About Project TRAIN

Training American Indians in Environmental Biology has four primary objectives. It will:

1. Increase the number of American Indian students entering graduate school and careers in environmental biology by providing research experiences and mentoring.


2. Expand the existing collaborative relationship between the University of Montana and Salish Kootenai College to include the other tribal colleges in the state by providing research experience for the most talented students.


3. Increase the knowledge of UM faculty and students about minority issues.


4. Disseminate throughout Indian country the relevance of training in environmental biology. The Train Program will host 4-6 students with an annual Internship Stipend of $12,000 to be disbursed according to a proposal submitted by the accepted student and their mentor. Students will be recruited from Salish Kootenai College and the University of Montana. Students must have attended a tribal college for at least one semester prior to applying to the program. Student Participation: The research experience will encompass an entire year with the more extensive portion of the research project being conducted during the summer session. Each intern will participate in an independent research project under the supervision of an academic mentor. Interns will have the opportunity to choose from a broad array of topics in Environmental Biology including; Evolutionary Genetics and Conservation Biology, Plant and Soil Ecology, Animal Biology and Ecology, Aquatic Biology and Ecology, and Microbial Ecology. Faculty and staff from both the University of Montana and Salish Kootenai College will conduct a summer course in research methods as well as arranging orientation and other events as part of a multilayered mentoring structure. There is a limited amount of funding for housing and supplies during the summer months.

The following websites will provide additional information:

1. Biological Science at UM, http://biology.dbs.umt.edu


2. Education and Diversity in Biological Sciences, http://dbs.umt.edu/research/education.htm


3. Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology (UMEB): Project Train http://www.umt.edu/projecttrain