POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Ecology Assistant
Park Unit: Central Alaska Network, Inventory and Monitoring Division
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Number of positions available: 1
Can this position be fully remote: YES
INTERNSHIP DATES AND LENGTH
Duration: 52 weeks (not flexible)
Start Date: 10/07/2024
Flexible Start Date: YES
LIVING AND RELOCATION ALLOWANCE:
Weekly Stipend: $665.00
Relocation Allowance: $1,050.00
CURRENT NUMBER OF APPLICANTS: Under 75 (The position is reviewing applications and scheduling interviews on a rolling basis; apply at your earliest convenience for consideration. This posting will close after receiving 75 complete applications, after a candidate is selected, or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 12 August, whichever occurs first.)
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Central Alaska Network was established in 2001 and has been functionally collecting data since 2004. Over the time of the program, more than 85 scientific papers have been published by the program. This internship position will be working primarily with the Network Program Manager to develop several outreach products for the program. We anticipate this will include a book outline and prospectus, updated bibliography of reports and papers published, along with general assistance with book material preparation. We will also seek to be going through the CAKN web pages and updating information there. Our broad goal is to ensure the web pages reflect our current understanding of the park systems and generally summarize information from 20+ years of work. This network (CAKN) is one of a first suit of networks that will be undergoing a program review within the next 1-2 yrs. The assistance of an intern would be very helpful with these efforts as well. As guidance is presently in development, we can provide details on this work but expect it will be a component of the internship also.
POSITION IMPACT
The CAKN program differs from many networks across the country in that the PIs running the monitoring are also park employees. This means that there are few staff that work directly for the network and can collaborate with the Program Manager on larger, more holistic products. Therefore, the potential impact for this intern is high as their work can assist the compilation of a large amount of science information. This effort goes directly to the heart of why the Inventory and Monitoring program was created - to provide information to the park managers for use in protecting and understanding park resources.
DELIVERABLES
There is a multitude of projects that could be produced by the intern. These would include videos, resource briefs, and written summaries and the exact form is dependent on the interest of the intern. It is expected that the intern will assist in the development of a book prospectus on the CAKN program and this will require that the intern familiarize themselves with the monitoring program and the papers that have been published. Additionally, if the intern would like to define an independent project based on their area of interest/expertise, that would be welcomed. In that case we will develop a clearly define the scope and methodologies to be employed in the project along with the final deliverables expected.
DESIRED INTERN QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants must have completed at least three years toward a degree in the biological sciences with a preference for those candidates with completed coursework in a natural resources field (botany, ecology, wildlife management, stream ecology, limnology, geology, etc) along with a working knowledge of GIS. Additional coursework writing or other communication will make the applicant most competitive.
The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. legal permanent resident (“Green Card holder”). Prior to starting this position, a government security background clearance will be required. The applicant must be available to participate for 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
WORK SETTING
This position will be located Fairbanks, Alaska. Fairbanks is the major hub of interior Alaska where summers are warm with long days. The grocery store and other amenities including restaurants and theaters are conveniently located nearby (Fairbanks). Fairbanks is a University town with approximately 90,000 residents and is the second largest city in Alaska, behind Anchorage. It has all the amenities of a small city, that serves as a Regional hub for all of interior Alaska. The majority of the work for this position will be working from the NPS Administrative offices in Fairbanks. If the successful applicant is interested, there is the possibility of assisting in data collection efforts for various Vital Signs. This could include back country work and could also include flying in small planes, boating on rivers and camping in primitive conditions.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is recommended for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The intern will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. Interns stationed in Fairbanks in past years have found housing in a variety of different circumstances, including shared apartments, stand-alone small cabins or renting a room within a household. While not required, finding housing in Fairbanks is easier if the intern has a vehicle, as that widens the area open to consideration. Interns in past years have been able to secure housing using on-line venues, and though personal connections in the area.
KEYWORDS
Ecology, GIS, Communication
IMPORTANT NOTICES
The position is reviewing applications and scheduling interviews on a rolling basis, apply at your earliest convenience for consideration. This posting will close after receiving 75 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 12 August, whichever occurs first. Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks Intern positions per winter. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.)
LEARN MORE
https://www.scientistsinparks.org/