Botany Research Scholarship Program.
Northern California Botanists provides competitive botany and plant
ecology research scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students
attending a college and university. Research scholarships will be funded
by NCB with the goals of encouraging undergraduate students to pursue
academic endeavors toward a career in botany, promoting undergraduate and
graduate botany and plant ecology research, and implementing objectives of
the NCB mission.

Research scholarships consist of $1,000 awards, designed to support basic
undergraduate and graduate research. Students may reapply and receive a
scholarship award up to a maximum of two years for undergraduates and
graduates pursuing a Masters degree and up to a maximum of four years for
graduate students pursuing a Doctorate degree.

Applications for the 2012-2013 school year are due March 31, 2012.
Download the application package at:
www.norcalbotanists.org/scholarships.htm<http://www.norcalbotanists.org/sch
olarships.htm>

ABOUT NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BOTANISTS
www.norcalbotanists.org/<http://www.norcalbotanists.org/>

“Northern California Botanists is an organization with the purpose of
increasing knowledge and communication among agency, consulting, academic,
and other botanists about botanical issues concerning science,
conservation, education, and professional development. Our primary
objectives are to establish a communication forum via occasional meetings,
a scholarship fund for students working on botanical problems in northern
California, a job forum, and an annual symposium that focuses on the
botany of northern California.”

——————————

Study: California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP) – Center for Regional Change
Winter 2012 – may extend through Spring 2012
Time: 10-20 hrs/wk

This position will support data collection and analysis for the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP): http://regionalchange.ucdavis.edu/projects/california-civic-engagement-project-ccep

Duties will include, but may not be limited to, data organization, data entry and creation of written and graphical reports. Desired skills and prior work experience include:
• High competency in Microsoft Excel
• Familiarity in STATA is preferred
• Background/interest in governance, civic engagement, and/or youth issues is a plus

Interested Graduate or Undergraduate students should contact Mindy Romero, Center for Regional: msromero [at] ucdavis [dot] edu

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is seeking a Climate and Energy Program Officer for the Environment Program.

About the Foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been making grants since 1967 to help solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. The Foundation focuses on education, environment, global development and population, performing arts, philanthropy, and issues that disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2011, the Foundation’s assets were approximately $7 billion, with annual grants totaling about $320 million. For more information about the Hewlett Foundation, please visit the website at http://www.hewlett.org/.

Program Officer – Climate and Energy

The Environment Program typically makes grants of $50 million per year focused on three issue areas:

1. Climate change and energy policy;
2. Western conservation policy; and
3. Environmental issues affecting poor communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In addition to this grantmaking, the Hewlett Foundation helped launch and continues to fund the ClimateWorks Foundation, which is working to reduce the risk of climate change by advancing policies in nations with the highest greenhouse gas emissions. The Foundation’s annual grant to the ClimateWorks Foundation is approximately $100 million.

The Climate and Energy Program Officer will report to the Environment Program Director and be based in Menlo Park, California. The Program Officer must have experience in climate and energy policy development and advocacy and be able to apply his or her experience domestically and internationally. Moreover, the Program Officer must have a proven ability to think strategically and understand how policy advocacy creates policy change.

In addition to developing and implementing climate and energy grantmaking strategy, the Program Officer will serve as a catalyst and convener—bringing together environmental leaders and other public and private sector stakeholders. Consequently, the Program Officer must have a demonstrated record of success working with a diverse array of partners to achieve specific policy and programmatic outcomes.

The Program Officer must thrive in a work environment filled with the exploration of new ideas and approaches to addressing complex problems. Joining a team of ten professionals, the new Program Officer will be challenged to meet the following broad goals and responsibilities:

• Developing, testing, refining, and implementing climate and energy grantmaking strategies.
  Communicating strategies to grantees, staff, and partner funders and making other presentations as needed to a wide array of audiences.
• Assessing the organizational development needs of grantee nonprofit organizations and helping to develop organizational development plans to strengthen the ability of grantees to achieve their goals.
• Developing and tracking effective measures of progress toward achievement of the Foundation’s climate and energy goals and leading evaluations of climate and energy grants and initiatives.
  *Making site visits, attending conferences, and representing Foundation programs to the public and to climate and energy leaders.
• Reviewing and assessing climate and energy grant proposals.
• Contributing to the Foundation’s interest in and practice of strategic philanthropy including due diligence, goal-setting and review of business plans, knowledge building, and evaluation.
• Maintaining knowledge of trends, practices, laws, and other related aspects of the field.
• Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with diverse groups of professionals and professional organizations, foundations, and funding sources.

The Program Officer should possess the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:

Professional Qualifications:

• Extensive experience and broad recognition as a climate and energy policy leader with a proven track record of success working on policy issues at state, federal, and/or international levels.
• An understanding of the key climate and energy issues in the United States and ideally, other high greenhouse gas emitting nations such as China, the European Union, and India.
• A sophisticated knowledge of policymaking and a demonstrated ability to navigate these issues diplomatically.
• Experience with strategy development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Strong ability to manage multiple high priority projects simultaneously and to consistently meet deadlines.
• Graduate degree in the sciences, public policy, or related fields.
• Proven talent in staff management and budgeting.
• The ability and flexibility to travel extensively.

Personal Attributes:

• Articulate, with proven ability to write effectively and speak persuasively.
• Superlative interpersonal skills, including a willingness to listen to internal and external constituents and learn from their best ideas.
• Highly motivated with intellectual curiosity, approachability, and openness to input from all levels of staff.
• Personable, diplomatic, and possessing impeccable integrity.
• Exceptional analytical, strategic, and tactical abilities.
• Proven team player and leader able to motivate and inspire staff as well as colleagues to work well as a team.
• Good sense of humor.

Compensation and Benefits
The Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a salary that is commensurate with experience and education. This position is exempt and full-time.

To Apply
Please email your resume and cover letter to Daniel Sherman, President, Explore Company, at resumes@explorecompany.com. Refer to the Hewlett Foundation Climate and Energy Program Officer position. No phone inquiries please.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates for this search. The Foundation uses an outside firm to check the accuracy of information supplied by applicants.

The Contra Costa Water District is currently recruiting for a 2012 summer internship position in their Planning Department. The position is an excellent opportunity for engineering/hydrology minded students to increase their familiarity with California water resources and get hands on experience with how a water service provider operates. They are currently accepting applications at: http://www.ccwater.com/Intern/Index.asp

More information about the Planning Department internship can be found at http://www.ccwater.com/Intern/Intern-Planning12.pdf

They are accepting applications through early February and plan to select a candidate in early March 2012.

More about the Contra Costa Water District:
The Contra Costa Water District delivers safe, clean water to approximately 500,000 people in central and eastern Contra Costa County in Northern California. Formed in 1936 to provide water for irrigation and industry, CCWD is now one of the largest urban water districts in California and a leader in drinking-water treatment technology and source water protection.

To Apply: fill out a brief questionnaire on the website and attach your resume. Check website for more details.

Spend the summer at the Economic Research Service (ERS) 355 E Street, SW, Washington, DC as an Economist, Economics Assistant, and Information Technology (IT) Specialist.

There are currently multiple summer internship positions available. Please see the website for more details on each internship individually.

Qualifications For All Applicants

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited college or university.
• Applicants must be planning to continue their education in the fall semester.
• Because an internship is an “excepted service appointment,” candidates must be a citizen of the United States or meet the criteria in the current appropriations law. For information see: http://www.usajobs.gov/ResourceCenter/Index//Interactive/NonCitizensEmployment#icc

Your application must include:

• Announcement number(s)
  o ERS-0100 for Economist and Economics Assistant
  o ERS-0101 for Information Technology Specialist (Web Design)
  o ERS-0102 for Information Technology Specialist (Customer Support)
• Resume cover sheet form (fillable form)*
• Resume/Curriculum Vitae
• A copy of your unofficial college transcript with your application, and if selected, your official college transcripts will be required to verify education prior to employment (courses to be completed by spring 2012, and you may fax your transcripts (202-245-5604) if you are emailing your resume).
• OF-306 Declaration for Federal Employment http://www.opm.gov/forms/html/of.asp
• Veteran’s Preference- submit your DD-214
  (if applicable.)

What To Expect Next:

• You will receive a confirmation email acknowledging the receipt of your application. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications once a final decision is made. This could be approximately 30-45 days after the closing date of the announcement. If your email address changes, make certain you update it by emailing erssummerintern@ers.usda.gov. All documents must be received by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on March 02, 2012.

Submit your application by the close of business on March 02, 2012 via e-mail or fax. You may also submit your application by Fedex or UPS to:

Loretta Miller
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Economic Research Service
355 E Street, SW
Room 7s-69
Washington, D.C. 20024
Fax: (202) 245-5604
E-mail: erssummerinterns@ers.usda.gov

Note:
If your application is submitted by email, make sure all documents are submitted. You may fax your unofficial transcripts if needed. For more information on ERS, its programs, and products, visit ERS website at: http://www.ers.usda.gov

UC Davis Horticulture CRSP is seeking a Communications Coordinator

Position Description:

Under general direction of the Horticulture CRSP Director (HCD) and Associate Director (AD), facilitate communications, reports, and outreach activities. Provide professional level writing, research, and editorial support for the program, and manage program reporting requirements to USAID.

Responsible for managing and generating website design and content; creative development, writing, and generation of program publications; synthesizing information and reports generated from scientific projects for stakeholders, policymakers, and other audiences.

Provide general program support for the Director and Associate Director.

For further information regarding this position, please visit the job listing:

https://www.employment.ucdavis.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1327351747977

position is open until filled

1 permanent lab manager position and 5 temporary research assistant positions are available working on pollination services in agroecosystems are available in the Kremen lab at UC Berkeley. Note that applicants need to apply through the UC Employment website (rather that sending materials to the PI), http://jobs.berkeley.edu

The permanent lab manager will start March 1, 2012. Duties will include managing laboratory equipment, organizing lab activities, overseeing summer field experiments, hiring, training and supervising field and laboratory assistants, landowner relations, field data collection, specimen processing, data entry, and database management. Required qualifications
include a bachelors degree in biology or related field, field data collection experience, experience processing insect specimens, experience entering data and managing large datasets, ability to supervise assistants, an interest and experience in conservation and/or restoration ecology, physically fit, plant identification, ability to work in hot, dry conditions.

Desired additional qualifications include any of: experience collecting and/or curation of bee specimens, field project managment, supervisory experience, restoration ecology experience, GIS, Masters degree in biology or related field, experience identifying California plants.

The summer positions will start mid-April 2011 until August 2011. The successful candidates will be working on one of three main projects (or may work on more than one project). Responsibilities will include: collecting insects and surveying vegetation using established protocols, processing insect specimens, seed counting, data entry, working in hot, dry conditions. Knowledge of Spanish is an asset.

The three projects are:
1. Effects of native plant hedgerow restoration on pollinator communities and pollination services
2. Effects of native plant hedgerow restoration on nesting frequency of ground-nesting bees
3. Local and landscape vegetative diversity effects on strawberry pollination by native bees

TO APPLY

Applicants need to apply through the UC Employment website:

http://jobs.berkeley.edu

To view the job descriptions, click link under “Apply Now!” and look for Job ID #13440 (Permanent lab manager; Laboratory assistant II #13440)

OR Job ID #13436 (Summer assistants; Laboratory assistant I #13436), posted Jan 25, 2012.

To apply, you must post your application through the jobs/berkeley website (after you create an account). Applications will be screened as they come in, beginning February 8.

The positions will be based out of Berkeley, Davis, and Santa Cruz and will require the successful applicants to live in Berkeley, Davis, OR Santa Cruz depending on which of the 5 positions they are hired for. See below for full description of the temporary summer positions.

LABORATORY ASSISTANT II: PERMANENT LABORATORY MANAGER

Departmental Overview

The project organizers are assessing how re-diversifying farming landscapes through hedgerow restoration can bring back pollinator communities and pollination services into intensively farmed landscapes. They will hire someone to lead the field component, specimen processing, data management, and assistant supervision.

After initial training, the successful candidate will lead field collection in hedgerow restorations and control sites in an agricultural setting. They will help to locate field sites and will maintain landowner relations throughout the summer. They will work independently and help to supervise entry level assistant in field collection of insects. They will organize the data collection schedule and be responsible for maintaining high quality field work. They will organize and process specimens and manage data entry and databases.

During the fall and winter months, the laboratory technician will be responsible for general laboratory managerial tasks such as taking care of equipment, organizing the lab space, and preparing the lab for safety inspections.

Responsibilities
-Collecting and monitoring bees and other insects in hot, dry conditions during the summer in Yolo County
-Vegetation and habitat surveys in restoration and control sites
-Processing insect and plant specimens in the lab, data entry, digitization in arcgis
-Locating and driving among field sites, maintaining landowner relations, supervising entry level assistant, managing field equipment
-Laboratory management duties such as chemical storage and safety inspections

Required Qualifications
Degree in biology or related field, entomology and/or plant sciences courses, conservation courses, previous field work experience
Ability to work in hot, dry conditions, physically fit, attention to detail, experience in conservation biology, knowledge of Microsoft word
and excel, field data collection, previous plant and insect identification experience, ability to work as a team and independently, problem solving ability, creative thinker, ability to supervise assistants.

Preferred Qualifications
Previous lab manager experience, research development and implementation, arcgis experience.

Salary & Benefits
For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit:
http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/formspubs/misc/benefitsofbelonging.pdf

Annual: $30708 – 34548

LABORATORY ASSISTANT I: SUMMER FIELD POSITIONS
Departmental Overview

The project organizers are assessing if hedgerow restoration in intense agricultural landscapes enhances beneficial insect populations and services. Specifically they are interested in assessing pollinator and natural enemy insects in restored hedgerow and control sites and pollination and pest control into adjacent agricultural fields. This is a summer position to assist with field work and laboratory processing of field-collected insect specimens.

Responsibilities

Field monitoring and collection of pollinators, pests, and natural enemy insects
Processing insect specimens including separating insects and vegetation from sweep samples, pinning bees, labeling samples
Data entry into excel spreadsheets
Field pollination experiments

Required Qualifications
Interest in botany, entomology, conservation biology and field ecology
Previous experience growing plants
Attention to detail (will be collecting and working with original data)
Highly motivated and able to work independently
Basic computer skills (Word, Excel)
Ability to work in field under hot sunny conditions for long hours

Preferred Qualifications
Previous experience with pollinators, especially native bees and/ormonitoring other insect populations
An interest in, or experience with, habitat restoration
Previous field or lab experience or coursework related to botany and/or entomology, experience in California highly desirable

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit:
http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/formspubs/misc/benefitsofbelonging.pdf

Hourly: 13.15 – 15.24
Monthly: 2288 – 2651

This conference is for all interested in making a difference. The annual sustainability conference provides a forum to discuss current issues that are relevant to the region, the community, and the faculty, staff, and students. The organizers seek to develop common ground to help build a sustainable society; one that balances economic, environmental and social needs. We will explore programs that will actually help address the global problems we are now facing.

Online Registration opens January 1st, 2012.

All three days: $50 (Access to more than 80 sessions over 3 days)
One day: $20
Students: Free

Lunch will be provided

Those attending the seminar should learn, among other things, the following specific points:

The three most common reasons that grant applications fail
How to develop an irresistible, fundable idea for a grant application
How to get the most important aspects of your message up front
How to identify the most applicable sources of funding for an idea
New-investigator programs, and how to take advantage of them
How to assess your competition and benefit from your competitors ideas
How to make an application maximally reviewer friendly
The review process: mechanics and psychology
What reviewers look for first! – next! – and last!
Tips on how to write for reviewers with maximal clarity and compelling logic
How to deal with changes in application requirements effectively (e.g., NIH)
Understanding significance/innovation and transformative research

Registration Required. RSVP to Christine Parks, ceparks [at] ucdavis [dot] edu by Monday February 13, 2012

t’s an incredibly creative, rewarding and dynamic experience.