend ($39,000/annual) along with included funding for research and travel for conference presentation.
Interested in applying? See the Application tab for more information on the application process!