USDA-FS Northeast Agroforestry Fellow

Organization
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Reference Code
USDA-FS-NRS-2025-0051
How to Apply

To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY.

A complete application consists of:

• An application
• Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted. Click here  for detailed information about acceptable transcripts.
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• Two educational or professional recommendations. At least one recommendation must be submitted in order for the mentor to view your application.

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

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Application Deadline
6/13/2025 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

USDA Forest Service Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) within the Northeast Climate Hub at the Northern Research Station (NRS) based in Durham, New Hampshire.

At the heart of the USDA Forest Service's mission is their purpose. Everything they do is intended to help sustain forests and grasslands for present and future generations. Why? Because their stewardship work supports nature in sustaining life. This is the purpose that drives the agency’s mission and motivates their work across the agency. It’s been there from the agency’s very beginning, and it still drives them. To advance the mission and serve their purpose, the USDA Forest Service balances the short and long-term needs of people and nature by: working in collaboration with communities and our partners; providing access to resources and experiences that promote economic, ecological, and social vitality; connecting people to the land and one another; and delivering world-class science, technology and land management.

• USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station: Deliver the best possible science on forests and related natural resources. We develop the knowledge and tools that landowners and land managers rely on to improve the health and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands, and ultimately, improve the lives of the people we serve.
• Climate Hub Vision: Robust and healthy agricultural production and natural resources under increasing climate variability and climate change.
• Climate Hub Mission: Develop and deliver science-based, region-specific information and technologies to agricultural and natural resource managers, and communities, that enable climate-smart decision making, and to help implement those decisions. The Northeast Hub is building collaborations connecting stakeholders to climate-related resources and working to fill information gaps where needed.

Research Project: The ORISE Fellow will focus on a series of outreach materials to support producer productivity, resilience, risk reduction, and economically beneficial activities on farms and forests in the Northeast region. The team will define the scope and scale of agroforestry and other resilience strategies, communicate these results to our stakeholders, and collaborate with other scientists, other ORISE fellows, Hub leadership, and partners to determine potential solutions and pathways for optimizing productivity.

Learning Objectives: The Fellow will build skills in:

• Building relationships with stakeholders
• Guidance for producers
• Creating educational materials
• Synthesizing needs of stakeholders
• Evaluating success of outreach

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Erin Lane (erin.d.lane@usda.gov ). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: May 2025. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for six months but may be extended upon recommendation of USDA Forest Service and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is part time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $69,000-$79,000 annually.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and USDA Forest Service. Participants do not become employees of USDA, USDA Forest Service, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

Questions: Please visit our Program Website . After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.USFS.NRS@orau.org  and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received or is pursuing a master’s degree in one of the relevant fields. 

Point of Contact
Justina
Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Master's Degree.
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
  • Communications and Graphics Design (2 )
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (17 )
  • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
  • Engineering (27 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (51 )
  • Mathematics and Statistics (11 )
  • Physics (16 )
  • Science & Engineering-related (2 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (29 )

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