*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 Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

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: Low-grade logs and biomass from fuel treatments and forest restoration can be used for a wide variety of products, including lumber, biochar, liquid fuels, heat and power, and advanced bioproducts. However, utilization of these materials from U.S. National Forests is below our current potential production capacity and far below the projected production associated with an increase in the pace and scale of restoration under the Wildfire Crisis Strategy. New supply chain models are needed for fuel treatment and forest restoration to address this gap, and to facilitate the effective, efficient use of roundwood and biomass removals from forest thinning and restoration.

This project seeks to improve our understanding of forest industry supply chains tied to fuel treatments and other prescriptions in western U.S. landscapes with elevated wildfire risk, and will use applied supply chain engineering to improve forest management. The work is organized around several complimentary study areas in this field: forest operations and logistics, supply chain modeling and optimization, biohub siting and design, and aggressive dissemination of research results to forest managers, industry professionals, non-government organizations, and the public.

The participant will interact in a team environment with research collaborators across the country, and will communicate with forest operations professionals, personnel in the National Forest System, state foresters, loggers and industry professionals. The emphasis of the project will be to develop quantitative decision tools and science dissemination media for evaluation and management of supply chains in critical treatment areas. The participant will focus on effectively developing and disseminating data, models, and information linking forest management, operations and logistics with raw material supply chains from the forest to the facility to achieve land management objectives.

Learning Objectives: 

• Gain first-hand experience conducting cutting-edge research within a federal agency and working directly with university, industry and NGO collaborators
• Develop skills in interacting with scientists, agency partners and other key stakeholders to use applied science to meet complex forest management, harvesting, and wood utilization objectives
• Develop analytical skills and new analytical models for forest product supply chain management
• Develop science writing and communication skills, as well as project design, administration, leadership, and management skills

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Nate Anderson (nathaniel.m.anderson@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 18, 2024.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year 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. The current stipend range is $4,583 - $5,416 per month.

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.RMRS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a master’s degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred skills:

• Experience in forestry, forest operations research, natural resources management, forest products, spatial data science, supply chain/logistics analytics, statistics, machine learning
• Excellent analytical/statistical skills
• Excellent organizational, communication, and scientific writing skills
• Experience or interest in science-management integration and stakeholder and partner engagement
• Ability to conduct research in an interactive team environment, as well as independently