Internships at OTS Research Stations in Costa Rica
OTS has an internship program offering opportunities at our three research stations in Costa Rica: Las Cruces Research Station & Wilson Botanical Garden, La Selva Research Station and Palo Verde Research Station. If you already have ongoing research at OTS, access the Research Project Management System to update information, change dates, or add new information.
These positions are open to a broad range of qualified individuals, including all ages and nationalities. OTS does not provide course credit for these experiences. However, many of our interns do get credit from their home institutions. Interns may come to OTS stations to work on independent projects based on their university’s requirements or to work on one of the available internship jobs listed below. All research projects carried out at OTS stations are subject to prior approval by OTS.
Interns will receive an orientation and work closely with station staff and a mentor throughout their stay. Interns are also expected to lead and carry out their projects with a high degree of independence. Prior interns include high school and undergraduate-level individuals seeking international experience, graduate students carrying out research and service projects, and professionals seeking to make a significant contribution to a larger scale project. What our interns have in common is a strong work ethic and a desire to contribute to conservation, environmental education, and research at a working research station in the tropics.
Application Instructions:
- Letter of interest (include the internship for which you are applying)
- CV or Resume
- Two letters of recommendation from professors or employers along with their contact information
- In case of a research project, the applicant may also be asked to submit a research project proposal. We will advise if this is necessary after receiving items 1-3.
Email application materials to Emilce Ramirez. Put “Internship Application” in the title line of the email.
All internships require a minimum 6-weeks stay with preference given to internship stays of 10 weeks or more. After review of the application material, applicants will be invited to an interview via Skype or phone. Accepted interns will participate in an orientation call to go over details, questions, and assistance with planning their travel and stay at the station.
All internships are full-time positions with normal work hours. Interns will work closely with station staff and with a project mentor throughout their stay. Please see the list below for the base costs of the internship and other logistics that we can help coordinate.
Costs | Additional Costs and Options | |
---|---|---|
|
These are some additional costs to take into account. We can help you coordinate all of your travel within Costa Rica or you can do this independently. Below are some of the options with the average costs.
|
Internships Available
This is a listing of the currently available internships at specific research stations. Some of the job descriptions are fairly specific. However, if you do not find an exact fit with one of them but are excited to work with us, you are welcome to apply under option #6 (Open Application Opportunity). Students applying with independent projects for credit with their university should also apply under option #6 (Open Application Opportunity).