USDA-FS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Wildland Fire Social Science

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

USDA Forest Service Office/Lab and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) within the Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS). This opportunity is remote.

At the heart of the USDA 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 USDA 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.

Research Project: The focus of this project is to cultivate Communities of Practice (COPs) in wildland fire management. Project objectives will include the following:

• Collaborate with a team of seasoned practitioners and well-established social science researchers to identify, engage with, and study wildland fire communities of practice across multiple landscapes;
• Place practitioners at the forefront of identifying research needs and provide US Forest Service fire managers and line officers with practical research from peer-reviewed findings in the form of research briefs and other materials to better understand their role, communicate, and cultivate communities of practice across diverse landscapes and human communities;
• Contribute academic research through accessible media and non-media based learning platforms such as websites, webinars, newsletters, conferences, peer-review journals, and meetings for the US Forest Service and locally-based communities of practice to help navigate systemic barriers to wildfire risk mitigation and communication; and
• Collaborate with a new generation of racial, ethnic, and gender diverse social science students and early career professionals to research the wildland fire crisis from convergent perspectives that are problem-focused and solutions-based.

Learning Objectives: 

• Gain knowledge and skills to more effectively lead a complex project;
• Understand leadership skills in multidisciplinary science project;
• Develop innovative social science research methodologies;
• Improve content knowledge of wildland fire social science;
• Understand equity and broaden the wildland fire social science pipeline, especially to women and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority backgrounds in the sciences.

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is David Flores (david.flores2@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 2, 2024.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for two years but may be extended upon recommendation of USDA Forest Service 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 USDA Forest Service. Participants do not become employees of USDA, USDA Forest Service, 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.RMRS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received or be pursuing a doctoral degree in a social science field (e.g., sociology, anthropology, political science, psychology, communications). Degree must have been received within the past five years, or be pursuing.

Preferred Skills:

• Technical writing and communication skills.
• Familiarity with, and experience in, working with multiple research partners.
• A background in social science.

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.