General Information
Deadline for applications is February 1, 2026
Applications are to be completed using the NSF ETAP site
https://etap.nsf.gov/award/7609/opportunity/11555
https://etap.nsf.gov/award/7609/opportunity/11555
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Mike Soreghan at [email protected]
Six undergraduates will be mentored in geoscience research through analyzing dust deposits in both recent (Quaternary) settings and in ancient (Permian) sedimentary rocks, and then interpreting their origins and significance. The field area is the west-central Balkans (Serbia and Croatia). Student research projects will consist of field work (logging stratigraphic sections), sampling, lab analyses, and presentation of preliminary results. The time in Serbia and Croatia will include a number of cultural excursions to visit sites that span the history and culture of the region, from the fragmentation of Yugoslavia back to Roman times, and even to archeological sites where Neolithic cultures flourished.
Dr. Lynn Soreghan
David L. Boren Professor
School of Geosciences
University of Oklahoma
David L. Boren Professor
School of Geosciences
University of Oklahoma
Dr. Mike Soreghan
James Roy Maxey Professor
School of Geosciences
University of Oklahoma
James Roy Maxey Professor
School of Geosciences
University of Oklahoma
• Four week field season in Serbia and Croatia working collaboratively to assess questions about the origin, provenance, and paleoclimatic significance of : 1) Quaternary loess of the Vojvodina region of Serbia, exploring how the loess deposits reflect climate change; 2) Karst-hosted dust along the Dalmatian Coast (Croatia) ; and 3) Permian-age redbeds in southern Serbia..
• Visit geoheritage sites and learn the connections among geology, dust, agriculture and human history.
• Interact with Balkan scientists on topics such as geomorphology, loess, dust geochemistry, pedology, geoheritage, and Balkan history and culture.
• Visit museums and cultural sites in Belgrade, Zagreb and Novi Sad as well as numerous ancient monasteries and geoheritage sites. (see map)
• Lean about viticulture and wine making in one of the best wine producing regions in the world.
• Visit archeological sites of the Neolithic peoples who brought farming to Europe.
• Visit the Dalmatian coast along the Adriatic Sea.
We will begin in Belgrade, Serbia, and travel to different parts of Serbia and Croatia for cultural and field visits. Specific sites will vary by year. Students will also work in labs at the University of Novi Sad and University of Zagreb, analyzing samples and learning more about the research project from our international collaborators. Therefore students should be prepared for 1) significant travel, and 2) work in collaborative groups with mentors, other students and foreign scientists.
The successful undergraduate applicant will be from a geoscience or allied major. The student should have a strong academic record and strong desire to participate in a rigorous research program in the field in a foreign environment. An undergrad student at any academic level can apply, but preference will be given to rising juniors or rising seniors in Fall, 2026. Because the research ties to agriculture, soils, and farming culture and history, students from rural backgrounds or students interested in these topics are particularly encouraged to apply.
Students will be required to participate in pre-trip orientations in May, 2026 via zoom and then arrange for a one-week trip to the University of Oklahoma to continue research on the project after the field work. This trip will also be paid for by the program.
All travel expenses will be covered by the program. This includes flights, accommodations and meals as well as internal transportation and museum visits. Student participants will receive a $700/week stipend upon completion of the project as defined by the program (all pre-trip orientations, field research and post-trip reports completed).
Round-trip flights will be arranged by the program in consultation with the student. We plan to fly to Serbia as a group. Accommodations will be (hotels, AirBnBs) will be entail sharing rooms. We will expect students to participate in basic cooking and cleaning when restaurant options are not feasible. Food in the Balkans is excellent although often meat heavy. We will stay in various settings, some urban (Belgrade, Zagreb) and some rural.
Other notes: There is no Serbian or Croatian language requirement; we will provide you with some survival phrases, but our foreign collaborators all speak English. You must have a valid passport in order to travel. If you do not already have one, you must secure one by early April, 2026.
This program is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and so all rules and regulations of conduct mandated by the NSF will be strictly enforced