8 week summer internship: Grass productivity responses to fire and grazing (eastern Montana)
Dates: mid to late June
– August 2021 (8-week appointment, flexible start/end dates).
Please specify your available start and end dates in your application.
Internship Description/Duties: This internship will focus on a
collaborative research project between two USDA ARS labs in eastern
Montana, the Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory in Sidney
and the Livestock & Range Research Laboratory in Miles City, where
the field work will be conducted. The research goal is to assess drivers
of grass productivity following fire and grazing. Fire is a natural
process in rangeland ecosystems, which provide important grazing
resources for livestock that support rural livelihoods worldwide.
Knowledge generated from this project will increase the ability of
people who depend on rangelands to produce livestock profitably and
sustainably. The intern will gain knowledge of ecological interactions
in a globally-important ecosystem and learn specific skills applicable
in a broad suite of plant and soil sciences.
The intern will implement a study that uses a combination of prescribed
burning and clipping of focal plants (to simulate livestock grazing) to
assess productivity effects of fire and grazing for 4 grass species with
different photosynthetic mechanisms (C3 vs. C4) and growth forms
(sod-forming vs. bunch grasses). The intern will be responsible for
conducting fire and grazing treatments and collecting plant growth, soil
chemical and microbial, and plant physiological data. Training will
include techniques for measuring plant and soil responses to treatments
in the field and lab. The successful candidate will be expected to
present their research findings to the labs upon completion of the
research.
Salary: Full time, $13.45 (GS-3) per hour. Housing is not covered, but
we will assist in finding affordable housing in Miles City, MT, where
the field component of the internship will be conducted.
Qualifications: The candidate must be a US citizen, with a valid
driver’s license. Additionally, the candidate should be physically
fit, and comfortable spending time outside in uncomfortable field
conditions (hot, biting insects etc.). Introductory coursework in either
biology or ecology is required. Coursework in field ecology or plant
biology is preferred. Field experience related to plant and soil
sampling is preferred.
Application process: Please send cover letter outlining relevant
experience/skills, resume (including relevant coursework and prior
employment), and names and contact information of two references
(electronically) in a single file to Carissa Wonkka
(Carissa.Wonkka@usda.gov). Be sure to include available start and end
dates.
Open Period: Evaluation of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
For more information on our research programs visit our websites at https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/miles-city-mt/larrl/ and https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/sidney-mt/northern-plains-agricultural-research-laboratory/ or contact Carissa Wonkka or Devan McGranahan (Devan.McGranahan@usda.gov) directly.
Title: Biological Science Intern
Series: 0404 Grade: GS3
Vacancy Announcement Number: Seasonal L/A
Location: USDA-ARS Livestock & Range Research Laboratory (primary
field location) and Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory
USDA is an equal opportunity employer.
Reasonable Accommodation: If you need a reasonable accommodation for
any part of the application and hiring process, or have questions
regarding reasonable accommodation and/or accessibility for any part of
the application and hiring process, please contact the Disability
Program Manager on 202-720-6161 or through the DC Relay Service on
202-855-1234 (TDD).