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: Under the mentorship of an RMRS scientist, the ORISE fellow will analyze climate and other geospatial data to identify high priority areas for conifer cone collection in the western US under different climate and prioritization scenarios. The fellow will develop tools that forest managers and silviculturists can use to allot their limited cone collection resources to populations of high priority, in addition to contribution to a scientific publication. 

Learning Objectives: The fellow will gain skills in applied science, silviculture, and reforestation techniques while collaborating with forest managers to improve scientist-manager communication and collaboration.      

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Michael Battaglia (michael.battaglia@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 4, 2024.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year and six months 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. Citizen 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 be currently pursuing or have received a master's or doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields (e.g. ecology, forestry, geography, natural resources). Degree must have been received within the past two years, or anticipated to be received by 1/1/2025.

Preferred skills:

• Strong analytical skills and demonstrated experience managing, analyzing, and visualizing large natural resources data sets with statistical programs such as R and geospatial programs such as ArcGIS Pro.
• Experience with statistical data analysis.
• Knowledgeable about the ecology of conifer forests of the western US.
• Experience manipulating large datasets.
• Familiar with concepts related to reforestation and forestry assisted migration.
• Ability to communicate technical information to managers in the form of briefs, online materials, interactive online tools, etc.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience publishing scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.