USDA-FS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Alaska Watersheds and Salmon
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
USDA Forest Service Office/Lab and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) within the Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNWRS) located in Juneau, Alaska. Opportunity may be remote.
At the heart of the USDA 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 USDA 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 project will explore effects of shifting environmental conditions of freshwater food webs and salmon populations in southeast Alaska. The fellow will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of scientists and postdoctoral researchers to:
- Quantify the food web pathways that support juvenile Pacific salmon, and;
- Explore the population dynamics Sockeye Salmon populations critical to rural food security.
This research will help elucidate how the capacity for forest watersheds to support regionally valuable salmon populations is changing, and help identify management strategies that promote population resilience. There will also be opportunities to collaborate with graduate and undergraduate students and collaborate on aquatic ecology field projects in southeast Alaska wilderness watersheds.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn about bioenergetic food web models to quantify food web energy fluxes between consumers and resources
- Learn about the factors that control salmon productivity in southeast Alaska watersheds
- Learn about the population dynamics of Sockeye Salmon and contributions of Sockeye fisheries to rural community well-being.
Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is James Ryan Bellmore (james.r.bellmore@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: March 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year but may be extended upon recommendation of USDA Forest Service and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend is $74,000 annually. This appointment offers a health insurance reimbursement, and a travel/training allowance.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.
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 USDA Forest Service. Participants do not become employees of USDA, USDA Forest Service, 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 ORISE.USFS.PNWRS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (ecology, biology, fisheries and wildlife, environmental science, earth sciences, or similar). Degree must have been received within the past five years.
Preferred skills:
- Experience presenting research in a professional setting and publishing research in peer-reviewed journals.
- Knowledge of theory, concepts, and statistical/analytical approaches in food web ecology.
- Experience in stream and river ecosystems and familiarity with the ecology of Pacific salmon or similar freshwater fishes.
- Experience developing and applying process-based simulation models, especially dynamic food web models and bioenergetic models.
- Experience in multi-disciplinary teams, including other natural sciences, social scientists, managers, Tribes, and the public.
- Ability to communicate highly technical information to non-technical audiences.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to balance multiple projects simultaneously.
- Ability to effectively synthesize scientific information, to generate new ideas and methods to accomplish project goals, and a willingness to learn new techniques.
- A collegial and collaborative research style.
Stipend
$74,000.00 Yearly
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 month(s).