USDA FS Plant Functional Trait Based Approach to Forest Restoration
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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*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
USDA Forest Service Office/Lab and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) within the Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNWRS) located in Hilo, Hawaii.
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.
Research Project: Natural ecosystems are becoming homogenized by the introduction and establishment of non-native species. Our study area, the lowland wet forests (LWF) of Hawai‘i, have been subject to high rates of invasion due to geography and human colonization. However, non-native species removal is expensive and time-consuming, and some non-native species may be playing important roles in the community by providing ecosystem goods and services. The Liko Na Pilina Project seeks to develop a strategy utilizing the functional traits of plants to purposefully create new ecosystems that maintain themselves with relatively little input, and that are capable of sequestering substantial amounts of carbon, sustaining a broad range of native biological diversity, and staying open enough at ground level to allow human movement through them. Our overall objective is to develop and evaluate a set of what we call “hybrid ecosystems,” in which a mix of native and non-native species maintains valuable forest structure and ecosystem services. The participant will support this Liko Na Pilina restoration experiment and be mentored as part of a collaborative team of the USDA Forest Service, University of Hawaii at Hilo, and the Hawaii Army National Guard.
The participant will be involved with field data collections, field research plot maintenance, greenhouse planting, laboratory sample processing, and data entry. Field data collections are focused on:
- Collecting data on tree growth and survival, seed production, litterfall, and phenology;
- Conducting regular plot maintenance (weeding and herbicide application), and;
- Planting desirable species mixes into target restoration areas across the larger landscape.
Greenhouse plantings will focus on:
- Propagation of desirable plants of future restoration efforts, and;
- General upkeep of the greenhouse space.
Laboratory sample processing will focus on: post-processing (i.e., sorting and weighing) litterfall/seed rain samples. Data entry will focus on entering data collected in the field and lab into ongoing data sets.
Field conditions can be hot or rainy. Terrain is very uneven as plots are located on 'a'a lava substrates. Day to day activities of the participant will involve hiking and standing and may include lifting containers weighing up to 35 pounds.
Learning Objectives: The fellow will build knowledge, experience, and competence in the following areas:
- Plant identification and vegetation monitoring techniques
- Applied hands-on restoration strategies
- Plant propagation technique for species with diverse needs
- Standard ecological sample processing protocols
- Data entry, management, and analysis
Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Susan Cordell (susan.cordell@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 2025. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for 10 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 $1646.67 - $1,820.00 monthly.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.
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.PSWRS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received an associate's or bachelor's degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years, or anticipated to be received by 5/31/2028.
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