Stroud Water Research Center is seeking current or recently graduated science majors to serve as laboratory assistants in a biological water quality analysis of sites in the Susquehanna and Delaware River basins. These data are being collected to support intensive restoration and preservation efforts across these basins.
The Stroud Center is internationally recognized for its pioneering research on streams and rivers. Research teams with expertise in chemistry, microbial ecology, invertebrate biology, watershed ecology, and ecosystem modeling study the physical, chemical, and biological processes of streams and rivers, the ecology of individual organisms, and the relationship between streams and their watersheds.
Application period: Until March 15, 2026, or until positions are filled. Review of applications will begin upon receipt of materials.
Start date: May/June 2026.
Location: Stroud Water Research Center, Avondale, Pennsylvania. This is a rural location, and housing for interns is limited or unavailable. Reliable personal transportation is essential, as the Stroud Center is not served by public transit.
Salary: Approximately $6,000 based on experience and time.
Responsibilities
Students work together as a team on:
- Sample analysis (sorting, identifying, and archiving aquatic macroinvertebrates, i.e., primarily aquatic insects).
- Data entry, preliminary analyses, and interpretation.
- Presentations of results.
Opportunities for collaboration with education/outreach programs to communicate new knowledge and experience may be available. Some results from prior work are available on our Schuylkill River Project and Stream Watch Project pages.
Selection Criteria
Priority will be given based on background, experience, interests, and academic performance in biological/environmental sciences. Familiarity with aquatic insects, freshwater ecology, or restoration science is considered a plus but is not required. Applicants should be able to make approximately a 10-week commitment. Application for academic credit at the student’s home institution is encouraged.
Apply Now
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About Stroud Water Research Center
For more than half a century, Stroud Water Research Center has focused on the science of rivers and streams. In its mission to advance knowledge and stewardship of freshwater systems through global research, education, and watershed restoration, the Stroud Center produces the trusted science needed for successful stream and river conservation while fostering people’s passion for the water in their lives. The Stroud Center is an independent, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and an Equal Opportunity Employer.
