Natural Resources Job Board

 

USFS Office/Lab and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (USFS) within the Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNWRS).

At the heart of the U.S. Forest Service's mission is their purpose. Everything they do is intended to help sustain forests and grasslands for present and future generations. Why? Because their stewardship work supports nature in sustaining life. This is the purpose that drives the agency’s mission and motivates their work across the agency. It’s been there from the agency’s very beginning, and it still drives them. To advance the mission and serve their purpose, the U.S. Forest Service balances the short and long-term needs of people and nature by: working in collaboration with communities and our partners; providing access to resources and experiences that promote economic, ecological, and social vitality; connecting people to the land and one another; and delivering world-class science, technology and land management.

Research Project: Under the guidance of the mentor, the Fellow will contribute their skills in statistics, economics, or social science to research that improves our approaches to monitoring recreation use and describing the economic implications of recreation for people and communities. Research efforts will focus primarily on the Forest Service National Visitor Use Monitoring Program and associated data but will also include community science and digital mobility data gathered through novel approaches. The Fellow will support research by organizing and cleaning primary and secondary datasets, conducting data analysis, writing and implementing statistical software code to test alternative sampling scenarios, developing data summaries, and contributing to reporting. 

Learning Objectives The fellow will collaborate with US Forest Service scientists and managers as well as university researchers. The participant will not only build their analytical and research skills, but also gain experience working on actionable research that addresses a natural resource management need.

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Eric White (eric.m.white@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: August 2024.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for eight months, but may be extended upon recommendation of USFS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is flexible, and can be full time or part time (20-40 hours per week). 

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The monthly stipend rate for this opportunity ranges from $4,333-$6,066.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.

ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and USFS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, USFS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.USFS.PNWRS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified applicant must have received, or be currently pursuing a master's or doctoral degree. Degree must have been received within the past five years. 

Preferred Skills: