Opportunity

A fellowship opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (USFS) within the Forest Service Northern Research Station (NRS).

At the heart of the U.S. 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 U.S. 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.

• USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station: Deliver the best possible science on forests and related natural resources. We develop the knowledge and tools that landowners and land managers rely on to improve the health and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands, and ultimately, improve the lives of the people we serve.
• Climate Hub Vision: Robust and healthy agricultural production and natural resources under increasing climate variability and climate change.
• Climate Hub Mission: Develop and deliver science-based, region-specific information and technologies to agricultural and natural resource managers, and communities, that enable climate-smart decision making, and to help implement those decisions. The Northeast Hub is building collaborations connecting stakeholders to climate-related resources, and working to fill information gaps where needed.

Research Project: The ORISE Fellow will engage in outreach, research, and collaboration on climate mitigation and climate equity. The first project will focus on identifying climate mitigation and equity issues in the region using  literature reviews, collaboration, listening sessions, and other research methods. In this context, climate mitigation includes reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improving soil carbon, and increasing GHG sequestration on working lands by supporting the awareness and implementation of agriculture and agroforestry practices. We will define the scope and scale of these issues, communicate these results to our stakeholders, and collaborate with other scientists, other ORISE fellows, Hub leadership, and partners to determine potential solutions and pathways for achieving climate mitigation.

Learning Objectives: The Fellow will build skills in:

• Building relationships with stakeholders
• Climate literacy of mitigation options for working lands and waters
• Creating educational materials
• Synthesizing needs of stakeholders
• Evaluating success of literacy trainings
• Presenting to stakeholder groups

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.

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Erin Lane ([email protected]). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Apply online. A complete application package consists of:

• An application
• Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted.  Selected candidate must provide proof of completion of the degree before the appointment can start.  Click Here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts.
• A current resume/CV
• Two educational or professional recommendations. At least one recommendation must be submitted in order for the mentor to view your application.

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.