Fellowships/assistantships are available for self-motivated students to pursue PhD degrees and conduct innovative and high-impact research in the Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability (CSIS) at Michigan State University (http://csis.msu.edu).

Applications are welcome from students with a variety of backgrounds and in a wide range of disciplines, such as anthropology, behavioral science, biology, computer science and engineering, conservation, data science, demography, ecology, economics, environmental science and engineering, geographic information science, geography, geosciences, land science, mathematics, remote sensing, sociology, statistics, sustainability science, and other related fields.

Research topics may include telecoupling (telecoupling.org),  sustainability science, UN Sustainable Development Goals, coupled human and natural systems, systems integration (e.g., integration of natural sciences such as ecology with social sciences such as economics, policy, and technology), biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, food-energy-water-climate nexus, human well-being, forest and landscape ecology, global change, wildlife ecology and conservation, land change science, and computer modeling and simulation (e.g., agent-based modeling). Studies on these and other related topics by faculty and students at CSIS have been published in journals such as Science and Nature. With flexible start dates (e.g., spring, summer or fall of 2021), successful candidates can build on previous studies and explore new frontiers.

Application materials include: (1) letter of application, (2) CV or resume, (3) academic statement, (4) personal statement, (5) transcripts, (6) GRE scores, (7) TOEFL scores (for non-native English speakers only), (8) list of 3 references (names and contact information), and (9) up to three representative publications if any. Unofficial copies of GRE, TOEFL and transcripts are OK initially.  Applicants are encouraged to submit their application materials as soon as possible.  Applications and questions about these opportunities should be emailed to:

Professor Jianguo (Jack) Liu

Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 48823-5243, USA

liuji@msu.edu (email)