Description

Akima Systems Engineering, an Akima company, is hiring a Research Scientist II in Madison, WI to collaborate with government scientists and team members to develop and lead studies as outlined below.

 

The National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) is a science center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with specialized laboratories dedicated to wildlife disease detection, control, and prevention. Their mission is to advance wildlife health science for the benefit of animals, humans, and the environment. Their work involves the coordination of research programs to study the use of vaccines to mitigate disease in wild bats, including white-nose syndrome and rabies.

 

WNS is an often-fatal disease of hibernating bats caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans, a fungus introduced to North America from Eurasia. The disease was first documented in 2006 near Albany, New York and has since spread across most of the U.S. and Canada, killing millions of bats. Several bat species in the eastern U.S. are now threatened with extinction due to the disease, while many more bat species in the western part of the country are at risk as the fungus continues to spread. The position involves coordination of numerous state and federal partners and NGO’s in deploying vaccination at selected sites, prioritized by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and monitoring the population impacts of vaccination in comparison to sites that are not treated.  Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease that is transmitted by bats to humans and other animals.  In South America, vampire bats are the primary vector of rabies for livestock in particular.  Though not currently present in North America, their populations are expanding and vampire bats are expected to move north into Texas and or Florida with changing climate patterns.  The work is to lead research to assess vaccination as a method to prevent rabies transmission by bats and to develop hands-off methods for vaccine deployment to bats for both WNS and rabies. 

Responsibilities

• The Research Scientist II will perform the tasks described below and within written established guidelines.
• The work required is to perform a lead role in designing and conducting scientific experiments, generating scientific data, and providing appropriate analysis of data in support of experimental conclusions.
• Experimental designs, hypotheses, results, and conclusions shall be documented, and records shall be submitted documenting progress towards task accomplishment.
• Incumbents will collaborate with USGS staff and scientists to collect data, perform analyses, and write and publish USGS report products, in accordance withfundamental science practices and quality assurance standards.
• Perform laboratory studies of fungal pathogens such as those that cause bat white-nose syndrome and snake fungal disease.
• Relies on high level of experience, judgement, and innovation to perform both laboratory and field studies.
• Perform and supervise others in the production of vaccine lots, testing and maintaining quality control standards throughout.
• Act as a liaison to the USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and numerous other state and federal agencies for the distribution and application of vaccine to mitigate WNS in bats.
• Prepare proposals to secure funding, manuscripts for publication, and give presentations at scientific meetings and to government and non-government partners involved in the research
• Lead research studies on the impact of WNS vaccination and the feasibility of rabies vaccination of vampire bats.
• Test various methods of vaccine deployment using hands-off approaches.
• Create, edit, and follow standard operating procedures (SOPs), maintain a detailed laboratory notebook, and adhere to guidelines of a Quality Management System (QMS).
• Operate laboratory equipment (balances, centrifuges, microscopes, incubators, shakers, pipettes, thermal cyclers, spectrophotometers).
• Train and supervise others in trapping and handling of animals, collection of samples, and laboratory analyses of samples.
• Assemble, evaluate, and analyze data for presentation in a scientifically appropriate manner.
• Assemble, evaluate, and analyze data for inclusion in reports and publications describing results.
• Maintain laboratory supplies and equipment and ensure all laboratory safety standards are met.

Qualifications

• Must be a US citizen ablet to pass a thorough background check including criminal and financial at both the state and federal level (note this process can take at least 3 weeks to complete).
• PhD in science related discipline.
• 3-4 years of experience.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and computer skills.
• Experience leading various roles in laboratory or field research projects.
• Experience planning and executing experiments and research; and summarizing findings in reports.

Job ID2026-24969 Work TypeOn-Site