USFS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Developing the Best Available Science to Support Updated Old-Growth Guidance
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
USFS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (USFS), Southern Research Station (SRS), located in Asheville, North Carolina. The anticipated duty station for this appointment is at a negotiable SRS research location.
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: The USDA Forest Service’s Southern Research Station (SRS) is this federal agency’s research and development branch for 13 states in the southern US. The mission of the SRS is to conduct research on environmental and social issues related to the forests and grasslands of the nation, with a particular emphasis on the southern US. The SRS seeks to provide landowners, managers, and policy makers with the knowledge and tools they need to sustainably manage our nation's natural resources. The Forest Service’s Region 8 (also known as the Southern Region) manages over 13 million acres of National Forests and Grasslands in this part of the country and also assists in the management and protection of hundreds of millions of other privately held lands.
The SRS and Region 8 seek an ORISE Post-Doctoral Fellow (https://orise.orau.gov/science-education/internships-scholarships-fellowships) to contribute on a joint project to develop the best available science information related to old-growth forests in the southern United States. This research will support the Region’s planning and management on their National Forests and Grasslands. The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team of scientists and managers collaborating to document existing literature on old-growth relevant to the region, review and synthesize these materials to support the project, and help integrate the science into a new old-growth guidance document and decision support system being developed.
Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a SRS mentor, the successful fellow candidate will:
- Develop a better understanding of the nature of old-growth forests, both in the South and across the US;
- Learn the skills needed to produce the best available science intended to support a public land management agency’s planning and management decisions;
- Advance the science of old-growth through the review and synthesis of existing literature;
- Develop and enhance their skills related to literature review, data synthesis, publication production, and teamwork with a diverse group of professionals; and
- Expand their collaborative and networking skills within both Forest Service Research & Development and National Forest System program areas.
Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Don Bragg (don.c.bragg@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: July 18, 2022. Start date is flexible and negotiable, and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for two years, but may be extended upon recommendation of USFS and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Some funding will also be available for materials and supplies and to reimburse project-related travel expenses.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR).
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 USForestService@orise.orau.gov and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.
Preferred Skills:
- Academic training in areas such as forest ecology, silviculture, ecosystem restoration, and/or modeling at the PhD level
- Good literature review and synthesis skills
- Interest in participating in interdisciplinary, team-oriented research to help regional forest managers and planners address a critical natural resource
- A record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals