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Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research

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Students are at the forefront of our earth and environmental science research in both field and lab.

INSTAAR grad students on a retreat
photo by Ethan Welty

Prospective students

Grads and undergrads, see more info:

Two researchers use a long tape measure while working in a sub-alpine meadow

Grad application assistance program (GAAP)

Participants in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at the Mountain Research Station.  They are in a pyramid shaped group, mimicking the mountain peaks on their left and right.

Undergrad opportunities

Two students work in a lab, wearing latex gloves and sorting sample bottles.  Photo by Ethan Welty.

INSTAAR logo

The Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research is an interdisciplinary scientific research institute dedicated to understanding change in earth systems.

Researchers from many departments and programs come together in one unit to study the challenging environmental issues that confront our world and to share their expertise in biogeochemistry, climate, ecology, environmental microbiology, geochemistry, geochronology, geology, geophysics, hydrology, oceanography, paleoenvironment, and surface processes. INSTAAR has an international reputation for leadership in far-reaching projects, environmental monitoring, precision data sets, integrative modeling, and long-term relationships with place and people; all of which deeply involve students.

Our research  More about INSTAAR

Students are the heart of INSTAAR

Students lead and participate in research projects and are an integral part of the institute. For students with interests in earth and environmental science, INSTAAR provides a unique opportunity for integrative training, mentorship, research experience in the field and lab, and access to a wide variety of analytical and computational facilities beyond those of their home academic departments.

INSTAAR faculty involve both graduate and undergraduate students in their research. Graduate students are often employed as research assistants on grant-funded projects and conduct their own degree research. Undergrads conduct thesis research, work as lab assistants, and participate in other ways in the research community.

How to apply

Explore your options

Survey the INSTAAR lab and research groups for topics and approaches that fit your interests.

Get in touch with us

Prospective students are encouraged to contact:

  • INSTAAR faculty working in their areas of interest. If you are a prospective grad student, they can tell you before you apply to CU if they are accepting new students, and help answer your questions about departments as well as INSTAAR. If you are an undergrad, they can let you know about their research opportunities and possible employment.
  • Graduate students already working with those faculty members can be helpful too.

Email general INSTAAR-related student questions to instaar@colorado.edu.

Choose a partner department

Students conduct their research at INSTAAR, but INSTAAR is not a degree-granting department. Grad students should register for a degree program in one of the CU Boulder departments associated with INSTAAR: Anthropology, CEA Engineering, Environmental Studies, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Geography, Geological Sciences, or Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Some students choose to participate in interdepartmental programs like Hydrological Sciences or the Certificate in Oceanography as well.

Many INSTAAR faculty members also have a full-time appointment in a department. It is not required that a student be in the same department as the INSTAAR faculty member supervising their research, but it does make parts of the process, like choosing an advisor and assembling a thesis committee, more straightforward.

INSTAAR Graduate Application Assistance Program (GAAP)

 

Would you like a hand figuring out the grad school application process and getting insight into INSTAAR and the various departments?

 

GAAP is a free program, created and run by current INSTAAR grad students. We're here to help prospective grad students move through the graduate application process. The GAAP web pages have all kinds of application resources, including a sign-up link for our mentorship and application support program (sign-ups are open from September to early November). All are welcome; and we especially encourage applicants from under-represented and non-traditional academic backgrounds to use these resources.

More about GAAP

Undergrad opportunities

Do you want to assist with funded research projects and/or conduct your own thesis research and independent study?

For undergrad students with interests in earth and environmental science, INSTAAR provides a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary training, research experience in the field and lab, and access to a wide variety of analytical and computational facilities beyond those of their home academic departments.

Find opportunities

Questions?

Email general INSTAAR-related student questions to instaar@colorado.edu.

  • Labs, groups, & programs
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Labs & Groups

  • Advanced Laser Technology for Atmospheric Research (Fried)
  • Amino Acid Geochronology (Miller)
  • AMS Radiocarbon Preparation & Research (Lehman)
  • Coastal Oceanography Modeling (Moriarty)
  • Core Processing & Sedimentology (Roth & Anderson)
  • Cryosphere and Surface Processes (Overeem et al.)
  • Diatoms (Spaulding)
  • Ecohydrology (Barnard)
  • Ecosystem Analysis (Turetsky) ↪︎
  • Hydroecology Science & Engineering (Gooseff) ↪︎
  • ICP-MS Trace Metals (Marchitto)
  • Micropaleontology (Jennings)
  • Mountain Hydrology (Molotch et al.)
  • Ocean Biogeochemistry (Lovenduski)
  • Organic Geochemistry (Sepúlveda)
  • Organic Matter Spectroscopy (McKnight)
  • Polar & Environmental Geochemistry (Diaz) ↪︎
  • Polar & Paleoclimate Modeling (Jahn)
  • Stable Isotopes (Vaughn)
  • Suding Lab - plant community ecology (Suding) ↪︎


Programs

  • Center for the Geochemical Analysis of the Global Environment (GAGE)
  • Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS)
  • Consortium for Capacity Building (CCB)
  • DFO - Flood Observatory
  • Dynamic Water critical zone project
  • McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological Research (MCM LTER)
  • Mountain Research Station (MRS)
  • Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research (NWT LTER)

Research

  • Labs & groups
  • Programs
  • Publications
    • AAAR journal ↪
    • Theses and dissertations
    • Occasional Papers

People

  • Faculty Fellows
  • Faculty Research Scientists
  • Faculty Fellows Emeriti
  • Research Staff
  • Postdocs
  • Students
  • Affiliates
  • Admin Staff

Diversity

  • Underrepresented groups
    • DEI summer scholarships
  • Allies
  • Our actions
  • Addressing problematic behavior


Community

News

  • Research news
  • People spotlights
  • Diversity news
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Events

  • Seminars
  • Grad talks
  • Diversity events
  • Community events


About INSTAAR

  • Governance
  • Visit INSTAAR
  • Contact Us

Prospective students

  • Grad application assistance (GAAP)
  • Undergrad opportunities

INSTAAR Resources

  • Info for new INSTAARs
  • Mentoring
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INSTAAR logo on thin colored banner

Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research

INSTAAR

         

email instaar@colorado.edu
phone (303) 492-6387
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Mailing Address
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
University of Colorado
Campus Box 450
Boulder, CO 80309-0450 USA

 Shipping Address
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
University of Colorado
4001 Discovery Drive
Boulder, CO 80303 USA

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