Postdoctoral Research Associate I

The Native FEWS Alliance aims to significantly broaden the participation of Native American and underrepresented students in Food, Energy, and Water Systems (FEWS) education and careers to address critical challenges facing their communities. To support this aim, the Alliance brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars from a wide range of disciplines and institutions to design and deploy place-based and experiential learning curricula that combine Indigenous ways of knowing with physical sciences and engineering methodologies.

To address the need for FEWS infrastructure and FEWS professionals with and within Native American lands, the Alliance has the following four interrelated goals: (1) Address urgent FEWS challenges in Indigenous communities; (2) Co-develop integrated, Indigenous, place-based FEWS curricula, mentoring, and practice experiences; (3) Transform institutional STEM fields to be relevant and accessible to Indigenous communities; (4) Recruit, retain and graduate Indigenous students to pursue higher education and careers in FEWS and bring their knowledge back to their communities. The postdoc will be encouraged to communicate openly and frequently with the PIs, Co-PIs from both research groups (UArizona and UC-Berkeley) and the Alliance partners. The selected candidate will work closely with Dr. Karletta Chief and Alice Agogino on this research project with funding from the National Science Foundation.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, vision, and life insurance; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties & responsibilities:

·         Facilitate the process of designing and deploying place-based and experiential learning curricula that combine Indigenous ways of knowing with physical sciences and engineering methodologies.

·         Co-develop integrated, Indigenous, place-based FEWS curricula, mentoring, and practical experiences.

·         Design and conduct research (qualitative and quantitative) regarding best methods for implementing Indigenous education with teachers and Native students and communities.

·         Provide scholarly information regarding Indigenous teaching and learning practices.

·         Support Alliance members and partners on designing and implementing curriculum with a focus on Indigenous education.

·         Collect, analyze, and communicate data regarding the process of interweaving Indigenous contexts (i.e., perspectives, stories, values, languages, etc.) with STEM.

·         Present findings in publications and at professional conferences.

·         Contribute to the development and support of recommended changes in teaching practices, including providing constructive feedback on individual teaching efforts and contributing to the development of evaluation metrics.

·         Collaborate with other Alliance members and partners to promote curriculum development in Indigenous education.

·         Contribute to recruiting, retaining, and mentoring Indigenous students to pursue higher education and careers in FEWS with the goal of bringing their knowledge back to their communities.

·         Draft an Individual Development Plan in collaboration with the PIs.

·         Prepare proposals with the PIs, learning best practices for framing key research questions, defining objectives, describing the approach and rationale, and constructing a work plan, timeline, and budget.

·         Participate in UArizona Postdoctoral Affairs for training on: how to apply for a faculty position, career paths outside of academia, tips for negotiating salary and start-up funds, and how to plan and independent research agenda.

·         Attend regular training events in grantsmanship offered by the UArizona Research Development Office.

·         Prepare manuscripts for scientific and educational journals.

·         Conduct presentations at conferences. The postdoc will travel to at least one conference per year to present a poster or paper.

·         Assist with supervising students, with guidance from the PIs. The supervision is expected to be a formative experience.

·         Complete annual reports in the same format that the PIs prepare annually.

·         Additional duties may be assigned.

Knowledge, skills & abilities:

·         Ability to work with Native American and Indigenous Communities.

·         Understanding of tribal sovereignty, self-determination, and traditional ecological knowledge.

·         Understanding of Native American histories, cultures, and sovereignty rights.

·         Knowledge and understanding of quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed research methods.

·         Ability to work both independently and collaboratively and manage research projects.

·         Excellent written, communication, and interpersonal skills for peer-reviewed publications and for interactions with other researchers and the public.

·         Understanding of Native American histories, cultures, and sovereignty rights. 

·         Knowledge and understanding of quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed research methods.

·         Ability to work both independently and collaboratively and manage research projects.

·         Excellent written, communication, and interpersonal skills for peer-reviewed publications and for interactions with other researchers and the public.

• A Ph.D. in environmental education, ecology, physical sciences, engineering sciences, Indigenous Education, or a closely related field.  The selected candidate must have a conferred Ph.D. upon hire.

• Experience working with diverse groups underrepresented in the field of education or physical sciences, particularly Native American students.
• Experience in community-based or collaborative research including experience working for/with Indigenous governments and organizations.
• Experience in Indigenous education.
• Evidence of experience in academic excellence and leadership (e.g., publication record).
• Experience with preparing grant proposals.