The Auburn University Center for Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) is recruiting a cohort of nine STEM PhD students through the NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program. Fellows will gain a unique multidisciplinary research experience through Auburn’s College of Science and Mathematics (COSAM) and College of Engineering, where established DBER faculty across Biological Sciences, Engineering, Geosciences, Mathematics & Statistics, and Physics collaborate to address challenges in STEM teaching and learning. Fellows will earn PhDs in their home disciplinary departments while joining a collaborative cohort that integrates disciplinary STEM expertise with rigorous education research. They will receive mentorship, training, and professional development to prepare them for careers advancing STEM education, research, and innovation.
Fellows pursuing Biology Education Research will participate in research exploring how students learn biology and how evidence-based teaching practices can improve STEM education across varied learning environments. Our research group has broad interests, and fellows may investigate topics such as social models in STEM education, effective instructional practices, quantitative literacy, and the intersection of biology and society. Research approaches may include experimental and quasi-experimental designs, survey development and validation, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, and analysis of large-scale quantitative data. Research will address grand challenges in undergraduate biology education, drawing on knowledge from disciplinary biology and learning sciences, to develop evidence-based recommendations with applications across all undergraduate classrooms.
Preferred qualifications:
- BS or MS in biology, evolutionary biology, computational biology, or related field
- Interest in broad questions in biology education (e.g., social models in STEM education, effective instructional practices, quantitative literacy, and the intersection of biology and society)
- Experience or strong interest to learn quantitative and qualitative analysis
- Collaborative, team player, independent, and highly motivated
NSF-specific qualifications (see submission portal for additional requirements):
- Named a GRFP Honorable Mention no more than three calendar years prior to this application (e.g., for 2027, applicants must have been named a GRFP Honorable Mention no earlier than Spring 2024).
- U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident.
- Intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in an Auburn University PhD program at the start of the fellowship.
Funding and Program:
Two PhD positions will be fully supported (stipend, health care, tuition waiver) for three years with a stipend of $37,000 per year and $16,000 additionally available to enhance your education and research. You would be a PhD student within the Department of Biological Sciences graduate program at Auburn University.
Before applying to the program, I encourage potential students to contact Dr. Cissy Ballen at mjb0100@auburn.edu. In this email, please include:
- a brief statement describing your research interests, their alignment with the lab’s work/expertise, any relevant research experience, and motivation for joining the lab;
- a CV with college GPA and information for 2-3 references.
The application deadline for the EGFP program at Auburn University is May 15, 2027.