USFS Timber Products Statistics Database Internship
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.
USFS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is available with the US Forest Service (USFS), Southern Research Station located in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Forest Service is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency was stablished by congress in 1905 with the aim to provide quality water and timber for the nation. The aim was later broadened to include the management of the nation’s forests to provide for multiple uses and benefits, including sustained yield of renewable resources. Within the Forest Service, the Forest Inventory and Analysis program (FIA) provides the information needed to assess the status of the Nation’s forests. The FIA program reports on a variety of factors including the status and trends in forest area, forests distribution, tree health, tree removals, and wood production and utilization rates, among others.
Research Project: The USDA Forest Service has maintained timber products and price statistics to both support research and provide aggregated information to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the Joint Forestry Sector Questionnaire and the Joint Wood Energy Enquiry. Data compiled also contribute to the agency’s Sustainability Reporting under the Montreal Process, wood products carbon modeling that is a component of Carbon reporting by the agency to the White House, and research occurring under the Resources Planning Act Assessments. The compilation of price and timber statistics relies upon numerous Federal and Private data streams. Some of these data streams have structurally changed over time. Timber utilization standards have also changed over time motivating the USDA Forest Service to evaluate and enhance the system used to compile and report timber and price statistics.
Learning Objectives: The participant will have the opportunity to be involved in the USDA Forest Service process for updating U.S. timber products statistics under the FIA program, including the opportunity to participate in data gathering, organization, and analysis. The opportunity will allow the participant to:
- Increase his/her experience with database development and maintenance
- Gain familiarity with various data streams such as the Dataweb database from the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Timber Products Output database from the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory, among others
- Acquire or extend his/her knowledge about the U.S. forest products industry
- Become familiar with methods used to estimate production, consumption, and trade of U.S. forest products
- Collaborate in the development of a system to facilitate access and compilation of these timber products’ statistics
Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Consuelo Brandeis (Consuelo.brandeis@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: June 2021. Start date is flexible and negotiable, and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for six months, but may be extended upon recommendation of USFS and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and USFS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, USFS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email USForestService@orise.orau.gov and include the reference code (USDA-USFS-2021-0142) for this opportunity.