Biologist (Postdoctoral Research Fellow) (IS-0401-09)

Application Deadline: 2 October 2024

Department: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Edgewater, MD

Reporting To: Executive Officer

Compensation: $68,405 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: September 5, 2024  CLOSING DATE: October 2, 2024              POSITION TYPE: Trust FundAPPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary Not to Exceed One (1) Year (subject to renewal depending on performance) SCHEDULE: Full Time DUTY LOCATION: Edgewater MD
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Open to all qualified applicants

Application Instructions:  As a single PDF, please submit a brief cover letter outlining how you meet the qualifications, CV, and the names of three references.
What are Trust Fund Positions?Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program and may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).  Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated as low risk.
• Complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States.  Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
• Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 

OVERVIEW

The position is based at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, MD and requires local travel. This is a full-time position with annual salary of $68,405 and a comprehensive benefits package. The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the US. 

SERC is a research institute of the Smithsonian Institution dedicated to environmental research and education. SERC’s 2,650-acre campus is a living laboratory for long-term ecosystem research on forests, farmland, wetlands, shorelines and estuaries. SERC is strategically located in a rural landscape with immediate proximity to the Baltimore-Washington DC-Annapolis urban system on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay and central to the Bay’s large watershed. Our vibrant community of 150 staff includes principal investigators, educators, technicians, postdocs, and graduate and undergraduate researchers, who annually engage and collaborate with interns, 500+ volunteers, and 15,000 public visitors. Research and education at SERC address grand challenges in environmental science by working across ecological scales, conducting long-term studies, and engaging in comparative, synthetic studies. Our scientists collaborate across the Smithsonian Institution and with federal and state agencies, universities, and international organizations. We value public engagement and have strong programs in citizen science, science education, and science communication. 

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Watershed Science Lab conducts research on the ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry of watersheds and stream networks. We are especially interested in understanding how land use and land management interact with climate to affect stream network functioning with respect to organic carbon and nutrient transformations and fluxes. The Coastal Disease Ecology Lab conducts research on the biogeography, epidemiology, and impact of parasites and pathogens in coastal ecosystems. We are especially interested in using molecular tools to examine parasite sources and movements trophically and geographically. 

This postdoctoral position will support a collaborative project with the WS and CDE labs and the Anacostia River Keeper that is focused on understanding sources