Community Engagement and Outreach Postdoctoral Associate – Data Observation Network for Earth (DataONE)

Subject to funding (anticipated August 2014) the University of New Mexico is recruiting a postdoctoral associate to work in the education and engagement of scientists and other stakeholders in the collaborative process of improving access to scientific data across Earth and environmental sciences and in supporting the community in the use of DataONE tools and services. The postdoc will be funded by an NSF award to the DataONE project (www.dataone.org).

Role & responsibilities: The responsibilities of this postdoctoral position include participation in a team effort to inform development of cyberinfrastructure for the environmental sciences through collaboration with DataONE’s Community Engagement and Outreach Working Group, in addition to individual activities in support of the community engagement and outreach objectives of DataONE. More explicitly, position requirements include participation in the enhancement of training materials to convey best practices in data management, the development of tutorials / learning aids for the promotion of software and tools associated with the DataONE project, oversight of a webinar series and associated outreach, among other duties. The ideal candidate will have excellent written and verbal communication skills to facilitate collaboration within a broad network of colleagues across disciplines and for engagement with the wider DataONE community.

Many research projects could be complementary to the role envisioned for this postdoctoral position, depending on the candidate’s background and interests. For example, opportunities exist for research projects related to science education, sociology of science, or ecology and environmental science at the interface with technology.

Qualifications: Candidates should have (or soon have) a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Information or Library Science, Sociology, or another relevant field. The successful candidate will have proven information and project management skills, demonstrated excellent communication skills through a record of publication and public presentation, and a strong interest in advancing the scientific endeavor through education, engagement and providing access to existing knowledge. The successful candidate will have an understanding and demonstrated skill in science data management, experience with software for visual media creation and editing (screencast, film and audio editing software), experience with social media, and experience, or a willingness to learn about, software supporting online education environments.
DataONE is a geographically distributed project, with many remotely participating members. The postdoc in this position will be expected to be an active member of the DataONE community, engaging in dialog via teleconference and traveling to DataONE meetings and for presentation of DataONE work at conferences.

To apply: The application period will not open until August when the funds have been secured. Questions and expressions of interest can be sent to the postdoc advisor, Dr. Amber Budden (Director for Community Engagement and Outreach, DataONE, UNM; Center Associate, NCEAS, UCSB) at aebudden@dataone.unm.edu.