Unique (and Low-Cost) Opportunity for Ten Undergraduates
2013 Ecological Genetics Field Study Abroad in China

*Learn Chinese and Ecological Genetics at the University of Georgia*

With funding from NSF's Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) program, we
are offering 10 undergraduates (U.S. citizens or permanent residents only) the opportunity to
participate in a unique research abroad opportunity in China during the spring and summer of 2013.
This is the 5th year of the program and students have found it to be enormously rewarding. This will likely
to be the last offering of this opportunity.

The research focus of our PIRE grant is a forensic biogeographic study of species that are native to
China and invasive in the southeastern U.S. as well as a growing number of species native to the
southeastern U.S. and invasive in China.

Each summer, we run a 6 week field course where we visit biological communities throughout
China. After the field course, students continue in short-term research
internships in our partner labs in China.

Students will need to be prepared to take full advantage of this experience. Therefore, during the
spring semester, students must enroll at the University of Georgia (UGA) and take 3 courses; two
in intensive elementary Mandarin Chinese and a laboratory course in genetics. No prior experience
with Chinese language is required, although students should have had at least a course in
introductory biology and preferably courses in ecology and evolutionary biology.

After 1 semester of Chinese, most of our students can operate quite well in China.

The cost to the student of the summer program is minimal:  the grant covers travel to and within
China, lodging and most meals. The student is responsible for health insurance, visa costs and
personal expenses. Students are also responsible for the costs of enrolling at the University of
Georgia for all required courses (12 credit hours) (all students are charged at the in-state tuition
rate plus fees).

The deadline for applications is October 1, 2012. Applications for the 2013 program are available
on our website:
http://www.genetics.uga.edu/pire/undergrad.html. We encourage any interested students to
contact Dr. Mauricio for more information ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>).

Rodney Mauricio
Program Director, UGA-China PIRE