Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) Award

Application Deadline: May 30th, 2018

The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) invites current master and doctoral students in the field of wildland fire and related physical, biological, and social sciences to apply for a Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) award. The purpose of a GRIN award is to enhance student exposure to the management and policy relevance of their research to achieve beneficial outcomes of funded work.

These awards are intended to enable graduate students to conduct research that will supplement and enhance the quality, scope, or applicability of their thesis or dissertation to develop information and products useful to managers and decision-makers. Proposals must demonstrate relevance to fire, fuels, or resource management and include means to directly communicate with managers, when applicable, regarding project outcomes.

Proposals must be directly related to the mission and goals of JFSP to be considered. Applicants are encouraged to search the JFSP website (www.firescience.gov) to learn more about the scope of JFSP activities. In addition, proposals must directly address management- or policy-related questions related to one or more of the following topic areas:

• Fuels management and fire behavior
• Emissions and air quality
• Fire effects and post-fire recovery
• Relative impacts of prescribed fire versus wildfire
• Human dimensions of fire

View Grant Opportunity

The Field Forester supports forest management operations and implements forest and stream restoration projects across forest holdings managed by The Nature Conservancy in the Central Cascades (45,000 acres) and adjacent public lands. The Field Forester works with staff and partners to restore forest health and stream habitat at a landscape scale while also striving to deliver social and economic benefits to the surrounding community.

Click here for more information.

As a Fish and Wildlife Biologist, you will be working closely with other groups (Federal, state, tribal, commercial industry, surrounding landowners, etc.) to conduct environmental impact assessments, process permits, develop fish and wildlife management plans, and ensure the preservation, protection and enhancement of native fish and wildlife and their habitats.

Click here for more information.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Biological Field Technician II performs field work in remote settings to assist with the development and implementation of long-term life history and population monitoring of the Black Pine snake, Gopher tortoise and other rare and endangered herptofauna projects.  Work also includes monitoring breeding activities, head starting and translocation of the Dusky Gopher frog.  S/he gathers and synthesizes data related to at-risk species management in order to create conservation activities and implementation plans.  S/he works with staff and partners to create conservation plans to identify priorities.         

RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE

•     Coordinates with Wildlife Biologist and Biological Field Technician I to perform projects.
•     Assists with black pine snake, gopher tortoise and other projects to include, but not limited to, building traps, identifying potential trap sites, installation of drift fences, trapping, radio telemetry, identification of reptiles and amphibians, habitat characterization and restoration.
•     Assists with gopher tortoise projects to include, but not limited to, egg nest surveys/transport, incubation care, hatchling tortoise care, burrow surveys/scoping, sampling vegetation in association with habitat characterization, checking traps.
•     Performs Camp Shelby Burrowing Crayfish surveys and sampling.
•     Assists with field surveys for threatened and endangered species for specific project areas as requested by the Mississippi Military Department (MMD).
•     Captures field collected GPS data for incorporation into a GIS database.
•     Manages the rare fauna GIS database following MMD standards.
•     Uses ArcGIS to create maps relevant to specific projects and reports.
•     Performs data entry, analysis and interpretation of projects.
•     Presents data and findings as requested by the Wildlife Biologist.
•     Writes appropriate section(s) of the annual report.  Writes other reports related to projects.
•     Assists with prescribed burns on Department of Defense (DoD) and TNC lands.
•     Performs various administrative duties.
•     May work with a small group of staff or volunteers on a project basis.                                          
•     Purchase equipment and supplies as provided for in budget.
•     Work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, in hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information about and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 20, 2018.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE

    Coordinates with Wildlife Biologist and Biological Field Technician I to perform projects.

    Assists with black pine snake, gopher tortoise and other projects to include, but not limited to, building traps, identifying potential trap sites, installation of drift fences, trapping, radio telemetry, identification of reptiles and amphibians, habitat characterization and restoration.

    Assists with gopher tortoise projects to include, but not limited to, egg nest surveys/transport, incubation care, hatchling tortoise care, burrow surveys/scoping, sampling vegetation in association with habitat characterization, checking traps.

    Performs Camp Shelby Burrowing Crayfish surveys and sampling.

    Assists with field surveys for threatened and endangered species for specific project areas as requested by the Mississippi Military Department (MMD).

    Captures field collected GPS data for incorporation into a GIS database.

    Manages the rare fauna GIS database following MMD standards.

    Uses ArcGIS to create maps relevant to specific projects and reports.

    Performs data entry, analysis and interpretation of projects.

    Presents data and findings as requested by the Wildlife Biologist.

    Writes appropriate section(s) of the annual report.  Writes other reports related to projects.

    Assists with prescribed burns on Department of Defense (DoD) and TNC lands.

    Performs various administrative duties.

    May work with a small group of staff or volunteers on a project basis.                                          

    Purchase equipment and supplies as provided for in budget.

    Work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, in hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.

As a member of the Prescribed Fire Team within the Wildlife Program, the incumbent(s) participate in providing statewide fire management implementation services on wildlife areas including fire dependent fish and wildlife habitat restoration and maintenance using prescribed (Rx) fire. Additionally this position is a member of a Prescribed (Rx) Burn Team to help implement projects for fire-dependent dry forest ecosystems with an initial focus in North Central Washington but may include any region in Washington State. The incumbent(s) supports/contributes to the mission of WDFW of preserving, protecting and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats by restoring fire as a disturbance agent at the appropriate frequency to fire dependent ecosystems/habitats sustaining and perpetuating the plants and animals dependent thereon.

Under supervision of the Prescribed Fire Team Leader this position participates in implementing plans to restore and maintain fire dependent fish and wildlife on wildlife areas primarily in Okanogan County but may include any region statewide which include more 200,000 acres of forest including numerous fire dependent, e.g., dry forest and fire maintained prairies and steppe.

For more information click here.

You are invited to participate in an ANONYMOUS survey about the health risks of current and former wildland firefighters. This study is facilitated by the University of Montana and is not associated with any agency or group employing wildland firefighters.

Why participate in this study?

The long-term physical, psychological, and behavioral health risks of wildland firefighters are not well-documented in research. By voicing your experiences as a participant in this study, you are making an important contribution toward understanding and improving wildland firefighter health. Results of the study may play an important role in advocating for programs, policy, and future research aimed at improving wildland firefighter health and safety.

For more information and to take the survey, click HERE.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Field Steward plans and directs preserve programs and stewardship for The Nature Conservancy’s 7,800 acre Ordway Prairie Preserve. The Field Steward is responsible for ensuring that all facilities, preserve grounds, and equipment are in good repair and well organized.  The Field Steward will implement preserve management plans using an adaptive management process – including chemical, biological, and mechanical control of noxious weeds, grazing management, and fire management as well as participate in research and monitoring programs.  The Field Steward will coordinate projects and lead crews consisting of staff, volunteers, interns, and/or contractors.  The Field Steward will serve as a community liaison and promote the Conservancy’s mission by assisting visitors and partners on identified projects. The Field Steward may lead education and outreach events for diverse audiences. The Field Steward will assist with livestock management including daily care of the resident bison herd.  This is a full-time, benefited position. Work hours can vary from 35 to >50 hours per week with possible evening, weekend, or holiday work required depending on the season and associated work duties.

Housing for the Field Steward and immediate family is available on the preserve.  In order to effectively conduct the essential functions of the position, it is strongly suggested the Field Steward live on the preserve or within a reasonable distance agreed upon with the supervisor so that the Steward is able to respond to emergency, urgent and routine issues and events on the preserve including but not limited to cattle and bison management, security, equipment failures and visitors.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information about and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 24, 2018.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The primary role of the Stewardship Technician is in preserve operations and management. This can include native and non-native vegetation management (herbicide applications, brush removal, tree removal, mowing, biological control, etc.), equipment maintenance and organization, boundary marking and communication with preserve neighbors, rare plant monitoring, wildlife surveys, firebreak installation, implementation of prescribed burning, and other duties as needed. The technician may engage volunteers and help manage contractors to support preserve management efforts when needed. Two to three day overnight travel is often required as priority preserves are over 2-hour drives from our Asheville office.

The Stewardship Technician also assists with Grandfather Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration projects and restoration efforts and participates in prescribed burning on partner lands. S/he may work up to 40% time on National Forest lands via TNC-US Forest Service cost-share agreement. Past work has included hemlock wooly adelgid treatment, ArcGIS mapping projects, forest mensuration, leading or assisting on work crews, prescribed burning, and non-native invasive species treatment. No expectation of annual renewal of the term position is given or implied.  This is a full-time, one-year term position with a target start date of July 9. This position has been renewed annually since 2015, but renewal is determined by funding and interest by both parties.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information about and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 15, 2018.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Preserve Steward maintains preserve areas frequented by the visiting public and performs land management activities.   The Preserve Steward is responsible for removing exotic species, conducts species/vegetation monitoring, maintains tools and equipment, and assist with completing land inspections throughout Kentucky.   The individual may assist in prescribed fire burns.  The Preserve Steward will maintain preserve records using a database, PC or mobile device.  Frequent overnight travel required. Housing is not provided.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information about and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 14, 2018.

In effort to reduce the risk and damage from wildfires, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) today announced the availability of local fire prevention grant funding. The program is part of CAL FIRE’s California Climate Investments (CCI) which will increase carbon storage and sequestration in forestlands through a variety of objectives including wildfire prevention.  The 2017-2018 California budget allocates up to $195 million for the Fire Prevention and Forest Health Programs.

Applications are being accepted through June 6, 2018.

For more information, click HERE.

Work in a joint capacity with Pheasants Forever, Inc. (PF), the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission (NGPC) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to promote, coordinate and implement the conservation provisions of the Federal Farm Bill and other related wildlife conservation programs.  Activities will include providing technical assistance to landowners regarding rangeland and wildlife management, habitat planning, contract coordination, conservation plan modification, site assessment and reporting.  Conduct and coordinate training sessions that include workshops and tours for landowners and resource professionals.  Provide technical assistance related to prescribed fire to private landowners and public organizations.  Meet with local chapters of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever on to help coordinate and influence habitat and rangeland management efforts and participate in statewide habitat meetings.  Implement conservation programs to improve rangeland management, grassland restoration, and wildlife habitat management on private lands.  Assist or coordinate activities and projects as assigned by supervisor.

Click here for more information.

Overview: In 2016 and 2017, Northern Arizona University and the Forest Service worked together to implement ‘rapid plot’ sampling on the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests. This novel monitoring approach is designed to maximize recurrent sampling efficiency of biophysical variables, with a focus on forest and woodland structure and fuels, which can then be used to track changes in forests, watersheds, and wildlife habitat through time. During these two summers, a field crew of three averaged about 25 forest plots per week. Over the course of this summer, we will continue rapid plot sampling on the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests.

Qualifications: We will be hiring three technicians, including one who will act as crew leader and inspector. The technicians should have field experience, preferably with silvicultural and vegetation measurement techniques. The crew leader must have forestry field experience, preferably crew supervisor experience, and must have excellent organization and communication skills. The crew will camp while out in the field and will be expected to navigate dirt roads and work through inclement weather at times. They will enter data on mobile devices and the crew leader will be expected to deliver the data at the end of each week.

Click here for more information.

Battelle and its affiliate, Battelle Ecology, Inc. manages and operates the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) project, which is solely funded by the National Science Foundation. A 30+ year project dedicated to understanding how changes in climate, land use and invasive species impact ecology, the observatory’s scientists and engineers are collecting a comprehensive range of ecological data on a continental scale across 20 eco-climatic domains representing US ecosystems. Our teams use cutting-edge technology, including an airborne observation platform that captures images of regional landscapes and vegetation; mobile, relocatable, and fixed data collection sites with automated ground sensors to monitor soil and atmosphere; and trained field crews who observe and sample populations of diverse organisms and collect soil and water data. Once structures are completed, a leading edge cyberinfrastructure will calibrate, store and publish this information. The Observatory includes more than 500+ personnel and is the first of its kind designed to detect and enable forecasting of ecological change at continental scales.

The Air Quality Program's mission is to protect, preserve, and enhance the air quality of Washington to safeguard public health and the environment, and support high quality of life for current and future citizens.

The Air Quality Program and its partners use the data collected within the Washington ambient air monitoring network to:

• Determine if air quality is meeting federal standards.
• Provide near-real-time air quality information for the protection of public health.
• Forecast air quality.
• Make daily burn decisions and curtailment calls.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of air pollution control programs.
• Evaluate the effects of air pollution on public health.
• Determine air quality trends.
• Identify and develop responsible and cost-effective pollution control strategies.

Some of the key work activities at the Environmental Specialist 3 level include:

• Reviews and issues burn permits.
• Makes daily smoke management decisions, Investigates complaints, conducts field inspections.
• Works closely with a variety of people and other government agencies.

Click here for more information.

The Sagebrush Ecology Technician will primarily collect data in support of field research, monitoring, and assessment projects (30%) and support preparation and implementation of projects via field and lab work (50%). Other duties will include data entry (10%) and other conservation/science tasks as directed (10%). Specific projects include, but are not limited to: collecting data on efficacy of novel sagebrush-steppe restoration technologies, collecting field data to assess accuracy of remotely-sensed ecological status, and pilot testing of sage-grouse habitat quality tools. The Sagebrush Ecology Technician will also support The Nature Conservancy's Precision Restoration project by producing enhanced seed materials, designed to increase successful restoration of native perennial vegetation in annual grass-prone rangelands.

Click here for more information.

The Morton Arboretum is recruiting a fixed-term, full-time Soil Ecology Research Intern to aid in assessing the effects of prescribed burning and overstory thinning on soils in oak ecosystems throughout the Chicago Wilderness (N Indiana, NE Illinois, and SE Wisconsin). This position is funded under a Center for Tree Science grant, and the position has an expected duration of 4 months.

Essential Functions:

• Provide support to a scientist for the implementation of research and related projects.
• Assist with data and sample collection, sample processing, data analysis, and record keeping on research and related projects.
• Operate and maintain laboratory equipment, and perform routine lab maintenance by keeping laboratory and field equipment in good working order.
• Other duties as assigned.

Click here for more information.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Project Manager will help implement several ongoing collaborative forest and watershed restoration projects, including the American River Headwaters/French Meadows Project and the Tahoe-Central Sierra Initiative, and may also work to promote use of prescribed fire as a management tool and to develop wood products infrastructure to support forest restoration.  Key functions will include analyzing and synthesizing policy, practice and research to help advance the Conservancy’s goals, writing reports, analyses and grant applications, establishing and developing relationships with government agencies, NGOs, academic researchers, and the private sector, representing the Conservancy in meetings and partnerships, managing grants and contracts, and serving as part of an interdisciplinary team. 

HOW TO APPLY

For more information about and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 27, 2018.

Scientists from the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station and the University of Montana conducted a study in which observed data were used to produce statistical models describing the probability of high-severity fire as a function of fuel, topography, climate, and fire weather. Observed data from over 2000 fires were used to build individual models for each of 19 ecoregions in the contiguous US. In turn, these statistical models were used to generate "wall-to-wall" maps depicting the probability of high-severity fire, if a fire were to occur.

FRAMES is proud to host the distribution of these gridded maps: https://www.frames.gov/NextGen-FireSeverity

For more information about these products or to read the paper, see:

Parks SA, Holsinger LM, Panunto MH, Jolly WM, Dobrowski SZ, and Dillon GK. 2018. High-severity fire: evaluating its key drivers and mapping its probability across western US forests. Environmental Research Letters. 13: 044037.

Or go to the FRAMES Resource Catalog record.

Dear Fire Science Personnel and Community Members,

You are invited to participate in the continuing evaluation of the Joint Fire Science Program’s Fire Science Exchange Network.

This web-based survey focuses on the communication and application of fire science research results and resources. They are specifically interested in knowing about your opinions and experiences with the Fire Science Exchange in your region.

Your responses to the questions will be used to help the JFSP Fire Science Exchange Network address your fire science information needs and ultimately enhance fire science delivery.

The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. They realize that some of you may have completed a version of this survey in the past but continued participation of prior respondents and participation from new respondents is essential in helping the JFSP Fire Science Exchanges progress toward their goals.

Your participation in this study is voluntary, and all of your responses will remain completely confidential. Please click here or copy and paste the link into your web browser: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JFLK92X

If you have any questions or problems accessing the survey, please contact Evaluation Coordinator Bret Davis (775) 784-6637

This evaluation project is based at the University of Nevada, Reno and includes all of the Fire Science Exchanges across the United States.

Bill Evans, Ph.D., Professor of and Human Development and Education, University of Nevada, Reno (wevans@unr.edu)

Loretta Singletary, Ph.D., Professor-Department of Economics; Interdisciplinary Outreach Liaison, Cooperative Extension, University of Nevada, Reno (singletaryl@unr.edu)

Bret Davis, Ph.D., Research and Evaluation Specialist, Human Development and Family Studies, University of Nevada, Reno (bretd@unr.edu)

Chris Copp, MA, Doctoral Student, Interdisciplinary Social Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno (christopherjcopp@gmail.com)

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The ABRCT will lead work teams that will conduct management activities that will include assisting with prescribed burning, clearing and mowing firebreaks, repairing and organizing burn equipment, tree and brush cutting, fence construction/removal, parking area maintenance, maintaining vehicles and mileage log sheets, meeting with local landowners, identifying management needs for preserves, assisting with field trips, working with volunteers and contractors, and other land management tasks as needed.  The CPIII maintains preserve areas frequented by the visiting public, removes exotic species and/or monitors and researches species, maintains tools and equipment and operates heavy machinery.  Additional functions may include contract planning and project oversight working with a wide array of private contractors.  This is a full-time seasonal, term position with a start date of mid-July, 2018 and end date of June 26, 2020.  This term position will be 10 months a year (December and January off). 

HOW TO APPLY

For more information about and to apply to this position, click HERE. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 21, 2018.