Staff Laboratory Assistant I – Fisheries Technician (Temporary)

Sam Houston State University is hiring a full time, temporary, benefits eligible fisheries technician to assist with a new food web project in San Antonio Bay, Texas From April 2018 – October 2018.

The primary duties of the technician will be to identify, measure, and weigh fishes and invertebrates collected by research partners; and collect, preserve, and organize tissue samples and stomach contents from fishes and invertebrates through dissection.

The selected candidate will exhibit a high level of organization and communication skills, closely follow instruction, have frequent contact with other researchers, and have experience with Microsoft Excel. The selected candidate should also have a demonstrated ability to organize and inventory biological samples.

The technician will be required to work a modified schedule to accommodate special projects, be willing to get wet and dirty while fulfilling duties, and be able to spend extended periods of time outside in all weather conditions. The selected candidate will be required to live or be willing to move to Port O’Connor, TX or a proximate location, including Victoria, TX or Port Lavaca, TX.

This is a full time, temporary, benefits eligible position ending 7.5 months after its start date. This position will be located in Port O’Connor, Texas. Position will require the dissection of thousands of dead fish and invertebrates outside on fish cleaning tables with dissection materials, and the retention of stomachs and samples collected during dissection.

Please see the following links for more details and link to apply:
http://shsu.peopleadmin.com/postings/19209

http://bit.ly/SHSUFisheriesTech

Sam Houston State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Plan Employer and Smoke/Drug‐Free Workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, ancestry, marital status, citizenship, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Sam Houston State University is an “at will” employer. Security sensitive positions at SHSU require background checks in accordance with Education Code 51.215.

MS/PhD Assistantships – Plant Community Ecology – University of Florida

The Baiser lab of community ecology in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida is now accepting applications for MS and PhD Graduate Assistantship positions. Our research focuses on how ecological communities assemble, change, and collapse. The effect of invasive species on ecological communities is a common theme throughout our research.

The perspective student will work on a project detailing the effects of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) on Everglades plant communities.  The project is funded by the National Park Service and is a collaboration with fire ecologist Dr. Raelene Crandall
(http://www.ecologyonfire.com/) in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida.

The assistantship includes full tuition coverage, Gator Grad Care health insurance, and a yearly stipend for up to four years. The position will be located at the UF campus in Gainesville, FL.  Expected start date is August
14 2018, the start of Fall term.

Qualified applicants will be highly motivated, enthusiastic, and will ideally have strong plant identification skills. Applicants will also have an undergraduate research background and/or an MS in ecology, botany, biology, or a closely related field.

Further information on the Baiser lab can be found at: http://www.baiserlab.com/

***The application deadline is April 6, 2018***

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Prospective students should send the following information with the subject line “Everglades Position” to bbaiser@ufl.edu:

– One page cover letter describing your research experience, interests, and goals

– CV

– GRE scores

– Transcripts (unofficial) from undergraduate and graduate education

– Contact information for three academic references

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Ecology of Bird Loss Project aims to understand the impact of bird loss on Guam’s forests as a result of the invasive brown treesnake, and in doing so, add to our knowledge about the importance of vertebrates for forest composition and structure. Currently, we are using comparisons and experiments on Guam and nearby islands where birds are still present to understand how birds shape the forest composition and structure through seed dispersal. For more information, see our website at http://bit.ly/eblintern.

DUTIES: Interns will be responsible primarily for resurveying tagged forest plots, along with other tasks such as monitoring phenology, surveying tagged seedlings, and entering data. Interns will rotate between Saipan, Guam, and Rota, as needed for research. Each intern will have an opportunity to develop an independent side project.
Note that this position does not involve research with birds; rather, it is a plant-focused position.

REQUIREMENTS: The successful applicants must be responsible, pay attention to detail, work well individually and as part of a group, and be flexible. They must have experience in plant identification. Applicants must be able to work in high heat and humidity, walk over rough terrain, and tolerate the tedious, and at times monotonous, work necessary for all scientific endeavors. They must have some experience working with people that have different backgrounds than their own. A good sense of humor is always appreciated. They must be available for 9 months, starting in April or May 2018.

POSITION DETAILS: Each intern will receive a round-trip ticket from any major airport in the US to the Mariana Islands, housing on all islands, transportation, and a monthly stipend of $700. In addition, interns will receive valuable research experience in the fields of conservation biology and field ecology, and training that will help them to pursue a career in ecology (e.g. feedback on cover letters, CV’s, and graduate fellowships; advice on applying to graduate school; experience reading scientific papers, etc.).

TO APPLY: Email a single pdf document including a cover letter, resume, and contact information for 3 references to McKayla Spencer (ecologyofbirdloss@gmail.com). The subject line should read “EBL Intern Position”. The cover letter should describe your previous research experience, career goals, and why you are interested in this position.
Applications must be submitted by Sunday, March 18, 2018.

Subject: Summer Research Assistant: Conservation Biological Control and Sustainable Agriculture

Summer Research Assistant: Conservation Biological Control and Sustainable Agriculture

Title: Biological Science Aide  Series: 0404  Grade: GS2 or GS3 Vacancy Announcement Number: Seasonal L/A  Location: USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab, Sidney, Montana

Job Description/Duties: The USDA, Agriculture Research Service, Northern Plains Agriculture Research Laboratory in Sidney, MT is seeking an enthusiastic and hardworking individual to serve as a biological science aide on projects examining the influence of landscape structure and crop diversity on pest insects and their natural enemies (e.g. ladybeetles, parasitoid wasps).  The research is focused on developing ecologically-based, sustainable and environmentally friendly approaches to pest management in agricultural systems.  This position will involve a mixture of field work (~50%), and lab work to sort samples and identify insect pests and their natural enemies (~50%).  The successful candidate will gain hands on experience with insect field sampling methods, set up and maintenance of field experiments and insect rearing and identification techniques, as well as the chance to work with the diverse insect fauna associated with cropping systems in a team oriented research environment.

Salary: $11.68 (GS-2) or $12.74 (GS-3) per hour depending on experience and education. The candidate will receive overtime pay when working above the base work schedule of 40 hours a week.  Housing is not covered, but dorm-style shared housing is available on location for ~$148 per month, including utilities.

Dates: May-September 2018 (this is a 16-week appointment with the possibility of extension).  Please specify your available start and end dates in your application.

Qualifications: The candidate must be a US citizen, with a valid driver’s license.  Additionally, the candidate should be physically fit, and comfortable spending time outside in uncomfortable field conditions (hot, biting insects etc.). Willingness to work long days, and weekends when necessary is also a must. Undergraduate course work in ecology or entomology, and previous field and lab work experience is preferred but not required.

Application process: Please send cover letter, resume and names and contact information of two references (electronically) in a single file to Dr.
Tatyana Rand (tatyana.rand@ars.usda.gov).

Open Period: Evaluation of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For more information on our research program visit our website at www.ars.usda.gov/npa/nparl or contact us directly.

USDA is an equal opportunity employer.
Reasonable Accommodation:  If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, or have questions regarding reasonable accommodation and/or accessibility for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Disability Program Manager on 202-720-6161 or through the DC Relay Service on 202-855-1234 (TDD).

Undergraduates seeking research experience in forest ecology are invited to apply for a 10-week expense-paid internship at Bartlett, Jeffers Brook, and Hubbard Brook Experimental Forests in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

About the Project:  Multiple Element Limitation in Northern Hardwood Ecosystems (MELNHE) is an NSF-funded project that seeks to examine the limits to forest productivity in the context of resource optimization theory. Experimental tests of N and P limitation in temperate forest systems are few, and those few have been short-term with very high rates of fertilization. In 2011 we began long-term low-level additions of N, P, and
N+P in 13 forest stands distributed across three sites in the White
N+Mountain
National Forest of New Hampshire. At Bartlett Experimental Forest, which is underlain by granite, we have three young, three mid aged, and three mature stands. At both Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, on granodiorite, and Jeffers Brook on amphibolite (metamorphosed basalt), we have one mature and one mid-aged forest stand. Each stand has four plots treated annually with N
(30 kg N/ha/yr as NH4NO3), P (10 kg P/ha/yr as NaH2PO4), both N and P, and control. These treatments allow us to test for NP co-limitation and to challenge balanced forest nutrition and thereby induce mechanisms that maintain co-limitation.  More information on the project is available at http://bit.ly/melnhe, including a blog from previous field crews.

Internship Description:  Interns will be guided in the design of their research projects and will interact closely with graduate students and senior research scientists.  Research projects could include the effects of nutrient addition on fine and woody litter production, seed rain, tree water use (sap flow), soil respiration, and canopy spectral properties, which involves ground truthing remotely sensed tree crown locations. Interns will gain a wide variety of skills by assisting in all ongoing projects.  Interns have the opportunity to present their results at the annual Hubbard Brook Cooperators Meeting in July. Interns are provided with shared housing at Bartlett Experimental Forest; tenting is optional.  Work days typically begin at 8:00 and end at 4:30, but may be shorter or longer depending upon the day’s activities.  Food is prepared communally by the interns and graduate student researchers, and costs generally run between $5-6 per day.
A stipend of $200 per week is provided for living expenses.

Desired Qualifications:  Ideal applicants will have a strong interest in forest biology, ecology, or biogeochemistry.  Undergraduate students and recent graduates will be considered.  A positive attitude is important and a sense of humor is a plus.  Willingness to work and live in a communal setting is critical. Candidates should be able to perform repetitive tasks with attention to detail in a field setting under adverse conditions.
Applicants should be flexible in their expectations, but an estimated breakdown of the summer is: 60% fieldwork, 15% lab work, 10% data management, and 15% research proposals and reports of independent projects.

To Apply:  Please send a letter of interest, resume, and contact information for three references to Alex Young, aryoung@syr.edu. Interested students should apply by Friday, March 9th, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received. The field season will begin on June 4 (arrive June 3) and end on August 10 (depart on August 11).

We are seeking enthusiastic and qualified applicants for a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) position based in Athens, Georgia. This project will focus on quantifying patterns in stream temperature in the Little Tennessee River (LTR) watershed in western North Carolina. The student will be involved with collecting, organizing, and synthesizing temperature data from the LTR, working with sensor data from current thermistor deployments and helping to facilitate additional deployment of sensors by citizen scientists with the nonprofits Trout Unlimited and Main Spring Conservation Trust (MSCT). The student will use spatial statistical models to explain observed temperatures using variables such as canopy cover, slope, and air temperature. These data layers will also serve as the basis for habitat suitability maps for brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and other species of interest. The student will likely attend the Little Tennessee River Watershed Conference to be held June 16th, 2018. This project is part of a larger collaborative project investigating the effects of stream warming on detritus-based ecosystems. The student may have the opportunity to assist with various other aspects of this project as well.

The position runs from May 30 to August 8 (dates slightly flexible) and includes a competitive stipend. Applicants must be current undergraduate students who are planning on continuing full-time enrollment in fall semester, 2018. GIS experience is required. Interested applicants should email a resume (including relevant coursework and any prior research experience), a cover letter describing how the REU activities align with their training and career goals, and a list of three references to Dr. Amy
Rosemond: rosemond@uga.edu. Please put ‘Summer REU’ in the subject line. The deadline for applying is Monday, April 2nd.

Project Evaluation and Reporting: Deliverables and documentation of learning outcomes from this study will include 1) a written report on the findings by the student and 2) weekly meetings to discuss research, knowledge of ecology and aquatic ecology and plans for the future with mentors, and 3) additional writing and reflection. The participant will be encouraged to present their research findings at an undergraduate research conference.