Do wildlife migrations and their associated human communities fascinate you?
Do you want to participate in species conservation and community research?
Join the EMIGRA team as a Conservation & Cultural Research Fellow!
Project Overview
The EMIGRA Project: Especies Migratorias y Gobernanza Respetuosa de sus Ambientes (Equitable Governance of Migratory Species and their Habitats)
The EMIGRA team recognizes that conservation of wildlife that migrate across international boundaries can be challenged by inconsistent management across annual migratory ranges. Our research informs efforts to overcome these challenges and ultimately aims to develop principles for sustainable and equitable governance of transboundary migratory species.
Migratory species create important ecological links among distant areas of habitat during their seasonal movements, and often provide benefits to people such as pollination of food plants, suppression of crop pests, and wildlife viewing opportunities. Provision of these ecosystem services depends on the conservation of species’ populations, which in turn depends on conservation of habitat in locations throughout their migratory ranges.
Previous work by the EMIGRA team assessed the degree to which ecosystem services provided in one location depend on habitat in other locations (called a “spatial subsidies” approach because ecosystem services are often delivered disproportionately in one location within a migratory species’ range, while distant areas of habitat may be more important to conservation of the population – effectively, those receiving the ecosystem service are “subsidized” by conservation of habitat provided by people elsewhere).
In the past year, we have assessed the status of migratory species conservation for 900 North American species. The current phase of research focuses on a subset of this list. With your help, in the coming year will develop a novel understanding of how rural and Indigenous communities act as stakeholders in the conservation of these species.
Fellowship Details
Location Requirement: This position consists of mostly remote work, but does require the ability to engage with communities within one of the following 10 regions of focus:
- Region 1: Southern Alaska & Yukon Territory
- Region 2: Western Canadian Coast & Pacific Northwest
- Region 3: Western Great Plains & Southern Rocky Mountains
- Region 4: Prairie Potholes & Canadian Shield
- Region 5: New England & Maritime Canada
- Region 6: Southcentral Atlantic Coastal
- Region 7: Southern Mexico (Centro/Sur/Golfo de Mexico)
- Region 8: Mexican Central Highlands & Coast (Centro-Occidente de México)
- Region 9: Southcentral US & borderland (Frontera Central Norte Golfo de México)
- Region 10: Sonoran Southwestern US & borderland (Frontera Norte/Baja Californias)
Qualifications: No specific degree level is required! Applicants should:
- Have relevant expertise and experience in social and cultural research methods
- Reside in or are otherwise connected to the specified region
- Have the ability to work independently among the communities within the designated region, as well as collaboratively on an international team of interdisciplinary researchers
- Have a willingness to learn and implement local ethical standards and practices regarding human subjects research
- Have a clear understanding of and desire to participate in EMIGRA project’s objectives
Timeframe: 6 months paid Fellowship, March-August 2024
- Outside of bi-weekly team meeting attendance and our 6-day team retreat the first week of May 2024, you get to set your own schedule, with deliverables due at the end of the Fellowship in August.
- You will also have ongoing (unpaid) inclusion on EMIGRA publications and meetings following the initial 6-month Fellowship.
Pay: Compensation begins at $6,000 USD for the 6-month Fellowship, but ranges up to $12,000 USD with additional research assignments.
- You will also receive high-level scientific and professional mentoring as part of the EMIGRA team
- You will be included as a co-author on EMIGRA scientific publications, bolstering your resumé or C.V.
Expectations: As a CCR Fellow, you will have a great deal of flexibility and freedom setting your schedule and completing work, with the following exceptions:
- Attendance at team meetings via Zoom (1.5 hours every other week)
- Attendance to a 6-day team retreat in Oaxaca, MX, from April 30-May 5, 2024 (travel arranged and paid for by the project)
- Project deliverables due by the end of August 2024
How to Apply: The application process is simple–just complete the form and upload your resumé/CV! Application review begins February 15, 2024, so don’t delay and apply today!
