Paleontology Intern - Badlands Dinosaur Museum

Badlands Dinosaur Museum, Dickinson ND is hiring a seasonal paleontology intern. 40hrs pw, start and finish expected mid/late May to end Aug (flexible). Application Deadline 8th April. Please email denver.fowler@dickinsongov.com with any questions.

Subsidized housing may be available, so we encourage applications from anyone currently able to work in the United States!

SEASONAL PALEONTOLOGY ASSISTANT

As part of its summer programming, Dickinson Museum Center is seeking a seasonal paleontology assistant for the 2019 summer tourist season, starting in mid-late May or early June (flexible), and lasting into August (at latest to Labor Day)

POSITION SUMMARY:

The seasonal paleontologist is a position that combines education & outreach, exhibit interpretation, and work in the preparation laboratory. The amount of time dedicated to each responsibility will depend on the ability and experience of the applicant.

About Badlands Dinosaur Museum:

Badlands Dinosaur Museum is a growing institution located on the 12 acre campus of Dickinson Museum Center in Dickinson, ND.The museum was founded in 1992 by Alice and Larry League and operated as Dakota Dinosaur Museum until 2015 whereupon it was acquired by the City of Dickinson. In 2016, Dr. Denver Fowler was hired as curator of paleontology and the museum was renamed as Badlands Dinosaur Museum in 2017.

Badlands Dinosaur Museum is undergoing a complete overhaul of the facility, exhibits, and programming. New fossil specimens are being collected by our fieldwork program that are prepared in our public viewing laboratory, which has a sliding window to allow visitors to ask questions. Fossil storage facilities have been upgraded to meet standards for a federal repository. Our evolving exhibit features new displays each year.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential duties:

• Assists in design of outreach and educational activities in paleontology that utilize the exhibit and education collection. May involve visiting groups or buildings outside of the museum campus.

• Implements outreach and educational programming in paleontology aimed at local population and regional summer tourism.

• Will offer interpretive assistance in the paleontology exhibit hall: answering visitor questions, giving short tours, and explaining exhibit content and core scientific concepts in paleontology.

• Assists in the public preparation laboratory in preparing specimens for exhibit and research.

• Provide general assistance to the curator and laboratory fossil preparator.

• Assists in outreach, special events, and donor development.

• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Enrollment in a post-secondary educational program in a subject appropriate to Paleontology (e.g. Biology, Geology), or equivalent experience in a museum or education setting.

• Good general knowledge of paleontology, including being able to discuss core concepts with visitors and answer typical questions.

• Comfortable with public speaking in front of small groups and larger audiences.

• Willing and able to engage visitors in a friendly and approachable demeanor.

• Happy to work with children and families.

• Basic familiarity with fossil preparation methods.

• Ability to work independently on outreach & education and other fossil projects.

• Must be able to lift at least 25 pounds.

• Knowledge of appropriate specimen handling protocol.

• Demonstrable interest and knowledge of museums and their role in society.

• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office software.

• Valid driver's license.

Additional desirable skills/experience:

• Prior experience in outreach and education.

• Prior experience working with children and families.

• Prior experience in a museum setting.

• Knowledge of anatomy, especially dinosaurs.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Positions in this class typically require: talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.

• Work is performed within routine office environment with minimal exposure to hazardous or unpleasant conditions. Physical demands are usually limited to sitting or standing in one location much of the time. Some stooping, lifting of objects may be required.

• Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Compensation: $11.19 per hour (wage includes $1.25 per hour Skill-Based pay)

http://dickinsongov.com/2019/03/20/job-opening-museum-fossil-preparator-intern/

Curator/Director of Operations Job at Jackson School of Geosciences Non-Vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory (Austin, TX, USA)

Position Description The Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin invites applications for the position of Operations Manager of the Non-Vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory (NPL) at the Jackson Museum of Earth History. The NPL houses more than four million specimens, including more than 22,000 type and figured specimens. The successful candidate will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the NPL, working collaboratively with other members of the Jackson School to develop long-term goals for the collections, and coordinating and integrating interactions with other institutions. The Operations Manager contributes to and encourages the growth of the collections, promotes access to the collections through digitization and the development and maintenance of digital tools to promote remote access, and seeks funding to improve conditions and access to the collections. The Operations Manager hires, trains, and manages staff and volunteers at the facility, and coordinates use of the facility by faculty, research scientists, and students from the Jackson School and other institutions.

Qualifications
PhD in Geosciences, Biosciences, or a related field with an emphasis on paleontology, paleoecology, or another area of paleobiology is required, with at least two years of related work experience. Taxonomic expertise that complements or expands the collection strengths is also required, as well as excellent communication skills. Experience with collections management and collections-based research, success at raising external funds, and a strong research publication record are preferred. The Jackson School is interested in building a culturally diverse intellectual community; we strongly encourage applications from all under-represented groups. The University of Texas at Austin is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to diversity at all levels.

Application Instructions
Required application documents include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for at least three references. Apply through the UT Austin Employment site. Applicant review will begin April 15 and continue until the position is filled. Further information about the Jackson Museum of Earth History and NPL can be found at https://www.jsg.utexas.edu/npl/. Address questions about the position to Christopher J. Bell (cjbell@jsg.utexas.edu).

2019 AWG Winifred Goldring Award & Undergraduate Excellence in Paleontology Award

AWG Winifred Goldring Award
The Association for Women Geoscientists is pleased to announce the Winifred Goldring Award competition. The award, which consists of a $2000 cash prize and membership in the Paleontological Society and AWG for tenure of the awardee’s schooling, will be presented to an outstanding female student pursuing a career in paleontology. The award is named for Winifred Goldring, a pioneering woman paleontologist, who became State Paleontologist of New York State in 1939 and the first female president of the Paleontological Society in 1949. This award was made possible by the generous donations of David Watkins and MaryAnne Holmes. 

All application materials must be received by April 15th. The winner will be notified in May and the award will be distributed in early summer.

QUALIFICATIONS

A. Applicants must be women pursuing education as a graduate student in the paleontological – and affiliated – sciences at a degree-granting institution. 

B. Applicant must be enrolled as a student during the period of the award.

C. Proof of student status in the form of transcripts (official or unofficial) must be provided. 

D. Successful applicants will exhibit exceptional motivation, professional potential, outreach, and long-term commitment to goals. 

E. Students may receive the Winifred Goldring Award only once during the tenure of their graduate school careers. 

F. No prior AWG or PS membership is required.

G. National or international students are allowed to apply, with the exception of sanctioned countries.

For more information about application requirements, visit the AWG Awards and Scholarships web page at www.awg.org/awards and click on the AWG Winifred Goldring Award.

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Introducing the AWG Undergraduate Excellence in Paleontology Award
The Association for Women Geoscientists is pleased to announce the AWG Undergraduate Paleontology Award. The award, which consists of a $1000 cash prize and membership in the Paleontological Society and AWG for the tenure of the awardee’s schooling, will be presented to an outstanding female undergraduate student pursuing a career in paleontology. This award was made possible by the generous donations of David Watkins and Mary Anne Holmes. 

All application materials must be received by April 15. The winner will be notified in May and the award will be distributed in early summer.

QUALIFICATIONS

A. Applicants must be women pursuing education as an undergraduate student in the paleontological – and affiliated – sciences at a degree-granting institution. 

B. Applicant must be enrolled as a student during the period of the award.

C. Proof of student status in the form of transcripts (official or unofficial) must be provided. 

D. Successful applicants will exhibit exceptional motivation, professional potential, outreach, and long-term commitment to goals. 

E. Students may receive the Undergraduate Paleontology Award only once during the tenure of their undergraduate careers. 

F. No prior AWG or PS membership is required.

G. National or international students are allowed to apply, with the exception of sanctioned countries.

For more information about application requirements, visit the AWG Awards and Scholarships web page at www.awg.org/awards and click on the AWG Undergraduate Excellence in Paleontology Award.

GSA Minority Scholarships & On To the Future

GSA On To the Future

The On To the Future (OTF) program provides partial funding to attend the GSA Annual Meeting, 22-25 September 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. Open to students and recent graduates from diverse backgrounds who have never attended a GSA Annual Meeting before. At the meeting, students have the option to be paired with a mentor, attend special sessions including a full day professional development workshop, and meet GSA leadership. GSA encourages low-income, minority, first-generation, non-traditional, women, veterans, LBGTQ, students with disabilities, and others to apply. The deadline is 31 May. Learn more about eligibility and the application process. 

For questions contact: Tahlia Bear, tbear@geosociety.org 

GSA Minority Scholarships

The Minority Scholarship awards six $1,500 scholarships to undergraduate students from minority backgrounds. Awardees also receive complimentary GSA student membership and meeting registration for this year’s GSA Annual Meeting. Apply by 15 May. Learn more here.

For questions contact: awards@geosociety.org 

2019 Analytical Paleobiology Summer Workshop - following NAPC

The 2019 edition of the Analytical Paleobiology Summer Workshop will be hosted at the University of California, Riverside (USA) immediately following the 11th North American Paleontological Convention (NAPC: https://napc2019.ucr.edu): FRIDAY JUNE 28 thru TUESDAY JULY 23, 2019.

To submit your application, please visit www.analytical.palaeobiology.de. Applications and recommendation letters are due on March 15, 2019. Admission decisions will be made in early April 2019.
The workshop is free for admitted applicants and lodging will be provided at little or no cost to all participants. Financial aid to assist participants with travel costs may be available, but we encourage applicants to pursue additional funding at their home institution or other sources, particularly in association with NAPC.

This 4-week workshop, with major support from NSF, aims to introduce graduate students to a range of analytical methods that are foundational to or at the cutting edge of paleobiological research. Topics, taught by rotating expert instructors, will include probability theory, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, resampling techniques, correlation and regression, multivariate statistics, methods of measuring biodiversity, morphometrics, phylogenetic methods, spatial and time-series analyses and other related topics. The workshop will also provide practical hands-on training in statistical programming and data analysis and visualization in R.

PhD students from any degree-granting institution worldwide are eligible for admission. Applications from junior scientists who completed their PhD recently and from future PhD students (i.e., advanced undergraduate students and MS students interested in research-oriented careers in paleontology) will also be considered. Maximum enrollment is 15 students. Admission decisions will be based on student applications and recommendation letters. Special consideration will be given to students who plan on attending NAPC prior to the workshop.

To learn more about the workshop, please visit the website at www.analytical.palaeobiology.de. If you have questions about the workshop or the application process, please email Shanan Peters (peters@geologywisc.edu) or Seth Finnegan (seth.finnegan@gmail.com).

Sincerely,
The Initial Organizing Committee of the Analytical Paleobiology Short Workshop
Shanan Peters, Seth Finnegan (chairs, 2019)
Wolfgang Kiessling
Rowan Lockwood
Charles Marshall
Alycia Stigall
Michal Kowalewski

2019 John W. Wells Grant-in-Aid of Research

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) invites applications from graduate students and post-doctoral researchers for the 2019 John W. Wells Grants-in-Aid of Research Program to support collections-based research in any field of paleontology. The program awards grants of up to $500 to visit PRI’s collections.

This grant honors John W. Wells (1907 – 1994), past President of the PRI Board of Trustees, a long-time geology faculty member at Cornell University, and one of the world’s leading authorities on fossil and living corals.

PRI houses one of the largest collections of invertebrate fossils in North America, with particular strengths in Cenozoic mollusks from the Western Hemisphere, and marine invertebrates of the northeastern U.S., especially the Devonian of central New York. PRI's Type and Figured collection is searchable online at: www.pricollectionsdatabase.org.

Applications should include a brief (one page) description of the research project, a budget justification and a letter of recommendation. Please note that the 2019 application deadline has been extended until March 15, 2019. Please e-mail your application material to Dr. Gregory P. Dietl, Curator of Cenozoic Invertebrates at gpd3@cornell.edu.

Banff Geobiology Meeting 2019- Registration now open

Registration for the 2nd Geobiology Society Conference, June 9-13 (2019) at Banff, Canada, is now open: https://cms.eas.ualberta.ca/geobiology2019/

Following a very successful "Geobiology 2017" with 200 registrants, the Geobiology Society will again host a 3-day meeting at the Banff Conference Center. The dates for the conference are June 9-13, 2019. As before, this meeting will be an ideal venue for us to discuss the latest developments in Geobiology and build international collaborations in a relaxed but stimulating environment.

Geobiology 2019 will take a page out of the 1-day regional Geobiology meetings held across the United States and Western Canada, emphasizing the work of early career scientists – graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and assistant professors. The three days are designed to cover various topics pertaining to how microbial processes affect the modern environment and leave imprints on the rock record. Days 1 and 2 will explore the modern tools of organic and inorganic geochemistry, molecular biology and microbial ecology, environmental geomicrobiology and sedimentary geology. Day 3 will focus on the interpretation of the rock record, and how the modern can be used to infer the past. To investigate these topics, the mornings and early afternoons will be devoted to oral sessions while the late afternoons will be devoted to breakout sessions, point-counterpoint talks, informal talks on career-related topics, and talks by medallists. Following dinner, Monday and Tuesday evening will be dedicated to an extended poster session. Wednesday evening will be free time in Banff.

A major goal of the conference will be to facilitate bridge building across the disparate fields within geobiology, particularly from the geological and biological ends of the spectrum. As such, there will only be one oral session at a time.

One of the advantages of hosting Geobiology 2019 in Banff is that it is a tremendous venue for those who wish to bring their families! Surrounded by the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountains there are many opportunities for hiking, biking, outdoor adventures, or even shopping and relaxing. Banff is a welcoming town, with a tremendous reputation for year-round adventure. Nearby attractions include sight-seeing at Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and the Banff Upper Hot Springs. Hiking trails are scattered throughout the park, with a number starting right outside the Banff Centre. Additionally, two field trips are being currently being planned; the first (on Sunday) to view various Neoproterozoic units that span the "Snowball Earth" events, and the second (on Thursday) an organized hike to the Mt. Stephen Fossil Beds to see the Burgess Shale fauna. Registration for both field trips will be available shortly.

Senior Research Fellowship - Vrije Universiteit Brussels

Applications are invited for the post of full-time Senior Research Fellow, to be appointed on grounds of personal excellence in a research theme given priority in the University's research policy.

Contract:
Recruitment in one of the academic ranks of Senior Academic Staff. Recruitment in the rank of lecturer is a tenure track appointment, which implies an initial appointment as lecturer for a period of 5 years with eligibility for tenure in the rank of senior lecturer by the end of this initial period. Recruitment in other academic ranks is an initial appointment for 3 years with eligibility for tenure in the same rank by the end of this initial period.

Starting date:
November 1, 2019

Terms:
Primarily research, with a minimum teaching load (supervision of master and/or PhD students). The appointed staff member holds a Senior Research Fellowship for 5 years initially, renewable for a second period of 5 years after positive evaluation.

Theme: 

• Planetary processes and global environment changes documented using geochemistry and state-of-art analytical instrumentation
  Call + Theme Information
  Application Form

Requirements:
An excellent research record on the basis of international peer review is the most important selection criterion. As a formal minimum requirement, applicants must hold a PhD awarded on the basis of an original thesis, obtained maximum 12 years before the starting date of the fellowship (for female candidates this maximum period is extended with one year per child, until a maximal extension of 3 years). The call is aimed at researchers whose expertise is internationally recognized after three or more full years of postdoc experience.

Contact person: 
Prof. dr. Karin Vanderkerken
Vice-rector Research Policy
vicerector.onderzoek@vub.be
+32 2 629 21 08

Applications:

• Applicants need to use the specific application form for this vacancy, which may be downloaded on this page (above under Themes).
• The application should be submitted via rd.secretariaat@vub.be
• Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply

Deadline: 
Applications should arrive on Monday March 25th, 2019 at the latest (local time).