The College of Natural Resources (CNR) at North Carolina State University invites applications for 1 M.S.-level and 1 Ph.D. assistantship beginning in Fall 2018 (start dates are negotiable). The successful applicants will work under the supervision of Dr. Caren Cooper (Dept. of Foresty and Environmental Resources & NC Museum of Natural Sciences) and Dr. Lincoln Larson (Dept. of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management) to pursue degrees in Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology, Natural Resources, or related field. Assistantships are supported by an NSF-AISL project investigating participant dynamics, coordinated volunteer management, and associated outcomes across a broad landscape of citizen science projects. The 5-year study will focus on SciStarter, the largest repository of citizen science projects in the world, using embedded assessments and other techniques to increase the capacity of citizen science projects to achieve scientific, learning, and conservation goals. Project outputs will advance citizen science as a coordinated and collaborative discipline and will help to foster optimal recruitment and retention of citizen scientists – including those currently under-represented in the STEM fields.

Possible research directions include, but are not limited to:

• Investigating impacts of citizen science project design and participation dynamics on scientific, learning, and conservation outcomes
• Examining pathways to initial recruitment and subsequent retention in citizen science
• Designing systems to enhance participant agency in navigating an ecosystem of diverse projects
• Assessing project owner perceptions about volunteer aggregation, competition, and collaboration
• Evaluating strategies for engaging under-represented populations in citizen science

Key Responsibilities & Opportunities (vary by degree objective):

• Work with faculty advisors to advance citizen science theory and practice by conducting literature reviews and crafting innovative research projects (assisting or leading study design, data collection, and analysis).
• Work with faculty advisors and partners to enhance capacity for project management in SciStarter, including the development of corporate staff volunteer programs.
• Assist or lead in developing peer-reviewed journal articles, academic presentations, non-technical reports and outreach materials (e.g., Manual for Project Owners), and other project deliverables.
• Train and supervise undergraduate research assistants and/or serve as a teaching assistant in relevant courses.
• Contribute to the activities of the cluster on Leadership in Public Science, which offers unique intellectual focus and professional development in the realm of citizen science, open science, and science communication.
• Engage with colleagues in the Biodiversity Research Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, where students will have ample opportunities to develop their science communication skills.