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Research Intern

Holden Forests & Gardens
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Research Intern  Holden Arboretum  

Internship  

   

Opportunity:  

   

The Research department seeks several Summer Research Interns. Research Interns will spend the summer conducting research at Holden Forests & Gardens (HF&G) within the Arboretum campus’ 3,600 acres of forested land, extensive living plant collections, and high-tech laboratories. Types of skills learned over the summer may include, for example: plant and insect identification; microbial isolation and culturing; extracting, amplifying, and analyzing DNA; thermal and spectral phenotyping, micro-controllers for environmental monitoring. Interns will also learn about experimental design, data analysis in R, and science communication. Interns may work with other Holden Forests & Garden Departments, with opportunities for cross-training. In addition, all members of the Holden Forests & Gardens’ (HF&G) intern cohort will have the chance to participate in professional development, such as workshops, scientific lectures, networking, and field trip experiences. All interns will have the opportunity to develop and present their research at HF&G’s SEARCH symposium. This position is based at the Holden Arboretum campus’ Long Center for Plant and Environmental Science in Kirtland, OH with occasional travel to the Cleveland Botanical Garden in Cleveland, OH.  

​Position Details:  

  • Position begins mid-May, flexibility in start date with academic scheduling needs ​
  • 12-week internship
  • Approximately 40 hours per week
  • Pay $14.00/hour
  • Low-cost housing may be available
  • Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents
  • Open to undergraduates and recent graduates

Key Responsibilities:  

Key Responsibilities of the  Research Interns  will include, but are not limited to:   

  • Work with supervisor to develop and complete an independent project which will be presented at the SEARCH symposium at the end of the internship
  • Other duties as assigned

 Summer Research Interns will conduct research under one of the following broad themes:     

  1. Evolutionary Ecology – How does trait variation in natural populations shape their potential for evolutionary responses to climate change?
  2. Forest Health – How do plant diseases and infestations impact native trees and ecosystems?
  3. Plant-Microbe Symbiosis – How do microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions influence organismal and ecosystem resilience under climate change?
  4. Plant Physiological Ecology – How do plants manage and respond to climate stress, and how does this shape the future of plants on earth?
  5. Restoration Ecology – How do global change drivers, including climate change, affect the natural world and how can we employ restoration techniques to support healthy ecosystems?
  6. Soil Ecology – How do microbes in the soil shape plant communities and their function in the ecosystem?

  Qualifications and Skills:  

  • Support Holden Forests & Gardens’ mission, vision, and values
  • Demonstrate a passion for people and nature
  • Pursuing or recently completed an undergraduate degree, preferred
  • Strong communication, organizational skills, adaptability, and critical thinking skills, highly desired
  • Able to work well in a diverse team, with other interns, and volunteers
  • Able to work independently when needed
  • Familiarity with Microsoft 365 products, specifically Teams, Outlook (email and calendar), Word, Excel, and PowerPoint or the ability to learn

Apply:  

   

Would YOU like to join us and play an integral part at this exciting time for HF&G and add a competitive edge to your resume and experience? Review of candidates will begin on February 10, 2025. 

 Qualified applicants should submit résumé, cover letter specifying research themes of interest from the six broad themes above, and contact information for at least two references.  

  Holden Forests & Gardens (Holden Arboretum and Cleveland Botanical Garden) is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to hiring a diverse and talented workforce. Interns who join the HF&G team will receive a comprehensive experience that supports individual department needs, integrates professional experiences to develop skills, and fosters opportunity recognition for future professionals. We strive for all HF&G Interns to have a transformative experience exploring and growing in their area of study and gaining exposure to a variety of career options.