Author: Kaye L. Brubaker

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

Virginia Tech logo

Request for Proposals FY 2020 104(B) (State Program)

by Kaye L. Brubaker

The MWRRC invites proposals for Fiscal Year 2020 funding under Section 104(b) of the Water Resources Research Act.

Investigators from any Maryland institution of higher education are eligible to apply.

The Maryland version of the RFP: RFP-MWRRC-104b-2020_rev1. For investigators’ use in proposal preparation, the RFP attachments are also provided in MS Word Format (docx).

Applications must be received by January 5, 2020, 11:59 p.m.

The Center will consider proposals in three general categories.

Traditional Research Projects

Any topic related to water resources in Maryland will be considered. Cooperative programs involving U.S. Geological Survey personnel are encouraged (Click here for list of personnel in the USGS Water Center for MD/DE/DC). All proposals submitted to the MWRRC will receive external peer review.

It is expected that the total MWRRC contribution will be $16,000 to $35,000. Non-federal matching funds are required in the ratio of 2:1 matching:MWRRC. Indirect costs are not allowed on the project, but waived indirect costs can be used as matching funds. Prospective PIs are encouraged to contact the Center director if they have questions about matching funds.

Proposals must be fully executed by the institutional office of research. All proposals must be filed by January 5, 2019, 11:59 p.m. Those that are selected for funding by the MWRRC will be forwarded to the USGS.

Research proposals are to be submitted by email to the Center Director, Dr. Kaye Brubaker, kbru<at>umd.edu. Include “2020 104(b)” in the subject line. Instructions for proposal preparation are available in PDF form (RFP-MWRRC-104b-2020_rev1). Worksheet templates are available in MS Word Format (docx).

Targeted Research Topic for FY 2020: Fish Passage

An opportunity exists for a qualified researcher or team to work in partnership with Maryland agencies on the topic of fish passage in streams. Due to changing geomorphic and hydraulic conditions, many barriers exist today throughout the State.  State agencies have invested heavily in projects intended to improve fish passage at barrier or blockage locations.  However, the long-term success of these projects has been varied. The goal of the FY2020 partnership is to investigate the hydraulic and geomorphic factors associated with good passage, marginal passage, and non-passage. Various data are available from state and federal agencies.

Proposals in response to this topic should demonstrate (a) knowledge of fishery issues in Maryland and (b) creative ideas for characterizing the hydraulic and geomorphic properties of stream reaches associated with different levels of fish passage or non-passage. Although monitoring and restoration/retrofit are not within the scope of the 2020 call, it is anticipated that the results will be applicable to future monitoring protocols and design, and PIs are encouraged to think in broad terms about such potential applications.

Agencies are prepared to support the research with staff time, which will be offered as in-kind cost-share and can be use to satisfy the 104(B) program’s non-federal cost-share requirement. Details remain to be determined; for planning purposes, PIs who propose research on this topic may include $5,000 as the estimated in-kind agency contribution in their budgeting. If a proposal to this topic is selected for funding, the Center and the agencies will work with the PI to finalize their budget before the MWRRC’s FY 2020 request is forwarded to the USGS.

Seed Grants

Seed grants range from $3,000 to $6,000. This program solicits proposals aimed at developing exploratory projects, with the deliverable being a major proposal for submission to another agency. Funds are to be used for preliminary experiments or for faculty release time.

Non-federal matching funds are required in the ratio of 2:1 matching:MWRRC. Indirect costs are not allowed on the project, but waived indirect costs can be used as matching funds. Proposals must be fully executed by the institutional office of research. All proposals must be filed by January 5, 2019, 11:59 p.m. Those that are selected for funding by the MWRRC will be forwarded to the USGS.

Seed grant proposals are to be submitted by email to the Center Director, Dr. Kaye Brubaker, kbru<at>umd.edu. Include “2020 104(b)” in the subject line. Instructions for proposal preparation, tailored to the MWRRC, are available in PDF form (RFP-MWRRC-104b-2020_rev1). The budget and budget explanation appendices are available as worksheets/templates in MS Word Format (docx).

Summer Graduate Student Support

A major mission of the Water Resources Research Institutes and Centers is to help develop the new generation of water experts and leaders. The MWRRC is interested in interacting with a broad spectrum of students conducting research relevant to the State’s water resources. As a step toward accomplishing this goal, the Center accepts proposals for Graduate Research Fellowships of $6,000 each for Summer 2020.  All areas related to water resources research will be considered. The student’s advisor is expected to arrange matching funds (2:1 matching:MWRRC) for the fellowship awards. The funds may be used as either summer salary/stipend or fellowship; students are encouraged to discuss arrangements with their advisors and prepare a budget in accordance with their institution’s practices. Awards are made competitively.

Follow this link for Details on Summer Graduate Fellowships. Applications must be received at MWRRC by January 5, 2019, 11:59 p.m.

 For further information, contact Dr. Kaye Brubaker kbru<at>umd.edu

The number of projects supported in each category will depend on the quality of the proposed work, response to specific research areas of interest, and availability of funds.

Hydrogeologist Position Open at Maryland Geological Survey

by Kaye L. Brubaker

The Maryland Geological Survey has a job opening (Baltimore, MD) for a hydrogeologist (start date ~early to mid-summer). Specifically seeking a candidate with groundwater-flow modeling (MODFLOW) knowledge/experience.

See the position announcement for further details and how to apply:
(the position closes 5/15/19)

NatureCity Forum, March 26, 2019

by Kaye L. Brubaker

Register Now for NatureCity Forum 2019

“Building Community through Green Infrastructure”

March 26, 2019

Brookside Gardens, Wheaton Maryland

 

Come spend a day exploring the best practices and collaborations that are addressing urban flooding, health, and engagement with nature.   Hear local and national examples of green infrastructure projects, innovative tools, and community engagement.

Tour the natural beauty of Brookside Gardens and learn about their innovative green infrastructure parking garden.

Speakers include

  • Dr Sam Brody, Texas A & M, Urban Flooding: A growing national challenge to Sustainability

  • Dr Autumn Saxton Ross, Nature Bridge, Access to Nature: A Social and Human Right

  • Scott Walzak, Georgetown Heritage, C & O Canal Project

  • Nancy Striniste, Early Space, Parks, Nature Play & the Next Generation

Hear about project such as:

  • Druid Heights Greening in Baltimore City, Interfaith Community Project in Montgomery County, Ellicott City Flood, Recovery & Planning Efforts and more

Learn about community engagement efforts such as

  • Community art projects, bi-lingual programming, and community science

Click here for registration & information.

After March 1

  • $ 25- Student Rate

  • $ 60 – Full Day

Update on 2019 104(G) Schedule

by Kaye L. Brubaker

USGS has received approval to proceed with the February 15 deadline for submitting 104g research pre-proposals to the State Institutes (Maryland Water Resources Research Center for Maryland institutions). The final RFP is not yet available on grants.gov. Please use the linked  draft RFP as a guide for assembling your pre-proposal. Note that the pre-proposals are not submitted to grants.gov; they are collected by the State Institutes. Please email your pre-proposal to Dr. Kaye Brubaker (kbru<“at”>umd.edu) before 5:00 p.m. EST on February 15, 2019, with a subject line clearly identifying your message as a 104(g) pre-proposal.

Note: Pre-proposals do not include detailed budget information; therefore, they do not need to be endorsed/executed by the PI’s Office of Research/Sponsored Programs*. You are asked to provide estimated budget, matching funds, and project duration.

*Note: Although the MWRRC does not require it at this stage, some institutions require review of the pre-proposal by their Office of Research/Sponsored Programs — in particular, to authorize matching funds. Each PI should check with their respective Office.