Job Type: The current stipend rate for this opportunity is $35/hour.
Salary Details: TBD
Deadline: Jul 07, 2023
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

USFS Office/Lab and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (USFS) within the Pacific Northwest Research Station located in Seattle, Washington.

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.

Research Project: The participant will collaborate with researchers on the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Landscape Uses and Values Team and University of Washington Outdoor R&D. The goal of our joint research is to use remote and recreation user-generated data to better measure and understand outdoor recreation. The participant will be involved in a project to quantify and characterize recreation use over large landscape areas in the U.S. West that have been prioritized for wildfire risk reduction. Our data and findings will demonstrate how novel approaches to measuring and mapping recreation use can provide information on human values for prioritizing future wildfire management efforts. The participant will support this project by developing software and scripted workflows for ingesting, storing, processing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data. The methods involve using and improving existing Python and R code, as well as developing new strategies to process data for use in the project. 

Learning Objectives: The participant will not only build data science and research skills, but also gain experience participating with actionable research that addresses a natural resource management need and relates to the human dimensions of natural resource management.

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Eric White (eric.m.white@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2023.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for three months but may be extended upon recommendation of USFS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is part-time (15 hours per week).

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The current stipend rate for this opportunity is $35/hour.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.

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 USFS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, USFS, 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 USForestService@orise.orau.gov 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 one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within 5 years of the appointment start date.

Preferred Skills:

  • At least 2 years of experience programming R and/or Python in an academic or professional setting.
  • Demonstrated success working with large and varied sources of data, including geospatial data.
  • Ability to troubleshoot, problem-solve, and work independently.
  • Excellent organizational, teamwork, and communication skills.
  • Demonstrated experience with a version control system, such as git.
  • Interest in outdoor recreation, forestry, and/or fire management.

HOW TO APPLY
Please apply at this link: https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USDA-USFS-2023-0173.