Back by popular demand! The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) is now accepting applications for its Tutorial, “Applications of Spatial Data: Ecological Niche Modeling,” to be held December 3-5, 2018, at NIMBioS. The tutorial was previously held in May 2018.

Objectives: The distribution of a species may be influenced by an array of factors. The combination of these factors results in the ecological niche, the set of conditions that allow a species to exist in a geographic area. However, defining these conditions is difficult, due to the complexity of natural systems. One approach to characterizing the ecological niche uses spatial data GIS software. The objectives of this tutorial are to teach participants the concepts of ecological niche modeling, introduce them to select analytical techniques (formatting data in GIS; running Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) models), and present how to interpret and apply spatial analyses. Participants will further be familiarized with several commonly-used and/or newly-available online spatial data resources. Participants will be provided datasets to use in hands-on simulations, but can also bring their own data if desired.

This tutorial is intended for advanced graduate students, postdocs, and faculty who are interested in learning how to incorporate ecological niche modeling into their research. Some basic knowledge of GIS software and ecology is preferred. Little to no programming will be involved, with ecological niche modeling and spatial analysis conducted using existing applications (MaxEnt) and packages in QGIS and R.

Location: NIMBioS at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Co-organizers: Mona Papeş, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Director, Spatial Analysis Lab at NIMBioS; Greg Wiggins, Education & Outreach Coordinator, NIMBioS

Instructors: Mona Papeş; Town Peterson, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence, KS; Xiao Feng, Institute of the Environment, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; Luis Escobar, Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech

For more information about the tutorial and a link to the online application form, go to http://www.nimbios.org/tutorials/SpatialDataENM

Participation in NIMBioS tutorials is by application only. Individuals with a strong interest in the topic are encouraged to apply, and successful applicants will be notified within several weeks after the application deadline. Lodging, breakfast and lunch will be provided for tutorial attendees.

Application deadline: September 18, 2018

The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) (http://www.nimbios.org) brings together researchers from around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life sciences. NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Systems for Action (S4A) is a national signature research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) that builds a Culture of Health by rigorously testing new ways of connecting the nation’s fragmented medical, social, and public health systems. Studies conducted through the S4A program test innovative mechanisms for aligning the delivery and financing of these systems with a focus on estimating their impact on health and health equity. S4A uses a wide research lens that includes and extends beyond medical care and public health to incorporate other social service systems that affect health and well-being, such as housing, transportation, education, employment, food and nutrition assistance, child and family support, criminal and juvenile justice, and economic and community development.

The goal of this call for proposals (CFP) is to fund research that supports new scientific evidence on ways to optimize delivery and financing systems in ways that improve health and reduce inequities.

This year’s conference is shaping up to continue the great traditions established in previous meetings.  Conference organizers received a record number of submissions and will be finalizing the program by June.

Highlights will include:

• Interdisciplinary panels and poster sessions that feature the latest in population health science;
• Sessions that foster exchange about population health issues between scientists and stakeholders from policy and practice fields.
• A symposium, Population Health Science in the United States: Trends, Evidence, and Effective Policy, jointly organized by IAPHS and the Roundtable on Population Health Improvement, to be held prior to the start of IAPHS sessions;
• Roundtable discussions on professional development issues and communicating population health research; and
• Plenty of time for networking with a diverse set of people who share a commitment to population health science.

The Environmental Studies Program at the University of Colorado Boulder announces an opening for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in quantitative human-environment science. Applicants must have a PhD in ecology, geography, sociology, economics, or a related discipline in the human sciences at the time of appointment. The postdoc will join an interdisciplinary research group focused on interactions between humans and their environments, including human adaptation to environmental and climate change. Ongoing projects are based in Africa, Latin America, and the American West.

 

The postdoc, under the supervision of Dr. Joel Hartter, will participate in several ongoing projects including: Population, Environment and Climate in the Albertine Rift (PECAR); Kavango-Zambezi Vulnerability Assessment (KAZAVA); Responsible Mining, Resilient Communities; and Communities and Forest in Oregon (CAFOR). The postdoc is expected to contribute intellectually to these projects, as well as to advance their own research interests in collaboration with Dr. Hartter. Primary responsibilities include analysis of existing datasets, writing of peer-reviewed articles, development of grant proposals, and management of existing research projects. Creation and dissemination of communication and outreach materials for stakeholders is also expected.

 

Salary is USD $50,000 annually, plus benefits. The initial appointment is for 12 months; funding exists for annual renewal thereafter, based on performance. Start date is flexible, but not earlier than 1 October 2018.

The International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) is pleased to announce a call for policy-relevant research proposals from early career researchers to:

 

• contribute to the evidence base needed to better meet the family planning (FP) and related reproductive health (RH) needs of the most vulnerable in urban areas of countries of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and

 

• increase the attention paid to FP, fertility and population growth in urban development policy initiatives at local, national and international levels.

 

Eligibility will be limited to citizens of countries in sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia, who have received a Ph.D. within the past ten years and who are currently affiliated with established institutions in either region. Applications to study settings with high fertility, high unmet need for FP and high rates of urbanization are particularly encouraged. Most fellowships will last for two years, with a minority lasting one or three years.

The Institute at Brown for Environment and Society — jointly with the Departments of Anthropology; Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Epidemiology; and Sociology — invites applications from rising leaders in the natural, social, public health, and environmental justice aspects of climate change.

This open rank search will seek to fill endowed university chairs with a tenure or tenure-track home in any of the participating departments. Even though the positions are for endowed chairs, we are seeking an excellent and diverse pool of applicants at any rank. The endowed chairs are named faculty positions that include a small fund in perpetuity (in addition to start up funds) to assist chair holders in achieving their research and teaching goals.  We are particularly interested in scholars who demonstrate research excellence, an interest in working to promote diversity and inclusion in environmental disciplines, and a dedication to teaching and research mentoring. The successful applicant will have an outstanding record of research and teaching that complements the strengths of both the intended home department and the institute, while demonstrating the potential to work across both units.

IBES supports research to understand the interactions between natural, human and social systems. We cultivate strong research in five disciplinary areas: conservation science, land change science, climate science, environmental health, and institutions and human behavior. We are also looking to build upon globally emerging strategic research directions in migration and environmental justice, but our interests are not limited to these areas. Our teaching programs prepare future leaders to envision and build a just and sustainable world. The Institute also seeks to consolidate and bridge the departmental interest areas listed below.

The Department of Anthropology seeks to hire an anthropologist of the environment with a focus on political ecology, political economy and science and technology studies. The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is interested in a scholar whose research addresses pressing issues in the science of environmental change that are particularly informed by questions in ecology or evolutionary biology. The Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences (DEEPS) is particularly looking to consolidate strengths in areas of past and future climate change, sea level rise, and the geophysics of glaciology. The Department of Epidemiology seeks to build further strength in the area of climate and health, including the impacts of sea level rise, urbanization, ecosystem change, or extreme weather events. The Department of Sociology seeks to hire a scholar whose research on environment intersects with one or more areas of existing and emerging strength including demography, development, economic sociology, education, gender, health, political sociology, race/ethnicity, and urban and spatial sociology.

We seek candidates who can also contribute to teaching our course courses in theory and research methods.

Responsibilities include:

• Teaching undergraduate courses within the department’s existing curriculum
• Developing new courses in the candidate’s area of expertise within the field of organizations (for example, work and occupations, non-profit sector, education, or others)
• Ability and willingness to teach the department’s core courses in theory and research methods
• Fulfilling teaching responsibilities in ways that provide equitable and inclusive learning environments for all students
• Active engagement in scholarship, including scholarly publications
• Active participation in service activities within the Department, University, and discipline

Altria Group is a FORTUNE 200 company whose mission is to own and develop financially disciplined businesses that are leaders in responsibly providing adult tobacco and wine consumers with superior branded products. Altria owns the premier tobacco companies in the United States including Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, John Middleton and Nu Mark. The companies’ brands include Marlboro, Copenhagen, Skoal, Black & Mild, MarkTen and VERVE. Altria also owns Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, one of the country’s top premium wine producers, and Philip Morris Capital Corporation, an investment company.

The Consumer Insight and Engagement department’s role is to provide high quality market research to the Altria family of companies by leveraging best in class techniques and supports the exploration and development of innovative and cutting edge tools

We are currently seeking an Applied Statistician / Demographer to join our department in Richmond, VA.

The selected candidate will be a critical resource in supporting our Regulatory Affairs and FDA engagement initiatives. Responsibilities will include:

• Development and execution of population impact modeling and simulation in support of modified risk tobacco product (MRTPA) and Premarket Tobacco Product Applications (PMTA).
• Advanced analysis of internal consumer research (such as tobacco risk perceptions, use intentions and dependence)
• Advanced analysis of external databases (such as NHIS, BRFSS, PATH and NSDUH) and the reporting and presentation of highly technical analyses.

HOW YOU WILL IMPACT ALTRIA

• Applying statistical expertise to meet complex regulatory requirements for FDA submissions.
• Leveraging consumer tracking and research studies for modeling and simulation exercises.
• Supporting the development and evaluation of technical research protocols, statistical analysis plans and advanced analytic techniques to meet regulatory requirements.
• Identifying and critically assessing emerging tobacco-related research and methods to apply in a regulatory environment.
• Performing exploratory statistical analysis of data for conference presentations and/or manuscript submissions

Specific Skills

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

• An advanced in degree in Statistics, Biostatistics, Quantitative Methods, Operations Research or a related field. PhD preferred.
• Experience in demographic and/or behavioral science modeling, information management and research design.
• Understanding of the tobacco category and regulatory environment preferred.
• 3 to 5 years of relevant work experience (Background in CPG a plus).
• Expertise in statistical software for data analysis (SAS preferred).
• Strong advanced analytical capabilities such as regression analysis, agent based modeling and data mining including CART/CHAID.
• Ability to multi-task and manage priorities in a deadline-oriented department within a rapidly evolving regulatory environment.
• The ability to work in a collaborative manner in a team-oriented environment.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communications skills, with the ability to lead the reporting of complex and technical analyses.

At Altria Client Services, we recognize that our people are the reason we achieve our business goals. We believe in developing the leadership potential of our employees by providing them with opportunities for training, development and advancement.

In addition to the opportunity to apply and develop your consumer insight skills toward key business objectives, we offer an excellent compensation package including a competitive base salary, comprehensive health/vision/dental insurance, participation in our incentive compensation and deferred profit sharing programs as well as a relocation assistance package.

NOTE*

Each Altria company is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, protected veteran status, or other protected class.