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Research Associate

Employer
ECS Federal, LLC
Location
Silver Spring, Maryland, US
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
Sep 1, 2022

View more

Sector
Academic / Research, Consultancy/Private Sector
Field
Conservation science
Discipline
Fisheries
Salary Type
Salary
Employment Type
Full time
ECS is seeking a Research Associate to work remotely.

Job Description:
NOAA Fisheries supports cutting-edge science and research as well as federal policy making and regulation to grow sustainable aquaculture in the United States (US) while supporting commercial and recreational fisheries. This includes science, policies, and regulations that allow communities to reap the social, economic, and environmental benefits of aquaculture. NOAA Fisheries fosters responsible aquaculture that provides safe, sustainable seafood; creates employment and business opportunities in coastal communities; and complements NOAA's comprehensive strategy for maintaining healthy and productive marine populations, ecosystems, and vibrant coastal communities.

Within NOAA Fisheries, the Office of Science and Technology (OST) delivers national administration and coordination of NOAA Fisheries socioeconomic research and data collection undertaken by the agency to support conservation and management of living marine resources. By studying both the social and economic aspects of communities, NOAA Fisheries can manage fisheries and protected species in a way that works best for everyone. Economic and socio-cultural analyses helps managers evaluate the benefits and costs of different activities, prioritize needs, and encourage policies that maximize societal benefits from ocean and coastal resources.

To continue NOAA Fisheries' advancement of socioeconomic research related to aquaculture, we are currently seeking part-time (est. 15 hours per week) research support for a project investigating the social acceptability of aquaculture in the US. Specific goals of this project are to: 1) better understand the current status of social acceptance of aquaculture, 2) identify barriers to acceptance of aquaculture, 3) identify the strengths of US aquaculture, 4) evaluate distinctions related to social acceptance (e.g., by species or gear type), and 5) improve social acceptance of aquaculture based on the results.

Specific activities and responsibilities include:

Support aquaculture stakeholder mapping project.
Assist in the identification and verification of local contacts and stakeholders in the Gulf of Mexico and California.
Assist in the drafting of an expanded aquaculture stakeholder contact list for each region.
Support focus group and semi-structured interviews in coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico and California. (Note: this will involve travel)
Assist in focus group coordination, participant selection, and question preparation.
Assist in the conduct of focus groups, taking notes, and potentially leading.
Assist in conducting additional interviews as needed in each region.
Assist in data compilation, analysis, and preparation of findings.
Support development and administration of survey to gauge social acceptance for aquaculture at a broader scale.
Assist in the translation of focus group and semi-structured interview findings into a survey tool.
Assist in the development of a project package to be submitted for research approval through the Office of Management and Budget.
Assist in other related survey preparation and administration of survey.
Assist in data analysis and synthesis of results.
Support the development of inreach and outreach products throughout the project.
Contribute to semi-regular written summaries for internal audiences and a final manuscript to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Required Skills:

Experience in qualitative research and data collection.
Proficient with MS Office and Google Suite.
Familiarity in qualitative data analysis methods and software programs, such as MAXQDA or NVivo.
Demonstrated proficiency for the following skillsets: Communication with a variety of audiences including technical, scientific and non-scientific (verbal and written, including active listening); working independently with strong time management skills; adaptability to quickly changing priorities; and attention to detail.

ECS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. ECS promotes affirmative action for minorities, women, disabled persons, and veterans.

ECS is a leading mid-sized provider of technology services to the United States Federal Government. We are focused on people, values and purpose. Every day, our 3000+ employees focus on providing their technical talent to support the Federal Agencies and Departments of the US Government to serve, protect and defend the American People.

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