NOAA Fellowship in Measuring the Value of Ecosystem Services from Habitat Restoration

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

NOAA Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Seattle, Washington.

The NOAA Fisheries Research Participation Program will serve as the next step in the educational and professional development of scientists and engineers interested in learning about coastal stewardship and management. This program provides opportunities for students and recent graduates to connect with the unique resources of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where they can have authentic research experiences using equipment not found on most college campuses. These research experiences complement the educational nature of the program and make participants aware of potential STEM employment opportunities at NOAA. Throughout their appointments, selected candidates will have access to unique research and training opportunities, top scientists and engineers, and state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.

Research Project: While significant resources are dedicated to recovering imperiled Pacific salmon populations, not all worthwhile projects can be enacted. Designing and enacting plans that effectively increase fish populations while benefiting local communities requires strategic prioritization of recovery investments. Our research project is examining the social and economic dimensions of salmon recovery to support recovery planning. Specifically, we are developing salmon recovery return on investment models, estimating the value of habitat restoration co-benefits, and analyzing the incentives and behavior of parties affected by recovery planning decisions.

We seek a post-doctoral or post-master’s degree research fellow for this learning opportunity about developing models and tools to support recovery planning for Pacific salmon. The fellow’s primary project will be investigating capitalization of habitat restoration co-benefits into property values.

The fellow will analyze large historical datasets on real estate transactions and completed conservation investments across three western states to evaluate the co-benefits associated with Pacific salmon recovery investments. In particular, the fellow will learn about the development of hedonic pricing models to investigate how potential changes in ecosystem service flows resulting from habitat restoration investments are capitalized into local real estate values. Depending on the fellow’s individual interests, additional opportunities are available contributing to the development of floodplain restoration return-on-investment models and helping to investigate landowner preferences for conservation participation incentive programs. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Learn about the ecosystem services affected by ecological restoration and salmon recovery efforts
• Develop skills in statistical programming, spatial analysis, and machine learning with large datasets
• Research and apply methods for ecosystem services valuation and causal inference
• Integrate social and biophysical data, models, and research methods
• Identify research questions and develop methodological approaches that both advance the research project and align with individual research interests and professional aspirations

Mentor: The primary mentor for this opportunity is Robby Fonner ([email protected]) with mentorship support from Dan Holland ([email protected]) and Morgan Bond ([email protected]). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentors.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2024. 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 renewed upon recommendation of NOAA 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.

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 NOAA. Participants do not become employees of NOAA, 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: If you have questions about the application process please email [email protected] 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 the one of the relevant fields (e.g. Environmental Economics, Quantitative Ecology, or a related discipline). Degree must have been received within the past three years, or anticipated to be received by12/31/2024.

  Preferred Skills & Experience:  

• Familiarity with ecosystem services valuation methods including hedonic pricing models
• Experience with wrangling and analyzing large environmental spatial datasets
• Expertise with applying statistical methods for analyzing ecosystem services and interactions between human activities and natural environments
• Strong programming skills (e.g. R or Python) and experience with applying programming skills to econometric analysis or ecological modeling
• Experience with non-market valuation methods including hedonic pricing models
• Experience estimating the value of changes in ecosystem service flows
• Practical or research experience with floodplain restoration, habitat restoration, or species recovery
• Programming experience in data manipulation, optimization models, and data scraping