We are looking for highly motivated, creative, and team-oriented scientists at all levels to join our research group. Our group values scientific independence, a broad toolkit, external collaboration, and a growth mindset. Opportunities are available at several career stages.
Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate students at UCR in a range of fields (including engineering, physics, and environmental science) are welcome in our group. We have opportunities for research work ranging from part-time lab work, data collection (both lab-based and field-based), data analysis, as well as self-directed research. Students are encouraged to contact to Dr. Barefoot by email if they are interested in pursuing undergraduate research or other work. If you are interested in working on a research project of your own, please briefly describe your science interests.
UCR students should investigate the following sponsored programs at UCR:
Interested students eligible for these programs are particularly encouraged to contact Dr. Barefoot. Please include a brief description of your research interests, as well as your skills.
Further opportunities are available at UCR Undergraduate Research Portal.
Undergraduate students from other institutions may join us for internships, and research opportunities on a case-by-case basis. If you have funding or support to come work at UCR and you think our group is a good fit, please reach out to Dr. Barefoot. Additionally, we may have National Science Foundation funding to support Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). Those opportunities will be posted here when they are available.
Graduate Studies
We have limited opportunities for scholars wishing to pursue Masters and PhD studies. If you are interested in pursuing graduate studies with Dr. Barefoot at UC Riverside, please take a look at our past and ongoing work to determine if the lab is a good fit for you. Next, read about the graduate program in the Earth and Planetary Science Department here.
When you contact Dr. Barefoot, please include:
- a CV
- a brief summary of your research experience
- a brief explanation of your objectives for your graduate studies
- a proposed research project.
From time to time, we will have vacancies for positions to pursue graduate studies with external funding. These positions typically have specific deliverable research products as program objectives, but will still come with significant academic freedom. Such opportunities will be posted here, and advertised widely.
Postdoctoral Scholars
Currently, we do not have any funded positions to support postdoctoral scholars in the lab. However, postdoctoral scholars interested in working with Dr. Barefoot have several options to pursue joint research. Some sources of external and internal funding are available (e.g. the NSF EAR postdoc for US permanent residents, the UCR Chancellor’s Postdoc. Additionally, Dr. Barefoot is always interested to jointly pursue funding to support creative and motivated scientists.
Interested individuals are highly encouraged to contact Dr. Eric Barefoot via email. Please include your CV and a short summary of your proposed research.
Community and Management
Our main work involves original basic research into landscape dynamics and Earth’s history. However, we recognize that our work also connects with management objectives in water quality, environmental remediation, energy, and carbon. We believe that ground-breaking science can arise from community and management needs. If our research capabilities might support your organization or community’s work, and you are interested in partnering with us, please contact Dr. Barefoot to discuss your project.