Grand Teton Wildlife Connectivity Modeling Postdoctoral Research Associate

Description

The University of Montana invites applications for a Grand Teton Wildlife Connectivity Modeling Postdoctoral Research Associate. This two-year postdoctoral project will be conducted through the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit (U.S. Geological Survey) at the University of Montana (UM) in close collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS), including project partners at Grand Teton National Park (GRTE), the NPS Biological Resources Division, and the NPS Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network.

The importance of large, connected landscapes to achieving sustained ecological health is increasingly apparent. Habitat loss and fragmentation are often primary threats to species facing declines and extirpations nationally and globally. The effects of habitat loss and fragmentation are exacerbated by other threats such as climate change, invasive species, disease, and over harvest. As such, the NPS requires tools and approaches to ensure protection of biodiverse areas and to facilitate daily, seasonal, and life cycle movements of wildlife species both within and beyond park boundaries.

This project will develop tools and approaches to inform local level management (e.g., visitor use planning, transportation planning, construction activities, etc.) while also linking to broader conservation actions across the larger landscape. Grand Teton National Park will serve as our pilot NPS unit. The project will seek to produce foundational spatial products for GRTE along with a template for how this general approach can be implemented across NPS units. Specifically, the project will: 1) review methods and approaches for developing resource maps for GRTE, with a focus on areas of high biodiversity and ecological importance for connectivity; 2) delineate and compile appropriate data; 3) develop spatial models and assess model fit; and 4) develop workflows and documentation that support like product development for additional NPS units. Project products will be used to inform park planning and identify areas for cross-jurisdictional wildlife management and habitat conservation. 

The University of Montana is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five priorities for action: Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always"; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.

Position is full-time, 1.0 FTE, Letter of Appointment and includes a comprehensive and competitive benefits package including insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program.

Salary for this position is $60,000-$65,000 per year commensurate with qualifications.

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with partners to learn about existing regional assessments, analyses, and resources of concern.  
• Assist in identifying focal taxa, spatial areas and ecosystems for analysis, and research questions. This development will be heavily informed by subject matter expertise solicited from GRTE staff and input from project team members.
• Determine the feasibility of using existing data for questions of interest and work with GRTE and other partners to compile datasets. Identify data gaps for resources of interest. Data availability and suitability will inform focal analysis areas and approaches.
• Explicitly address scale, uncertainty, and any linkages between the two. Explore linkages among broad and finer scaled modeling approaches.
• Assess the effects of climate change scenarios on resources of interest.
• Lead the development a manuscript resulting in acceptance to a high impact journal that focuses on the technical approach in the context of protected areas management.
• Play a key role, as a coauthor, in the development of an NPS process based technical document.
• Work with geographic/science communication specialists to create accurate, informative maps/graphics/other for projects and outreach or educational materials.
• Coordinate work, participate on regularly scheduled meetings to provide updates, and take input from core-team members and partners. Independent and regular coordination with project partne