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Location: Beltsville, MD
Essential Job Duties
The DRIVES Agroecology Research Associate will work under the supervision of the Agroecology Professor to support the growth of the Agroecology Lab's research program about the impacts of crop diversification. Key responsibilities will include organizing and maintaining the Diverse Rotation Improve Valuable Ecosystem Services (DRIVES) database (drives-network.org) and conducting synthesis research on crop diversification across a range of environmental conditions.
The DRIVES database is a network of data from long-term cropping systems experiments. The Associate will be responsible for database expansion and enhancing interoperability using data dictionaries and controlled vocabularies when including additional variables. They will lead database content development and write code to assess the linkages between rotational diversity and economic performance and soil health. They will prepare publications for peer-reviewed journals and develop partnerships across the long-term cropping systems research community.
Duties include:
Research Data Management & Database Development
- Organize, maintain, and expand the Diverse Rotation Improve Valuable Ecosystem Services (DRIVES) database.
- Enhance database interoperability by developing and implementing data dictionaries and controlled vocabularies.
- Integrate and validate data from long-term cropping systems experiments across multiple research sites.
- Ensure data quality, consistency, and accessibility to support collaborative agroecology research.
Research Analysis & Scholarly Publications
- Conduct synthesis research evaluating the impacts of crop diversification across diverse environmental conditions.
- Develop and maintain analytical code to examine relationships between rotational diversity, economic performance, and soil health.
- Interpret research findings and prepare manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed scientific journals.
- Present research findings and contribute to reports, publications, and other scholarly products.
Collaboration & Research Network Development
- Develop and maintain partnerships with collaborators across the long-term cropping systems research community.
- Coordinate with researchers to facilitate data sharing and database expansion.
- Participate in project meetings and communicate project progress with internal and external stakeholders.
- Contribute to advancing the Agroecology Lab's research program through collaborative initiatives.
Position is contingent on availability of funds, potentially 6 months to 1.5 years
Other Work/Responsibilities
- Mentorship of graduate and undergraduate students, disseminating research in publications and outreach training activities.
- Communicate with the IT services and maintain the website and the virtual machine.
Minimum Experience/Education
- Relevant Master's degree, or
- Relevant Bachelor's and 3 or more years of relevant experience, relevant independent experience and education.
Required Qualifications
- The Research Associate must be a clear communicator, have strong organizational skills, be able to work with diverse individuals, and work independently as needed.
Preferred Qualifications
- PhD in agronomy, soil science, or ecology,
- Mastery in R, expertise in addressing spatiotemporal elements of research questions related to crop diversification,
- Experience working with long-term cropping systems data,
- Experience handling legacy datasets for organization and analysis, experience with large publicly available datasets,
- Expertise in Bayesian statistics, experience working with supercomputers.
Required License or Certification
N/A
AA/EEO Statement
NC State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal opportunities for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. The University encourages all qualified applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, to apply. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodations in the application and interview process are welcome to contact 919-513-0574 to speak with a representative of the Office of Equal Opportunity.
If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu.
Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.
NC State University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.
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