*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

USDA Forest Service Office/Lab and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) within the Forest Service Northern Research Station (NRS) located in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

At the heart of the USDA 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 USDA 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: This fellowship opportunity will be to work on the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) Network, a collaborative effort to establish a series of experimental silvicultural trials across diverse forest ecosystems throughout the United States and Canada. Scientists, land managers, and a variety of partners have developed fourteen trial sites (MN-2, CO-3, NH, GA, MT, S-New England, Midwest Driftless, OH, KY, Ontario, British Columbia) as part of this multi-region study to research long-term ecosystem responses to a range of climate change adaptation actions. In collaboration with the ASCC Network, the Fellows will collaborate with the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS), a collaborative, multi-institutional partnership led by the USDA Forest Service and comprised of federal, forest sector, conservation, higher education, and tribal organizations, to support science delivery and training on climate-adaptive silviculture. 

Silvicultural treatments at each ASCC study site were developed following the adaptation framework in Forest Adaptation Resources: Climate Change Tools and Approaches for Land Managers (Swanston et al. 2016), approximating a gradient of climate-adaptive management approaches: (1) resistance, (2) resilience, (3) transition, and (4) no action control. A key feature of the ASCC Network is the side-by-side demonstration of multiple, place-based management approaches with rigorously applied treatments and short- and long-term monitoring; this enables rapid sharing of lessons learned with climate service providers who deliver widespread hands-on training and consultation as well as NFS managers implementing reforestation and management for a rapidly changing climate on-the-ground.

This research fellow opportunity will support applied science projects for the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) Network. Under this agreement, the Fellow can contribute to an array of projects and may help oversee tests of assisted migration, utilize forest growth simulation models to provide possible forest development trajectories, explore carbon management tradeoffs, and help share these and other climate adaptation strategies to forest managers in an educational or demonstration context to inform reforestation and stand improvement efforts. These activities provide opportunities for the Fellow to gain experience with data analysis, technical writing, editing, publishing, presenting scientific findings, and interacting with partners.

Under the guidance of a mentor, research activities will include:

• Collaborating with ASCC network scientists to identify and organize experimental data
• Tracking and evaluating ASCC Network activities and outcomes
• Supporting ASCC Network communications to a variety of audiences
• Interacting with collaborative science teams on a variety of topics
• Developing a priority list of forest types/locations for potential future ASCC experimental trials 
• Developing and providing trainings on climate-adaptive silviculture
• Engaging in ASCC-related science 
• Conducting field measurement support to sites (estimated 10-20% of time)

Learning Objectives: 

• Learn about climate change science and adaptation while helping integrate applied science into on-the-ground management with natural resource decision-makers. 
• Gain workforce training in a wide breadth of the scientific process for the fields of forestry, ecology, and silviculture. 
• Hone skills in terrestrial ecosystem sampling, identification of plant communities, data quality assurance, data interpretation and analysis, and technical communication.
• Gain first-hand knowledge of Forest Service Research & Development science and National Forest System management.
• Understand and facilitate interactions at the intersection between science and land management.

The Fellow will have the opportunity to interact with scientists in Forest Service research stations and managers in the National Forest System and other land management agencies and entities. The Fellow may explore options for future job or educational opportunities and take advantage of additional training opportunities.

There will be some professional travel during this appointment (as frequently as 1-2 trips per month).

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Maria Janowiak (maria.janowiak@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: February 2025.  Start date is flexible 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 USDA Forest Service 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. 

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. Citizens only.

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 USDA Forest Service. Participants do not become employees of USDA, USDA Forest Service, 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.PSWRS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master's or doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years, or anticipated to be received by May 30, 2025.

Preferred skills/experience:

• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication and presentation skills
• Knowledge of climate change science, ecosystem impacts, and climate adaptation options
• Demonstrated experience in compiling, synthesizing, and communicating applied science-based information for natural resource professionals and diverse, non-technical audiences
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to balance multiple projects simultaneously 
• Experience in developing and implementing field studies, including study design, data collection, analysis, synthesis, and reporting of data including peer reviewed publications
• Demonstrated ability to apply critical thinking skills in complex situations
• Ability to perform in a dynamic work environment with colleagues in different physical locations
• Ability to conduct necessary travel to field sites to carry out project tasks
• Proficiency with computer applications, including word processing, excel spreadsheets, presentation applications, and virtual meeting applications 
• Demonstrated commitment to contribute to an inclusive and safe work environment