North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center Rapid Climate Assessment: Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park Management and Climate Adaptation GRA

North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center

Rapid Climate Assessment: Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park Management and Climate Adaptation

The North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (NC CASC) at CU Boulder has an exciting opportunity available for a summer graduate research assistant (GRA) to collaborate with the The Ute Mountain Ute (UMU) Tribe’s Environmental Department (ED) to explore adaptation options related to Tribal management of Mancos Canyon. This work would build upon previous work by the UMU ED and the NC CASC on climate change scenario planning and tamarisk mapping. This project will help contribute to UMU climate adaptation plans and will support Tribal management of Mancos Canyon, a key ecological, cultural, and economic site on the reservation. This project will likely entail several components including developing public-facing literature for the Ute Tribal Park, tamarisk or rare plant data collection on the ground (if funding allows), a literature review of invasive species management in the desert southwest (particularly around the intersection of tamarisk and water management), and/or an adaptation menu. Project scope will be responsive to GRA expertise and UMU partner needs.

This is a 50% summer GRA position (May 15-August 14, 2025); the GRA will be expected to work 20-hours per week. Fully remote work is possible with regular weekly communication with mentors and attendance at bi-weekly virtual lab meetings; an office location in the NC CASC offices in the Sustainability, Energy and Environment Community (SEEC) Building on the CU Boulder East Campus is also available if desired. As mentioned above, there is the potential for field work if funding is available and pending GRA interest and availability.

CIRES GRA Monthly Rates at 50%:

$2,924 a month pre-comp rate
$3,079 a month post-comp rate

Examples of Tasks Performed

Review literature from peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed articles and reports on impacts of invasive tamarisk in the context of climate change.
Engage with key partners and rightsholders at UMU as appropriate to understand the patterns and drivers of invasive tamarisk spread, and identify key management questions and challenges.
Synthesize findings as a brief or factsheet accessible to the public.
Produce a menu of different adaptation options to deal with invasive tamarisk on the UMU reservation.

Minimum Qualifications

Current University of Colorado Boulder graduate student majoring in Geography, Environmental Studies, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Anthropology, or related discipline. Please don’t let this list deter you from applying! If you have the skills and interest, we’ll consider you!
Ability to commit to working for 20-hours per week in summer 2024 (May 15-August 14, 2025).
Experience reviewing and synthesizing scientific publications and related resources (e.g., webinars, websites, etc.).
Proficiency in document applications, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint (or equivalents).

What We Would Like You to Have

Experience or interest in engagement with Tribal resource managers, natural resource managers, and other partners.
Experience or interest in applied strategies applicable to managing climate change impacts.
Proficiency in shared document tools (e.g., Google docs/sheets) and citation management software (e.g., Zotero).
Experience using online meeting platforms (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams).
Experience or interest in developing public-facing communications materials.

What We Can Offer:

Salaries are based on CIRES pay rates for GRAs.

Additional Eligibility Criteria

A student enrolled in a Professional Master's Program (PMP), a JD, or an MBA, is not eligible to hold a Graduate Research Assistantship unless they are enrolled as a dual-degree student with a traditional program.

About the NC CASC

The NC CASC (https://nccasc.colorado.edu/) is one of nine regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers (https://www.usgs.gov/land-resources/climate-adaptation-science-centers) built to help meet the changing needs of natural and cultural resource managers across the United States. The CASC-network fosters innovative and applied research in support of Tribal, federal, state, and local natural resource management and decision-making.

The NC CASC is hosted by the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) within the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). It is a partnership between CU Boulder, the U.S. Geological Survey, and five consortium partners: University of Montana; South Dakota State University; Conservation Science Partners; Wildlife Conservation Society; and Great Plains Tribal Water Alliance. The Center serves primarily Department of Interior agencies, state fish and wildlife agencies, and Tribal partners across a 7-state region (https://nccasc.colorado.edu/partners/national-network), including Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, and Nebraska. We are committed to open science, making data, code, and tools open and reproducible, to better enable a broad community of participants in the scientific process.

CIRES is a leading institute at CU Boulder (https://cires.colorado.edu/about). At CIRES, more than 800 environmental scientists work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people’s relationship with the planet. CIRES is a partnership of NOAA and CU Boulder, and its areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at the Earth’s poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, and solid Earth sciences. CIRES’ vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable future environment by advancing scientific and societal understanding of the Earth system.

How to Apply

Email Heather Yocum (heather.yocum@colorado.edu) with a resume or CV, and cover letter describing your relevant experience and interest in the position (2 pages maximum for the cover letter). Priority will be given to applications received by 9am MT on March 24, 2024, but we will continue to review applications until the position is filled. Interviews will be conducted between March 26 and April 3, 2025.