North Carolina State University Scholarship

Somewhere in North Carolina’s Tar-Neuse river system, a fish called the Carolina Madtom and a salamander-like amphibian called the Neuse River Waterdog are quietly disappearing, and almost nobody outside a small circle of conservation biologists has noticed.

That’s precisely the gap this PhD position exists to close, not through traditional survey methods that require physically catching or spotting a fading population, but through environmental DNA, the genetic traces species leave behind in water itself, which can detect a species’ presence long before anyone sees one in person.

Before anything else: the window to apply for this specific position closed on 5–6 April 2026, so if you’re reading this now, this exact opening has moved past its application stage, but the lab and the broader research programme behind it continue, and understanding how positions like this actually work will help you catch the next one when it appears. This guide walks through what the research itself involves, exactly who the supervising team was looking for, the full funding breakdown, and where to look next if this kind of work is what you’re chasing.

What This PhD Research Assistantship Involves

This position sits inside a genuine, active conservation research partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey’s North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and NC State University’s Molecular Ecology Lab. The project, titled “Using eDNA and occupancy modelling to inform aquatic imperilled species recovery,” tackles a specific, urgent problem: the Carolina Madtom and Neuse River Waterdog have both declined sharply across North Carolina’s river systems, and traditional monitoring methods struggle to track species that are naturally rare, cryptic, or difficult to observe directly.

The PhD student taking on this project develops and applies environmental DNA sampling techniques alongside occupancy modelling, a statistical approach to estimating where a species actually lives based on incomplete detection data to map where these species persist and where they’ve been lost.

A second strand of the work investigates how invasive Flathead Catfish are affecting native aquatic communities, building monitoring strategies that combine molecular and ecological techniques. This is a graduate research assistantship, meaning the position pays a working researcher to pursue their PhD, not a scholarship that a student applies for independently of a specific project or supervisor.

North Carolina State University Scholarship Summary

Eligibility Requirements

• You needed a completed Bachelor’s degree at minimum, with a Master’s degree preferred, in biology, natural resources, or a closely related field
• You needed genuine interest in aquatic conservation and species recovery work specifically, not conservation biology in general terms
• You needed prior experience or demonstrated interest in molecular techniques and quantitative methods. This wasn’t a position for someone approaching the field purely from an ecological or field-survey background without any lab or data science exposure
• You needed either existing knowledge of R programming or a genuine willingness to build that skill quickly, since occupancy modelling in this project runs through R
• You needed interest in both laboratory and field research equally, since the role spans eDNA lab work and direct river system fieldwork
• You needed strong communication and research skills, reflecting the project’s collaborative structure across a federal research unit, a university lab, and state management biologists

What the Role Actually Involves Day to Day

• Developing and applying eDNA surveillance methods in both lab and field settings
• Running occupancy modelling analysis to estimate species distribution from detection data
• Conducting habitat assessment work directly in North Carolina’s river systems
• Investigating the impact of invasive Flathead Catfish on native aquatic species
• Building monitoring strategies that combine molecular ecology with traditional field techniques
• Working directly alongside management biologists, translating research findings into practical conservation decisions rather than producing academic output in isolation
• Building a transferable skill set spanning eDNA lab methods, quantitative modelling, habitat assessment, and imperilled species management skills, the supervising team frames it as broadly applicable across conservation science, not narrowly specific to this one project

Join Lucy’s Scholarship Mentorship Group

Get step-by-step guidance, live group reviews, and exclusive support to find, apply, and win global scholarships.

Join Now, Let's Waka Together →

What This Position Actually Paid

• An annual stipend of over $30,000, structured as a graduate assistantship, roughly 3.5 years funded through research assistantship and 0.5 years through a teaching assistantship, based on the standard structure for positions of this kind at NC State
• A full tuition waiver for the duration of the PhD
• Health insurance coverage as part of the standard NC State graduate assistantship benefits package
• Research and teaching assistantship support
• Professional travel funding, supporting conference attendance and research dissemination
• Computer and research tools provided directly by the programme
• Federal safety training, reflecting the project’s direct partnership with USGS fieldwork protocols

Required Documents

• A cover letter explaining your academic and research background, career goals, and specific interest in this project
• A resume or CV including your GPA
• Unofficial academic transcripts
• Contact details for three professional references
• An optional writing sample, either research-based or from relevant coursework

Applicants were asked to merge all of these into a single PDF file before submitting through the official application form, a detail worth remembering for any similar position, since research assistantships tied to specific faculty projects commonly use this same merged-document format rather than a modular upload system.

What the Application Process Looked Like

1. Prepare every required document as a single, clearly organised, merged PDF file
2. Write a cover letter that speaks specifically to this project’s focus on eDNA, occupancy modelling, and imperilled aquatic species, rather than a generic PhD application letter
3. Submit the completed application through the official application form
4. Applications were reviewed on a rolling basis starting 20 March 2026, ahead of the formal closing date
5. Direct inquiries about the position could be sent to the supervising researchers, Dr Corey Dunn and Dr Nadya Mamoozadeh, directly by email

What Comes Next If You’re Interested in This Research

Because this position is tied to one specific, now-filled PhD opening rather than a recurring annual scholarship, there’s no fixed “next cycle” date to point toward the way there is with an institutional award. What’s worth doing instead:

• Follow Dr Nadya Mamoozadeh’s Molecular Ecology Lab directly, since labs working in aquatic genetics and conservation genomics regularly post new funded graduate positions as new grants and projects begin
• Watch NC State’s Department of Applied Ecology and its Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology programme listings, since positions like this one are typically announced through departmental and faculty channels rather than a general university scholarship portal
• Reach out directly to faculty whose research matches your interests, even outside an active posting. Many graduate research assistantships in ecology and conservation genetics are filled through direct faculty contact before a position is ever formally advertised
• Build demonstrable experience in R programming and molecular techniques now if you’re aiming for this kind of position specifically, since these were treated as genuine differentiators in the eligibility criteria, not optional extras
• If you have specific questions about this research group’s future openings, emailing the supervising faculty directly is a reasonable way to express interest, even outside an active application window

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this specific PhD position still accepting applications?

No. Applications were reviewed starting 20 March 2026, and the window closed on 5–6 April 2026. This specific opening is no longer active.

Is this a general NC State scholarship, or tied to one specific project?

It’s tied to one specific, faculty-supervised research project and comes with a defined research focus, rather than being a broad scholarship students can apply for independently of the project itself.

Can international students apply for positions like this?

Yes. This position was open to applicants from any country, provided they met the academic and research background requirements.

Do I need prior eDNA or occupancy modelling experience specifically to be considered for similar positions?

Not necessarily prior experience with these exact methods, but demonstrated experience or genuine interest in molecular techniques, quantitative methods, and R programming strengthens an application considerably for this type of role.

How can I find similar funded PhD positions in aquatic conservation?

Following specific labs and faculty directly, rather than searching for a general scholarship listing, is typically more effective for project-tied graduate research assistantships like this one, since they’re usually announced through departmental channels rather than centralised scholarship databases.

Disclaimer: All position details and figures in this post were verified from official and university-affiliated sources as of July 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. For current openings, contact the supervising faculty directly or check NC State University’s Department of Applied Ecology listings. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with North Carolina State University or the USGS NC Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.

Official Application Portal