Frequently asked questions about applications, the curriculum, etc.
I'm currently a first year grad student at UC Davis. Can I apply to Sustainable Oceans?
- You may apply, but please remember that the bulk of the program is intended for the summer after the first year in your program. If you currently are a first year graduate student, most of the Sustainable Oceans training would occur after your second year of graduate study, including the entire summer. Summers often are a crucial period for conducting research, and your advisor might have concerns about the timing.
I'm currently a second year grad student at UC Davis. Can I apply to Sustainable Oceans?
- See the answer above with n=1, and replace n with n+1.
I'm in the process of applying to UC Davis but my prospective advisor isn't listed among the trainers.
- Advisors do not need to be Sustainable Oceans trainers but they must agree to support its goals and to participate in the management of the NRT. Advisors also need to understand that you are required to devote much of one summer in Sustainable Oceans activities and to write an interdisciplinary dissertation chapter related to goals of the Sustainable Oceans program.
I'm applying to a grad program that's not listed on the Sustainable Oceans web page. Can I still apply?
- Yes. You just need to plan to conduct dissertation research that has implications for advancing ecosystem-based management. For example, studies of rockfish demography, or restoration of coastal lagoons, impacts of OA on sea grasses, or traditional fisheries management practices all might lend insight into more effective ocean and coastal management.
I'm in the process of applying to UC Davis' Grad Group in X. My grad program deadline is in December. For the application to Sustainable Oceans, do I adhere to the deadline for the Grad Group in X or 15 January?
- We will begin to review applications on 15 January. For full consideration, please send your materials to us by that date.
- "We will begin to review applications on 15 January. For full consideration, please send your materials to us by that date." That means that we'll still look at your application, but the later it gets, the more likely that we'll have made admissions decisions.
- Wow, that sounds like a wonderful opportunity. However, the field trip and internship -- all scheduled for summer between the first and second year -- are a key part of the Sustainable Oceans program and we require all trainees to participate.
I'm applying for an NSF GRF. Can I hold that and an NRT traineeship?
- Yes, if you take the funding in consecutive years.
Am I allowed to serve as a TA and get funding from the NRT in the same quarter?
- No.
Can anyone take Sustainable Oceans courses?
- Yes.
What are the prerequisites for Sustainable Oceans courses?
- The data-model integration course will include quantitative concepts, so students should be comfortable with statistics and modeling as a research tool. We also expect basic understanding of R programming (there are lots of online resources so you can learn this in the summer before you begin grad school).
I'm a postdoc. Can I get involved in Sustainable Oceans?
- You certainly can audit courses, provided that space is available, and attend the spring research symposium. Attendance in other training elements will be prioritized for trainees, with additional participants added if space is available.
I'm a postdoc. Can I get funding through Sustainable Oceans?
- We're sorry but the NRT program does not include funding for postdocs.