Research

The Center for Forest Nursery and Seedling Research has one of the most generous graduate fellowships offered at any university, at $32,000 per year for two years and a waiver of tuition for non-residents of Idaho.

Research at the CFNSR has benefited regional nurseries, foresters and researchers through the effective transfer of results to operational practice, with the focus of improving forest tree seedling quality and plantation establishment success. Current and future research covers a broad set of topics ranging from basic science to applied problem solving, recognizing the dynamic nature of forestry and the importance of restoration and range management.

The research program at CFNSR examines native plant regeneration in a changing climate; in particular, developing a broader understanding of the ranges of tolerance of plants to environmental extremes, such as cold and hot temperatures, and to the quantity and timing of moisture availability. The success of current restoration/revegetation practices, as well as the likelihood of natural reestablishment, becomes less predictable when soil moisture is depleted and replenished differently from the pattern at which those plants established and/or evolved. The CFNSR program is uniquely positioned to answer some of these questions, particularly as they relate to management.

Oxbow Graduate Fellowship
University of Idaho Center for Forest Nursery and Seedling Research 

The Center for Forest Nursery and Seedling Research at the University of Idaho is seeking an outstanding candidate for graduate research, preferably at the M.S. level, with interest in native plant regeneration, nursery management, seedling production, or restoration of degraded lands. This unique fellowship provides an opportunity for applied research, teaching and technology transfer, and experience in native plant nursery production. Approximately half of the fellowship will be conducted based out of Moscow, ID at the University of Idaho main campus, and the other half at the Oxbow Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment (Carnation, WA).

The College of Natural Resources operates the state-of-the-art Franklin H. Pitkin Nursery at the University of Idaho, which grows more than 400,000 seedlings per year. Research conducted at the nursery benefits seedling growers and users by focusing on seedling quality and all facets of nursery stock production. We serve the Intermountain region as a seedling production technology center working closely with federal, state, tribal, and industry interests. A partnership with the Oxbow Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment, a 25 acre organic farm and education center located on a 200-acre wilderness preserve in the Snoqualmie Valley, provides a unique graduate research opportunity.

STIPEND: Fellowships pay a stipend ($32,000/year with funding for 2 years) and include a waiver of out-of-state tuition for non-Idaho residents. This position begins in August 2013, with the potential for an early start should that be mutually desirable. Assistantships require 20 hours weekly involved in nursery production, teaching, and technology transfer. For time spent at Carnation, WA, housing will be provided. Additional academic scholarships are available to students on a competitive basis.

QUALIFICATIONS: Degree in Forestry, Horticulture, Botany, Ecology, or related discipline.

APPLICATION: Applicants must apply for admission to the College of Graduate Studies at the University of Idaho. On the application, refer to Dr. Anthony S. Davis, Director, Center for Forest Nursery and Seedling Research, and this assistantship. Prior to application prospective students should contact Dr. Davis. Applicants will be evaluated on their resume, transcripts, three letters of recommendation, scores on the Graduate Record Exam, and an interview. Applications for 2014 are due 31 October 2013. 

UI is an AA/EO employer and educational institution.