Graduate Research Opportunities
The cooperative actively supports master’s and doctoral level research in silviculture, forest modeling, biometrics, and related areas. To learn about topics and expertise of current interest to the cooperative, email David Affleck with information regarding your background and your research and professional interests.
All interested applicants should also review CFC's graduate programs and standards.
Masters or PhD opportunities in forest modeling
The University of Montana’s Department of Forest Management and the Inland Northwest Growth & Yield Cooperative invite applications for a graduate assistantship on a project focused on quantitative forest modeling. Regulation of tree density early in stand development has important ecological and economic consequences for forest management. Despite this, there is a lack of reliable, quantitative tools to characterize the short- and long-term response of trees and stands to forest spacing or thinning treatments in the mixed-conifer forests of the inland northwest. This project will draw on and extend a broad network of long-term experimental installations distributed across western Montana and north Idaho to characterize the impacts of density manipulation on tree and stand attributes as well as to develop decision-support tools for forest
managers.
The graduate student will conduct research to develop models of tree and/or stand response to early thinning, to identify key drivers, and to compare outcomes against projections from regional growth models. They will also participate in field research to extend the measurement schedule of existing experimental trials. Responsibilities include collaborative work with UM faculty and staff, as well as with cooperating researchers and land managers; communicating results through presentations and other formats; and publication of results in peer-reviewed journals.
Four semesters and two summers of support are available, including salary, tuition, mandatory fees, and health insurance. Travel funds are available for field work and scientific conference presentation.
Required Qualifications
- Ability to meet the requirements for admission to the relevant graduate degree program
- Ability to implement applied statistical analyses in R or Python
- Excellent communication and time management skills
- Ability to work independently and to manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines
Preferred Qualifications
- Academic background in forestry or familiarity with silvicultural practices and forest stand dynamics
- Experience with forest measurements and field sampling, including logistics and off-trail navigation
- Advanced training and coursework in statistics and mathematics
- A record of publication in the peer-reviewed literature
Application
Please email the following materials in a single PDF file to Dr. David Affleck (david.affleck@umontana.edu):
- letter addressing interest in the project, highlighting relevant experience, and describing how you meet the qualifications
- a CV/resume
- contact information for three references; and
- unofficial transcripts.
Closing Date
Evaluation of applications will begin on 10 January 2025 and continue until the position is filled.
Contact
Please address any questions to Dr. David Affleck (david.affleck@umontana.edu).