Research Ecologist, Temperate Forests - ForestGEO Program

Application Deadline: 30 October 2026

Department: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Edgewater, MD

Compensation: $143,913 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: September 28, 2026

CLOSING DATE: October 30, 2026

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary, Not to Exceed 3 years

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Edgewater, Maryland
*The position requires domestic and international travel of approximately one to two months per year, including participation in field research activities in temperate forest environments. *

Position sensitivity and risk:Non-Sensitive/ Low Risk
Open to all qualified applicants

OVERVIEW

The Research Ecologist, Temperate Forests position operates at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), located in Edgewater Maryland, and supports ForestGEO, a pan-Smithsonian program focused on global forest diversity and function, led by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). SERC and STRI are two of nine Smithsonian research centers, with complementary research programs advancing our understanding of environmental change, biodiversity, ecosystem function, and resilience across temperate and tropical systems, respectively.

The primary responsibilities of this position are to build and strengthen collaborations among ForestGEO temperate-zone sites, with an emphasis on U.S. forests, while establishing and maintaining an independent research program in temperate forest ecology. Collaborative responsibilities include leading the implementation of the GEO-TREES initiative in the United States and fostering research collaborations that leverage SERC's forest research resources and the broader ForestGEO network.

ForestGEO plots are managed by a voluntary consortium of research institutions, forestry agencies, and universities, with each responsible for managing and overseeing long-term censuses of woody species in a dedicated, large-scale research plot. These long-term censuses provide a foundation for a broader range of complementary research that leverages ForestGEO sites, infrastructure, data, and scientific networks to address emerging questions in forest ecology and global change. Developing and fostering such complementary research is an important component of this position and will help maximize the scientific value and impact of the ForestGEO network.

In addition to advancing collaborative research initiatives, the incumbent conducts independent research in forest ecology, applying advanced theories, principles, and methodologies. Leveraging the ForestGEO network, including the SERC Forest Dynamics Plot, as well as complementary research programs at SERC and other institutions, the incumbent contributes to the scientific understanding of temperate forest ecosystems, with a particular focus on forests within the United States.

To learn more about SERC, ForestGEO and STRI, and their research activities, click the highlighted names to view their individual webpages.

MAJOR DUTIES

The selected candidate advances the mission of ForestGEO and SERC through the performance of the following duties and responsibilities:

Research

• Designs and develops a recognized research program related to the ecology of temperate forests, with an emphasis on one or more of the following: species biology, community and population ecology, remote sensing, global change science, and ecosystem ecology.
• Independently performs all phases of the complete research process, including problem definition, planning, execution, analysis, and interpretation of findings. The research involves development of formal conceptual and quantitative analyses that incorporate state-of-the-art approaches for measuring patterns of variation, and statistically rigorous analytical designs; requires the development of new methods for its particular field.
• Prepares scholarly publications of a descriptive and theoretical nature, which will answer important questions in appropriate scientific fields that account for previously unexplained phenomena and represent an important contribution to the validation or modification of scientific theory or methodology in the areas of research.
• Requires the application of advanced scientific expertise and independent judgment in formulating hypotheses, refining research methods, and translating findings into meaningful contributions to the field of forest ecology.

Research Support Administration

• Responsible for the planning, inception and definition phases of innovative research, exploratory development, demonstration and validation.
• Plans overall efforts including work plans, costs/budgets, facilities, time schedules, technical coordination, safety, security, surety and non-surety evaluations to accomplish R&D efforts.
• Seeks resources both internal and external via grants, donations, and other awards to support ForestGEO, SERC, and GEO-TREES programs in temperate forest science.
• Development and funding of research proposals for ForestGEO and SERC programs using next-generation methods for studying forest biology, and periodically restructuring and prioritizing research objectives and tasks.
• Develops and guides future research directions for the ForestGEO and GEO-TREES Temperate Forest Programs and establishes strategic scientific priorities that influence broader research agendas within the forest ecology community.
• Coordinates and supports periodic plot censuses, ensures high-quality data, facilitates plot access and data sharing, fosters collaboration that encourages broad use of the regional networks and complementary research programs, maintains strong relationships with SERC, ForestGEO, and GEO-TREES partner institutions, and seeks financial support to advance these initiatives.
• Represents ForestGEO and SERC on committees.
• Provides scientific advice and consultation to scientific institutions, and professional organizations on matters involving forest ecology, biodiversity, and global environmental change.
• Collaborates with scientific researchers from around the world to encourage and promote studies of interest to SI.
• Participates in scientific meetings and symposia and develops scientific papers for presentations.
• Corresponds with scholars and other members of the scientific community involved in the same or similar research.
• Seeks resources both internal and external to support continued growth and development of the project via grants, donations and other awards.

Training and Outreach

• Communicates complex technical concepts and data both orally and in writing to diverse audiences, including scientific publications.
• Pursues external funding to support the maintenance and development of ForestGEO and GEO-TREES Temperate Forest Programs at SERC, and to support personal research.
• Develops and implements training and capacity strengthening activities in forest ecology for students and researchers associated with the SERC, ForestGEO, and GEO-TREES.
• Contributes to virtual and in-person workshops.
• Acts as a mentor for students and early career researchers in data cleaning and analysis, methods, and science writing.
• Collaborates with temperate forest botanists, forest managers, and ecologists in the field of forest ecology to advance science and training opportunities.
• Works closely with SERC, ForestGEO, and GEO-TREES partners and Principal Investigators of temperate-zone plots, particularly those in the US, in order to implement research programs, guide research directions, serve the needs of network partners, and build research capacity of people and institutions.
• Engages with the SERC, ForestGEO, and GEO-TREES intellectual communities through participation in seminars, local collaborations, committees, special events, etc.
• Promotes SERC, ForestGEO, and GEO-TREES to diverse audiences, including the general public, and to prospective donors.
• Attends SERC and ForestGEO staff meetings, in person or virtually, and holds regular meetings to keep staff and colleagues informed of program activities.

Supervisory Duties

• Responsibilities include establishing goals, setting priorities, developing schedules and checklists, and assigning work based on project needs, complexity, and employee capabilities.
• Monitors staff activities to ensure goals are met, resources are used efficiently, and quality standards and deadlines are consistently achieved.
• Plans and oversees annual staffing, budget, and training activities, while working closely with employees to develop, assess, and revise individual performance plans.
• Develops performance standards and plans, conducts performance evaluations, assesses training needs, reviews position descriptions, and supports employee development.
• Administers routine personnel actions, including performance appraisals and minor disciplinary measures, and elevates significant employee relations matters to higher-level management as appropriate.
• Recruits and interviews candidates and recommend appointments, promotions, and reassignments to support organizational workforce needs.
• Continuously identifies and implements opportunities to improve productivity, enhance work quality, and promote accountability and excellence across the team.
• Ensures compliance with the Office of Human Resources (OHR) policies, Equal Employment Opportunity programs, and safety and health requirements established by the Office of Safety, Health and Environmental Management (OSHEM) and ADA regulations.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to carry out each essential duty satisfactorily. The qualifications listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the role.

• PhD in forest ecology, forest remote sensing, forestry, biology, or other environmental science directly applied to forests.
• Applies expert knowledge of forest ecology, remote sensing, statistics, climate change, and related fields to design and conduct independent research that advances the understanding of temperate forest ecosystems, with a strong emphasis on U.S. forests.
• Expertise in forest ecology, ecosystem ecology, forestry, or related scientific disciplines, with demonstrated ability to evaluate and interpret large ecological and remote-sensing datasets and translate results into meaningful scientific findings that support research and conservation objectives.
• Mastery of scientific principles, methodologies, and analytical techniques required to conduct independent research, including study design, data collection, statistical analysis, interpretation of results, and dissemination of findings through reports, presentations, and publications.
• Demonstrated ability to train and guide staff and research partners in scientific methods and analytical techniques, including data collection, data management, hypothesis development, and scientific communication, using a combination of formal instruction, mentoring, and on-the-job coaching.
• Extensive ability to develop and sustain strategic partnerships with scientific professionals, research institutions, and program stakeholders to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, information sharing, and the advancement of research objectives across temperate forest regions
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required, Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex scientific information, prepare technical reports and research publications, and present findings effectively to scientific, professional, and stakeholder audiences.
• Must be able to work under varying field conditions and outdoors in hot, cold, humid, or wet environments.

Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

TO APPLY:
Interested candidates must submit a resume detailing both paid and unpaid experience relevant to this position. The resume must include the start and end dates (month and year) for each position, as well as the average number of hours worked per week. While a cover letter is st