USFS Climate Communications Fellowship for Established Professional

*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 Forest Service Northern Research Station (NRS). The opportunity is remote.

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 USDA Northeast Climate Hub is a joint effort among USDA agencies. The fellowship offers daily interaction with leadership, policies and staff of the US Forest Service, Agricultural Research Service, and Natural Resources Conversation Service. Some projects involve partnership with land grant universities. The fellow will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other partners and natural resource professionals. Professional development activities as part of this fellowship include delivering presentations, participating in meetings, and engaging in research and outreach projects.

The ORISE Fellow will engage in communications, collaboration, and outreach with the Northeast Climate Hub and partners. This fellowship will engage an established scientist to increase collaboration and innovation within the Hub. The Northeast Hub aims to increase communications using creative media and innovative approaches for technology transfer and science delivery. The fellow will join an established portfolio of climate projects focused on forestry and agriculture in Northern Research Station.

The ORISE Fellow will conduct outreach and communications contributing to multiple projects including Forest Carbon Markets. They will gain feedback from project partners on their communication methods, product design and development, and meeting outreach objectives. The Fellow will support outreach activities that promote research results and collaborations. The Fellow will also have an opportunity to engage with project collaborators to develop and enhance their network of climate adaptation experts. Video development and outreach activities may include travel.

Specific components related to the engagement could include:

• Facilitate development of animated video to communicate complex scientific concepts.
• Contribute design skills to factsheets, web content, and other digital and print materials.
• Develop and implement evaluation tools for outreach methods.
• Contribute coordination related to outreach, workshops and learning management of projects.
• Facilitate editing of a quarterly newsletter

Learning Objectives: The ORISE Fellow will learn communication methods involving product design, co-production, partner and stakeholder engagement, product/tool development and evaluation. Additionally, the Fellow will learn and experiment with various approaches for engaging partners and communicating science to a specific audience.

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Erin Lane (erin.d.lane@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: March 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 extended upon recommendation of USFS 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 annual stipend is $60,000-$75,000 depending on education and experience.

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 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 ORISE.USFS.NRS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor’s degree in one of the relevant fields. 

Preferred experience:

• The ideal applicant will be early to mid-career with 8-10 years of experience in science communications;
• An interest to pivot with an opportunity to learn new innovative technologies and skills for outreach