Job title: Biological Science Aide
Series/Grade: GS-0404-03/04
Start Date: February 2018
Position Length: 9 months
Location: Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center Number of Positions: One

Duties:
Aide will work with Ecologists and Range Technicians. Fieldwork is based in ecological studies with emphasis on revegetation of sagebrush steppe plant communities. Topics of study include: determining attributes of high quality seed, identifying safe sites for seedling establishment and reducing early herbivory of seedlings. Responsibilities are to assist in the collection of field and laboratory data. Field work takes up about 50% of the position responsibilities. Laboratory work consists of biomass separation and weighing, insect identification, seed quality assessment, data entry and photographic analysis.

Requirements:
Undergraduate studies in range, soils, wildlife, or other natural resource fields preferred; those with related experience or education will be considered. Must be able to lift objects that weigh up to 50 pounds and kneel/squat for extended periods of time for sample collection. Must have a valid state motor vehicle operator’s license and be able to operate motor vehicles. Must be able to work in adverse weather conditions (both heat and cold). Must be able to hike over rugged and steep terrain. Must to be at least 16 years of age. Must be a citizen of the United States of America.

GS-3: 6 months of general experience, which demonstrates the ability to perform the work of the position; OR Successful completion of 1 year of post-high school study that included at least 6 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics.

GS-4: 6 months of general AND 6 months of specialized experience; OR successful completion of 2 years of post-high school study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture or mathematics of which 6 semester hours of courses relate directly to the duties of the position (plant biology, range/ecology, or natural resource management).

General experience: must have demonstrated the ability to perform the work of the position or provided a familiarity with the subject matter.
Specialized experience: must have been at least equivalent to the GS-03 grade level in the Federal Service.

Salary: $12.65 to $14.21 per hour depending on experience and/or education. Workweek is typically 40 hours but some longer weeks will be expected. There is potential for housing to be provided.

To Apply:
Send an email with “Biological Science Aide” in the title to elsie.denton@ars.usda.gov by Dec 10, 2017. Email should include: cover letter, one page resume, and college transcripts. List any pertinent classes in rangeland science, botany, soils, wildlife, natural resources, etc.

Website:
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/eoarc/

USDA-ARS is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

University of Virginia’s Blandy Experimental Farm has some wonderful fellowship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs during summer 2018.  The opportunities are open to applicants from any college or university.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU):

The program emphasizes experimental ecology and evolutionary biology including a wide variety of topics such as plant-animal interactions, pollinator behavior and ecology, insect population ecology, and ecosystem ecology. Successful applicants will receive a $5775 stipend, additional money for food, and free housing.  Each student picks a research mentor from our pool of faculty members and graduate students and then conducts an independent research project.  The students will gain experience in experimental design, data collection, analytical techniques, and written and oral presentation of findings.  REU students also benefit from several professional development workshops.

This is a wonderful opportunity for an undergraduate student contemplating a future in science.  The application deadline is March 1, 2018.

To apply: https://sites.google.com/site/blandyreu/

Graduate and Postdoc Research Fellowships:

Are you a graduate student or postdoc in need of a field station? Summer stipends ($6000 per summer), free on-site housing, and funds for research
($800 per summer) are available for individuals proposing original research that uses our resources and facilities and contributes to the ongoing science program at the station.

Interested students/postdocs should contact a Blandy faculty member to discuss conducting your research at Blandy.  You can direct your inquiries based on the faculty member (see below) with the closest match to your research interests; however, we are open to people working in all fields of environmental, ecological, and evolutionary research.

Keep in mind this is not a complete fellowship package, rather it provides summer financial support and access to our facilities to supplement existing support from your home institution.

Dr. Kyle Haynes (population and landscape ecology, forest insect dynamics) Dr. David Carr (plant reproductive ecology, inbreeding and genetic
variation)
Dr. T’ai Roulston (pollination, plant-animal interactions, bee biology)

For more information about the station:
http://blandy.virginia.edu/research.

The Smithsonian Institution (CTFS-ForestGEO in partnership with Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, SCBI) seeks four interns-at least one of which will be international- and a field crew lead to participate in recensus of the SCBI forest dynamics plot in Front Royal, Virginia, USA. The 26-hectare study site is part of a global network of forest research sites led by the Smithsonian Institution’s ForestGEO Network (www.forestgeo.si.edu). The plot of mature deciduous trees is located on the SCBI’s main campus, where participants will be within a research community focused on conservation ecology and biology. In 2018, we will resurvey all marked stems and any recruitment during the years since last surveyed (2013). Participants will build experience in forest census, tree identification, and field research while learning about temperate deciduous forest diversity, dynamics, and drivers of change.

Successful applicants must have a recent university degree and some experience in forest Successful intern applicants must have a recent university degree (within 3 years) and some experience in forest field research. Ideally, the crew leader will have a master’s degree in forest ecology, botany, or a related discipline and/or direct experience leading a forest survey crew. A strong work ethic, attention to detail, enthusiasm to work outdoors under a range of weather conditions, and ability to work effectively with a team are essential for all applicants. Applicants should have knowledge of tree species identification and experience in forest ecology. The field crew lead should have mastery of eastern US tree species identification.

Internships will be March through September 2018 (6 months), and the field crew lead will work February through October 2018 (8 months). Interns will be compensated with a stipend sufficient to cover living expenses, and the field crew lead will be paid commensurate with experience. Housing on the SCBI campus will be available to all participants.

The application package should consist of 1) a cover letter outlining past field or research experience, 2) a detailed resume or CV, and 3) contact information for 2-3 references.
US applicants should send materials to scbiecology@si.edu  by January 1, 2018. International Applicants should end materials to ForestGEO@si.edu by December 1, 2017, as described in this ad:
http://www.forestgeo.si.edu/article/255/.

The Smithsonian Institution values and seeks a diverse workforce; female and minority candidates are encouraged to apply.

Announcement: https://tinyurl.com/y9cathdd
PDF: https://tinyurl.com/yadkwhgr

Graduate Research Assistantship (PhD) Opportunity at Northern Arizona University?in Flagstaff, AZ

Data Fusion for Forest Planning and Implementation:?Ecological Restoration, Remote Sensing, and Data Analytics

Are you interested in a PhD program that will provide you an opportunity to work in the frequent fire forests of the American Southwest and influence ecological restoration practices? These forests are in dire need of restoration, mainly due to a century of fire exclusion and subsequent, undesirable changes in forest structure and function. For example, the largest collaborative forest restoration project in the US, the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), has a goal of implementing restoration treatments on approximately 1M ha of U.S. Forest Service lands in northern Arizona. Fundamental to these efforts are precise data on the amount and distribution of available resources, knowledge of how resources may change over time, and hazard assessments (e.g., wildfire potential); all of which require costly and resource intensive, spatially explicit data. As a result, managers are using more remote sensing data products (e.g., LiDAR), coupled with advanced forest inventory and data analysis techniques, to quantify existing conditions and support broad-scale analysis of forest ecosystems.

A PhD graduate research assistantship is available in the School of Forestry at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, focused on the development and assessment of data fusion techniques that will allow managers to better capitalize on major advancements in remote sensing to utilize more accurate data and enhance precision of landscape-scale analysis (e.g., >100,000
acres) project areas. Working alongside the Ecological Restoration Institute, the USDA Forest Service, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and Campbell Global; the successful applicant will focus on developing and statistically validating an open source big data, remote sensing, and inventory data fusion platform. This platform will provide enhanced forest structural and compositional information in support of forest resource decision-making.

The selected student will:

Assess and statistically validate algorithms for identifying individual trees and species from remote sensing data of Southwestern forests using new and/or existing stemmapped, area and tree based sample data.
Using these algorithms and data, design and implement a platform that integrates multiple data sources (data fusion) that are typically too large to analyze using traditional methods (big data) to provide detailed forest resource information at the tree-,stand-, and landscape levels.
Assess the accuracy, precision, and statistical properties of forest resource estimates such as bias, consistency, error, spatial uncertainty, and use these to provide improved information for land management decision making.
Apply the platform to Southwestern landscape-scale case studies to; quantify existing conditions, assess low-value biomass product availability, facilitate watershed treatment implementation, and monitor forest restoration treatments.
The position includes a full stipend, tuition waiver, health benefits and field support for 4 years.

Applications from quantitatively minded individuals with a practical approach to solving complex problems are welcome. Experience processing large remote sensing and inventory datasets using C++, R, and/or Python is preferred.

Qualifications:

Master?s degree in forestry, geography, ecology, computer science, or related fields.
Demonstrable research experience, collaboration abilities, and English (written and oral) communication skills.
Competitive GRE scores (top 40th percentile).
?Information about NAU?s graduate program, including eligibility requirements, is available athttp://nau.edu/CEFNS/Forestry/Degrees/.

NAU’s formal application deadline is for Fall 2018 is Feb 15 2018 and preferred start date is Summer 2018. However, interested candidates are encouraged to contact with Dr. Sanchez Meador as soon as possible using the information provided below or submit your CV, written statement of interest, and copies of unofficial degree transcripts to initiate a dialog via e- mail.??Andrew.SanchezMeador@nau.edu.

Contact Information:

Dr. Andrew S?nchez Meador?
School of Forestry?
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5018, USA?
Andrew.SanchezMeador@nau.edu?
928-523-3448

Graduate positions (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) are available in the Atallah Lab (https://sites.google.com/view/atallahlab) in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of New Orleans (UNO). We are currently looking for students interested in working on one of the following two projects:
1) Simulating the role of transposable elements in evolution and human disease:
In recent years, evidence has accumulated that transposable elements (TEs) play important roles in both evolutionary processes (such as changes in gene regulation) and the progression of diseases such as cancer. We are developing computer simulations of the activity of TEs in both the soma and the germline. Students interested in this project should be familiar with Shell scripting and computer programming.
2) The evolution of the early embryonic transcriptome in Drosophila species:
Embryonic transcriptomes from diverse species can be readily compared due to similarities in embryonic stages. We are analyzing transcriptomes from different stages of early embryogenesis in Drosophila species. Students interested in this project should be prepared for molecular lab work, bioinformatic analysis and possible field collection of samples.
Interested students should send an email to jatallah@uno.edu<mailto:jatallah@uno.edu>. Please include a brief description of your background (or a CV or resume), and mention which project you’re interested in and why you’re excited about this project.
The University of New Orleans is a public research university and part of the University of Louisiana system. New Orleans is a diverse and historic city with a vibrant culture.

Joel Atallah, Ph.D.
Assistant professor
202 Biology Building
Department of Biological Sciences
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA 70148
(504) 280-7057
https://sites.google.com/view/atallahlab