Postdoctoral Researcher and/or Field Technician position in wildlife ecology

Description

Topic areas:  wildlife ecology, biogeography, conservation science, environmental science, habitat suitability modeling/geospatial analysis, field studies

 

Description:  The Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES), Brown University seeks a Postdoctoral Researcher and/or Field Technician with experience in wildlife ecology, remote sensing/geospatial analysis, field campaigns, habitat suitability modeling, or related field for a three-year NASA-funded field and geospatial study of declining muskrat populations in the Northeastern U.S.A.  The project is a collaboration of Brown University, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), and the USDA National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation.

 

Background: There is a growing realization that muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) are experiencing precipitous, widespread population decline across North America.  This unexplained phenomenon is triggering alarm among ecologists and wildlife managers.  Using kayaks, this 3-year project will collect environmental DNA (eDNA) water samples and other field observations from 300 northeastern wetlands to determine animal presence/absence, and combine these field data with satellite remote sensing and geospatial analysis/modeling to tackle the science question "Why are muskrat populations declining?" in the Northeastern USA, where steep population losses have occurred since the 1980s.  The project will test at least two leading hypotheses for muskrat population decline: 1) widespread invasion of Phragmites (common reed) into wetlands previously dominated by Typha (cattail, a preferred food and habitat for muskrat); and 2) increased variability of water levels from human regulation and/or climate change, and other hypotheses will also be considered.   

Successful candidates have opportunities to interact with numerous governmental wildlife management and conservation agencies, NASA, and academia.  The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and USDA National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation are key co-funded partners.  The project has enthusiastic collaborators in State environmental management agencies with partners in 7 States already identified and 4 pending.  Successful candidates will attend annual meetings of the NASA Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation program, and the Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies.

The anticipated duration of the position(s) is 1-3 years. Salary will be determined by education level (Ph.D., master’s, or baccalaureate degree) and previous experience.  The anticipated start date is flexible with a nominal target of September 2025.Candidates should address in their cover letter how they would contribute to the research and/or teaching missions of our diverse and inclusive living-learning community.

Qualifications

Qualifications:  We are seeking candidates enthusiastic about wildlife ecology, conservation, field work, remote sensing, and/or geospatial analysis and modeling.  Applicants for a Postdoctoral Researcher position must demonstrate a strong publication record, a Ph.D. degree in wildlife ecology, biogeography, environmental science, habitat suitability modeling/geospatial analysis/remote sensing, or related field.  Applicants for a Field Technician position must demonstrate successful previous experience organizing, planning, and executing broad-scale field campaigns.  Examples of relevant field experience include water sampling, vegetation identification, drone mapping, hydrological measurements, and/or GNSS surveys.  No experience with eDNA is required as successful applicants will receive training for eDNA water sampling from the USDA National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation.  For either position, there is flexibility with respect to field vs. computational work depending on applicant pool qualifications and interests.  

Application Instructions

Candidates should provide a detailed cover letter, CV and a list of three references along with their contact information. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

As an EEO employer, Brown University provides equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation based upon a person’s race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.