Apply for Paid International Research Experience and Training for U.S.-Based Undergraduate Students
ASLO is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted from undergraduate students for the 2027 Limnology and Oceanography Research Exchange and Mentoring Experience (LOREX ME) Program! LOREX ME provides paid international research experiences and training for graduate and undergraduate students. Funded by the National Science Foundation (Award #2505282), LOREX ME supports ASLO’s mission to develop the next generation of aquatic scientists through professional development, training in international research collaborations, and mentorship.
LOREX will support up to 8 undergraduate students to travel to host institutions in Australia, Canada, Israel and Sweden to conduct original, student-led collaborative aquatic science research. Undergraduate students will be paired with a graduate student mentor with aligning research interests and the student teams will travel together this summer (2027).
The participating host sites represent diverse settings for research ─ from costal to open ocean, tropics to high latitudes, saline, and brackish and fresh waters. Participating institutions are: Southern Cross University (Lismore and Coffs Harbour) in Australia; the Interuniversity Group in Limnology (GRIL) in Montreal and Dalhousie University in Canada; The University of Haifa and the Inter University Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat in Israel; and the Climate Impacts Research Centre at Umea University in Sweden. Please note, travel to host sites is contingent on the recommendations of the U.S. Department of State.
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Eligibility: Due to NSF regulations, the research exchanges are currently only open to US citizens or permanent residents currently enrolled in an undergraduate program. (Note: If you have ideas on how to leverage funds from additional sources to support students from additional countries, or suggestions for this effort, please contact us via reply email.) Students must also be an ASLO member to apply and participate in the program (student memberships are $30).
Program Requirements and Components: LOREX ME program awardees will participate in an in-person orientation at the 2027 ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting (28 February – 5 March 2027) in San Juan, Puerto Rico and online meetings in preparation for their field work. Students will participate in a formal evaluation of the program and will also be invited to present their work in a special session dedicated to the LOREX program at the 2028 ASLO conference following their field work. Additionally, LOREX students will disseminate the results of their research exchange more broadly in coordination with ASLO’s Communications Office through blog and social media posts, as well as collaborative peer reviewed publications. The LOREX coordinators will obtain and directly pay travel expenses and lodging costs at the field sites. Students will be provided with an adequate allowance for each site to cover other expenses (food, transportation, etc.). Transportation costs, lodging, and meeting registration for orientation activities and the post-travel ASLO conference are also covered. Expenses for research materials are NOT covered by ASLO or the LOREX ME program.
Application Instructions: To apply, please follow all instructions and submit an application form by 30 October 2026. The application form, and list of available research locations and topics for 2027, can be found here: https://www.aslo.org/lorex/lorex-me-applications-undergraduate/
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We are excited to be continuing to offer collaborative, international research training with the LOREX ME program, bringing unique opportunities for undergraduate students to conduct hands-on, international aquatic science research and for graduate students to enhance their graduate training with experience leading an international project and in mentoring. Please share this announcement broadly with interested students in your network. Work products from previous cohorts of the program - including blog articles, paper and conference presentations, and a living handbook of international collaboration advice - are available for viewing on our website.
Questions about the program may be addressed to Adina Paytan (UC Santa Cruz) or Brittany Schieler (ASLO Director of Communications and Programs).