Indiana Biological Survey

Student Opportunities

Student interns can learn fish identification during fish processing events

Students involved in video experiments on burrowing crayfish behavior

General Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Position Descriptions

The crustacean collection represents over 37,000 specimens, while the fish collection represents 17 Million specimens primarily from Indiana, the Midwest, and Southeastern United States. The fish collection includes the second largest collection of larval and juvenile stages of freshwater fishes in North America. Current projects include the completion of the Fishes of Indiana and beginning the formation of the Crayfishes of Indiana. These projects would require the incumbent to assist in the development of tables, figures, and literature citations. Information will be included in the Surveys electronic database.

The Survey is a small group of research scientists, so the ability to follow directions and work with minimal supervision is a must. The Survey is an affiliate of the Indiana Academy of Science and is committed to the study of the flora and fauna of Indiana.

The Aquatic Research Center of the Indiana Biological Survey is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution interested in the aquatic fauna and flora of Indiana. One of the principal missions of the Center is the training of students. Thus, the Center is committed to training, mentoring, and publishing with student interns and volunteers. Since the Survey is a small group of research scientists, the ability to follow directions and work with minimal supervision is a must. The Survey is an affiliate of the Indiana Academy of Science. There are many opportunities for current students, as well as graduated students.

• So what can I expect to get involved in with the Center?
  • Past students have been involved in field research and worked in all 92 Indiana counties;
  • Past students have worked outside Indiana with other researchers from other organizations;
  • Students have conducted research projects with senior scientists and conducted their own original research;
  • Students have published peer-reviewed journal articles;
  • Students have assisted in the curation of the specimen collection;
  • Students have worked on the collection database;
  • Students have been involved in the fish processing events (THE Marathon of fish processing!);
  • Students learn basic systematics, taxonomy, and scientific nomenclature;
  • Students work in the library cataloguing articles and performing searches.


• What if I need to do an internship for my University degree? Can the Survey help me?
  • Yes, the Center has sponsored over 40 students from a variety of college campuses. You do not have to be a student at Indiana Unversity to work with the Center; however, many of our students come from the Bloomington campus. Generally, these positions are known as internships and the Center will involve you in current research projects. The student agrees to 300 hours of service and in return the Center will provide a stipend, training, publication opportunities, and expense reimbursement for project related costs. Please contact the Center for a list of current projects and research opportunities since these opportunities change frequently.


• I qualified for Work Study can the Center hire me?
  • The Center has funds set aside each year to hire undergraduate and graduate students. These students are paid directly by their University. These students are involved in the curation of the specimen collections and work directly with the Curators and Collection Manager in maintaining the specimens and in adding new material to the collection. Check with your University to determine the amount of funding support you are eligible for, then contact the Center with this information to see if there are opportunities. Opportunities change each semester so if you are unable to join us – continue to check back!


• What if I have already graduated?
  • Students can take advantage of the student mentorship program. This program enables students to get valuable experience in aquatic studies so that they can improve their resume. The process includes mentorship by one of the senior staff members at the Center. The incumbent selects an area of research and then designs their project from the bottom up! Study design, sampling protocols, field collection of information, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and publication are all part of the experience. At the conclusion of the process, the student will have attained valuable experience that will benefit them in achieving their future professional goals.

• Work Study
• Internship
• Volunteer