Application information

To apply for an IGERT fellowship, students should first complete the required applications for the University of Florida graduate school and for their intended home department (see a partial list of participating departments). In addition, students should complete an on-line application and arrange to have a letter of recommendation (PDF format) sent to Ben Bolker. International students and others seeking only IGERT affiliate status should instead complete an affiliate application. (See detailed application checklist below.)

We are still accepting applications for entry in September 2009; please complete your application by January 31 if at all possible.

Application details

QSE³ is a competitive program: we will accept about 5 students per year. We will choose applicants with the strongest academic records; research interests that most closely match the goals of the program (integrating biological and quantitative disciplines to answer questions about spatial dynamics in ecological, evolutionary, and environmental systems); and potential ability to collaborate across disciplines. While previous cross-disciplinary training is not required, prior evidence of cross-disciplinary interests will be advantageous.

In addition to the Statement of Purpose that is required by the UF graduate school and your home department (see home department's graduate admissions page for details about their expectations for this essay), we require an additional, short (< 2 pages) IGERT essay that describes your abilities and your research interests so that we can determine your fit to the QSE³ program. Students from different disciplines will differ widely in their ability to articulate a research program at this stage in their career; you should do your best to demonstrate that you have some concrete ideas about the directions your graduate research will take. The statement lets us evaluate your knowledge of your discipline and your previous engagement in cross-disciplinary training; your ability to articulate and motivate an interesting research problem; and your potential for working in close interdisciplinary groups to solve problems. The required letter of recommendation is also extremely important to help us discriminate among applicants on the basis of aptitude, research experience and potential for success.

To join the IGERT program, a UF faculty member with graduate status must agree to serve as your IGERT sponsor (typically they will also be the chair of your thesis research supervisory committee). Thus, we encourage prospective students to establish a dialog via letter, telephone, or e-mail with one or more appropriate faculty members prior to applying to our program. We encourage you to send them your CV and other relevant information and to discuss your scientific interests and research ideas.

We also encourage you to visit the University of Florida campus and meet with faculty and graduate students in your home department. We prefer, however, that you wait to arrange a visit until we have selected a short-list of possible candidates.

(adapted from Zoology Department application information)

Application checklist

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Printable (PDF) version of checklist

Review the graduate faculty of your potential home department(s) and select
- (at least) one advisor/mentor with whom you have shared interests and might like to work.
- Select a potential co-advisor in another discipline (e.g. if you are a biologist, select a mathematician, statistician, or geographer, and vice versa)
Contact these faculty (e-mail is usually best for initial contact) and discuss your plans with them.
Apply online to the UF Graduate School, including the following components:
- Official GRE General test scores.
- Official transcripts.
- 1 "Statement of Purpose" Essay
- Letters from 3 references.
Follow the required procedures to apply to your intended home department, which will be found on the department's graduate studies web page.
Fill out the QSE3 IGERT application online (please contact Ben Bolker (bolker@ufl.edu) if you have difficulty completing the online application). The application will require the following information:
- a current CV, including relevant coursework in both biological and quantitative disciplines
- Names and departments of potential advisor(s) and co-advisor(s)
- GRE scores from the General test
- A summary of your GPA and GPA within your discipline
- A second essay, in addition to the Statement of Purpose, that is specifically targeted toward the IGERT (see details)
- Any supplemental information you would like to include, such as peer-reviewed papers you may have published