Subject: SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE MATRIX INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE
The Environmental Science and Policy Lab (Zhang Lab) seeks 1~3 interns to join a transdisciplinary and transnational project team for the Sustainable Agricultural Matrix (SAM) Project (Sustainable Agriculture Matrix). Working with scientists and stakeholders around the world, the SAM project co-develops an indicator system to assess impacts of agricultural production on sustainability from environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and co-designs strategies for advancing agricultural sustainability from farm to global scales.
Each intern is expected to work on one or several of the following tasks, depending on their qualifications and interests:
Science communication. Work with the project team to develop materials (e.g., website pages, documents, videos) to communicate the scope and progress of the project.
Project coordination. Assist the PI, Dr. Xin Zhang, to engage and facilitate the communication among the six-country/region teams and multiple organization partners in order to implement the SAM consortium project awarded by Belmont Forum (Belmont Forum)
Stakeholder survey. Assist (or lead) the design and implementation of a survey (or a structured interview) to understand the perspective of various stakeholders towards SAM indicators
Literature review. Assist (or lead) a literature review on existing frameworks and indicators for assessing environmental and socio-economic impacts of agricultural practice (e.g., cover crop).
Data management and analysis. Manage the database for the SAM indicators, address inquiries by collaborators, and develop analysis to understand the spatial and temporal patterns of SAM indicators, as well as their potential drivers.
Expected qualifications and skills:
This internship is targeted to graduate or advanced undergraduate students. Candidates for tasks 1-4 should have good writing skills. Candidates for task 5 should be proficient in at least one programming language (e.g., MATLAB, R, Python) and have experience with managing data from various sources/disciplines.
Included in the internship:
This is a contractual, hourly appointment. The chosen candidate will receive a competitive hourly wage and subsidized healthcare benefits may be available depending on the number of hours worked. Additionally, interns will gain valuable skills and experience in science communication and transdisciplinary research. They will have the opportunity to participate or even lead the development of manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals. The SAM project team provides a dynamic, multi-culture, and exciting atmosphere, as well as a chance to work on the pressing sustainability challenges for the US and the world.
Based on the performance, the internship could be extended beyond the summer and/or converted to a long-term position (e.g., a Ph.D. student or a Faculty Research Assistant).
Location: This position will be located in Frostburg, Maryland, or other locations in the U.S., based on the agreement between the intern and the PI. The intern would have to have US work eligible status.
Start date: June 1st or sooner. The review of applications will begin May 15, 2021 and continue until qualified candidates are found.
Internship duration: Three to six months
Applications should be sent to TESP.recruit@gmail.com and should include the following items as a single PDF:
A letter of interest including a clear statement of why you would like to participate in this internship and which of the five task areas you are interested in.
A Curriculum Vitae including two references (with email and phone contact information)
A writing sample
Please indicate “SAM_Intern” in the subject line of your email.
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) is an AA/EOE. Individuals with disabilities, veterans, minorities and women are encouraged to apply.