Month: January 2020

Postdoc Opportunity / Research Hydrologist, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD

by Kaye L. Brubaker

The USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Hydrology & Remote Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, is seeking a POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, (Research Hydrologist) for a TWO YEAR APPOINTMENT.  Ph.D. is required. Salary is commensurate with experience ($ 69,581 – $83,398 per annum) plus benefits.  Citizenship restrictions apply.  The incumbent will develop research plans for water quality studies involving complex groundwater and surface water interactions in varied landscapes; select and modify appropriate hydrologic and water quality models for simulating transport of chemical constituents; carry out quality control exercises of field data sets collected in water quality investigations, especially those associated with trace organic and inorganic contaminants; and write scientific reports and peer-reviewed manuscripts documenting results, analysis, and interpretation of hydrologic and water quality data.  Send application materials and references to Dr. Gregory McCarty, USDA/ARS Bldg. 007, Room 127, Beltsville, MD 20705 or e-mail (greg.mccarty@usda.gov).

USDA/ARS is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

 

2020 Summer Internship Opportunity in Hydrology with Mosaics Diversity Program

by Kaye L. Brubaker

The Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program is a 12-week summer internship designed to engage racially diverse university students and recent graduates who are under-represented in natural resource fields with on-the-ground work experience in the National Park System.

Environment for the Americas coordinates over 40 paid internship opportunities for diverse youth interested in careers in natural resources, environmental education, communications, history, and more with federal agencies across the country.

A hydrology position is currently available at Monocacy National Battlefield in Frederick, MD.

Hydrology Assistant – Mosaics In Science

 

Request for Proposals FY 2020 104(G) (National Competitive Grant Program)

by Kaye L. Brubaker

The Maryland Water Resources Research Center (MWRRC) announces the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2020 National Competitive Grant Program by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources.

Proposals are requested on the topics of improving and enhancing the nation’s water supply and availability, and promoting the exploration of new ideas that address or expand our understanding of water problems. Proposals must address one of the four high priority research areas listed in the RFP:

  • Expand and enhance the use of hydrologic monitoring data monitoring to support advanced modeling tools to provide state-of-the-art flood and drought forecasts, drive emergency-and water-management decision support systems.
  • Research to help society deal with water scarcity or water availability challenges such as drought, snow pack, and/or changes in runoff regimes.
  • Development and evaluation of processes and governance mechanisms that advance the science of ecological flows.
  • Exploration and advancement of our understanding of harmful algae blooms (HABs). Proposals are sought that focus on innovations in monitoring the occurrence of HABs and algal toxins, research on factors that result in algal toxin production, and improvements in near-real time modeling and forecasting of toxin-producing blooms.

Any investigator at an institution of higher learning in Maryland is eligible to apply through the MWRRC. Projects will only be awarded if funds are appropriated to the USGS to support the program.

Proposals may be for projects of 1 to 3 years in duration, may request up to $250,000 in federal funds, and require a 1:1 (non-federal:federal) match. Proposals in PDF format must be emailed to the MWRRC Director Dr. Kaye Brubaker at kbru<at-symbol>umd.edu by 5 p.m., March 9, 2020 to allow adequate time for MWRRC to submit the proposals by the March 19 deadline for institutes. Only proposals submitted to MWRRC by March 9 will be transmitted to the National Grants Competition Proposal Peer Review Panel.

Additional information about research priorities, proposal content, format and review process are available in the RFP.

Summer Opportunity for Undergraduates (Virginia)

by Kaye L. Brubaker

Virginia Tech REEU graphcis

USDA-Funded RESEARCH & EXTENSION EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES (REEU)

Applications due Feb 15, 2020

Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents, enrolled in a degree program leading to BS or BA degree, and be entering their sophomore, junior or senior year in Fall 2020. The program will run from June 1 – July 31, 2020 in Blacksburg, VA on the Virginia Tech campus. Chosen undergraduate fellows will receive a stipend of $500 per week for the 9-week program and we will provide housing and meals. We also have some funds to help with travel to and from the site, which will be determined once we have reviewed the applications and accepted students into the program.

We aim to provide intellectually challenging, interdisciplinary research and extension experiences for diverse undergraduates from across the US. During the summer program, our undergraduate fellows will:

1. Develop a detailed and nuanced understanding of the complexity of anthropogenic influences and stakeholder needs within mixed-use watersheds;

2. Gain appreciation for the disciplinary diversity required to address critical, complex water resources issues;

3. Improve their ability to communicate scientific findings to audiences of varying backgrounds in formal and informal situations;

4. Acquire a foundation in technical, social, and collaborative skills to help them succeed in future research and professional activities; and

5. Form a professional network that can support future careers in water management (e.g., graduate degrees, agricultural/industry careers, public service, etc.).

This REEU will catalyze interactions between students from widely varying disciplines by focusing on research questions that require innovative approaches to scientific collaboration and data visualization, as well as communication and engagement with an array of local stakeholders. Our diverse team of experienced mentors includes environmental scientists, social scientists, engineers, and computer scientist will both guide individual student efforts as well as collectively model successful interdisciplinary collaboration.

To promote a unifying context for research: a) fellows and mentors will be members of interdisciplinary teams; b) we will learn from and interact with a range of stakeholders across multiple land use issues; and c) activities will be place-based within the New River basin.

For more information go to the following website: https://vtconfluence-reeu.weebly.com

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