Community Science Postdoctoral Fellowship

Vermont Center for Ecostudies 2024 Community Science Postdoctoral Fellowship

Organizational Background:

The Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) is a leading conservation organization in New England with a mission to advance the conservation of wildlife and their habitats through research, monitoring, and community engagement. Our biologists investigate ecological topics across many organisms and scales, from mercury pollution in montane songbirds to the migratory ecology of insects. VCE is located near the Connecticut River in the vibrant community of Hartford, Vermont. Our staff is committed to creating a compassionate and inclusive workplace culture that values the physical and emotional well-being of all employees. VCE encourages a healthy work-life balance by embracing flexible work arrangements that facilitate our increasingly complex lives, including those of working parents. We seek candidates who will contribute to cultivating this climate for staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

Position Summary

VCE invites applications for a new conservation-focused postdoctoral fellowship. This award is meant to support an early career researcher interested in new, cutting-edge, and innovative approaches to analyzing community-sourced datasets (i.e., community or citizen science). The successful candidate will work with VCE’s existing datasets as well as other open-sourced data. The postdoctoral researcher will work closely with VCE scientists to develop models, tools, and publications using existing datasets with ample opportunity to develop and test their own independent research questions with the available resources.

Example VCE Research Programs

• Mountain Birdwatch – High elevation bird community data across New England
• Mansfield Bird Monitoring – High elevation capture-recapture data
• Vernal Pool Monitoring – Spatial and temporal monitoring of vernal pools
• Plant-Insect Interactions – Regional, national and international species interaction datasets
• Vermont Bumble Bees – Systematic roadside surveys across Vermont
• Vermont Atlas of Life – Biodiversity data across the state

We encourage applicants to explore VCE’s projects (vtecostudies.org/projects/), staff scientists (vtecostudies.org/about-us/staff/), and datasets (https://www.gbif.org/publisher/b6d09100-919d-4026-b35b-22be3dae7156). Applicants are also strongly encouraged to contact staff scientists prior to developing their application to discuss shared interests and possible avenues for collaboration. Prior contact with a VCE biologist will help develop competitive applications and ensure project ideas align with the interests of VCE staff. A successful candidate will demonstrate their experience, interest in working with VCE, and their specific project ideas. We will host informational webinars on January 15th and 16th introducing our organization, the specifics of this position, the research interests of the staff, and answer any questions from applicants. Email Director of Conservation Science Ryan Rebozo at [email protected] to receive a meeting link to a webinar.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct independent research as outlined in the application proposal to reach goals
  • Work with VCE scientists to develop and implement new, innovative strategies to analyze existing datasets
  • Expand upon VCE’s current in-house expertise
  • Build, extend, and support new data products in support of regional biodiversity research and conservation.

• Collaborate in-house and support other VCE programs when appropriate

• Disseminate project results
  • Share project results and deliverables to a wide audience, including in peer-reviewed publications and presenting results at conferences and seminars.
  • Commit to open science standards. VCE is an Open Science organization that seeks to maximize the benefits of our research by sharing our data and expertise with colleagues and stakeholders.
  • Contribute to VCE communication outlets including social media and blog posts, newsletters and annual reports with engaging research updates as appropriate.
• Commit to diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • VCE scientists are expected to consider opportunities for marginalized and underrepresented communities in their community science products, programs and communications.
  • Apply personal expertise in support of other VCE programs

Term:

This is a full-time position with a salary of $56,500 with generous health, dental, and vision benefits and floating holidays. Funding is initially for one-year but this position can be extended for an additional year based on interest and performance.

Qualifications:

• D. in ecology or a relevant scientific field
• Experience conducting independent research with a strong record of success
• Professional background that includes an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to conservation science
• Proficiency in conservation ecology and applied science as well as an advanced understanding of sampling design and statistical methods with complex data
• Experience with project management, science funding, and information technology
• Ability to work in a team and
• A demonstrated publication record
• Proficient in spoken and written English

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to achieving an inclusive, anti-racist, and non-discriminatory working environment, and we wish to connect with a diverse pool of candidates in this search