Native American Research Assistantship Program Available
The Native American Research Assistantship Program offers annual summer research assistantships for Native undergraduate or graduate students. Established in 2014, the professional development program facilitates opportunities for Native students to be mentored by USDA Forest Service research and development scientists and promotes student advancement and training for careers in natural resource and conservation-related fields. Building on a long history of collaboration with USDA Forest Service Research and Development, the Native American Research Assistantship Program will be expanded starting summer 2023 to include placement of Native students at both USFS and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Paid assistantships are available for Native students interested in wildlife and forest resource research and management. Students will learn and work with an interdisciplinary team of researchers with the USFS or USGS.
Students will participate in laboratory or field data collection, data entry, and analysis as it relates to wildlife ecology and management. During the research assistantship, students will improve their oral and written communication skills. Students will be provided the opportunity to assist in publishing manuscript( s) in peer-reviewed journals, popular press, and/ or present findings at scientific meetings along with project scientists (dependent on travel funding).
All application materials are due annually by mid-January. Exact dates will be published with application instructions each year. To apply, students need to prepare the following: A cover letter indicating which research project they are applying for, Resume/CV, Official or unofficial transcripts, verification of Native Ethnicity (tribal enrollment) and two letters of recommendation.
Applicants must be a member of a Native American or Alaska Native tribe, First Nations or a Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander or have another indigenous identification, and be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program from an accredited academic institution. Pursuit of a bachelor’s or master’s degree in wildlife biology, ecology, forestry or other closely related natural resource discipline is preferred. Students with related associates degrees from tribal colleges and universities or other community colleges are eligible to apply. Recent graduates will also be considered.
The ideal candidate will have strong verbal and written communication skills with demonstrated capabilities in science writing, ability to work both independently and as a productive member of a research team and an ability to work under adverse field conditions (possible extreme weather, difficult terrain, venomous snakes and biting/stinging insects). Submission of a writing sample is optional.
Students with a GPA above 3.0 are preferred, and students with a minimum 2.5 GPA will be considered. Current membership with The Wildlife Society is not required.
For more information, contact Jamila Blake, AWB jblake@wildlife.org.
