Biology Assistant AmeriCorps

Biology Assistant (12 Weeks) - Ameri Corps POSITION DETAILS

Position (s): 4456

Position Title:

Biology Assistant - Ameri Corps
Conservation Legacy Program:
Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site

Location:

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park, Noatak National Preserve, Davis, California
Number of positions available: 1

Duration: 12 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible

Start Date:

Yes

Start Date:

6/15/2026
End Date: 9/7/2026
Ameri Corps Slot Classification: 450 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.

• Segal Ameri Corps Education Award
  : $1,956.35 upon successful completion of position
• Weekly Living Allowance
  : $700.00 per week, fixed rate
• Relocation Allowance
  : $450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck)
• Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by My Ameri Corps , directly)
• Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through My Ameri Corps , directly)

Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, February 15, 2026. Applications will be reviewed after the Final date to receive applications passes. Positions will close after receiving 60 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 15, 2026, whichever occurs first.

Water quality, aquatic health, modeling, metals, Ecotoxicology

This Biology Assistant is an Ameri Corps position. The position will contribute to ongoing research of Rusting Rivers in Western Arctic Parklands. In these areas, permafrost thaw is causing acid rock drainage and the release of toxic metals into streams and rivers. High metal concentrations can be harmful to aquatic health, including effects on variety of life and drinking water quality, threatening subsistence fishing, local communities, and recreation within the parks.

The goal of the position is for the participant to evaluate whether the observed metal concentrations are high enough to be toxic to the fish, and whether they are responsible for previous variety of life loss. This project will provide information to further guide monitoring and management decisions and will contribute to our understanding of rusting rivers in Arctic Alaska.

The participant will be based in the Poulin lab at UC Davis and will be supervised by a postdoctoral fellow. Their research will contribute to the larger Rusting Rivers project, which seeks to understand the causes and effects of permafrost thaw-driven acid rock drainage in Arctic Alaska. The participant will use modeling approaches to determine if the metal concentrations in these rivers are toxic to aquatic life.

Specifically, the participant will use the US EPA’s Biotic Ligand Model in conjunction with a dataset from our field site including pH, hardness, and organic and inorganic carbon concentrations to assess toxicological risk and predict if observed metal concentrations are causing fish and invertebrate loss. In addition to developing modeling expertise, the participant will gain skills in laboratory techniques by assisting with metals analyses.

They will also gain skills in data management, statistical analysis, and science communication. The Rusting Rivers project is highly collaborative and includes researchers from the United States Geological Survey, National Parks Service, and UC Davis. The participant will gain insight into how these collaborations across academic and government settings function. Ultimately, the participant will have opportunities to contribute to manuscripts, presentations, reports, and outreach activities depending on their interests.

For more information on the Rusting Rivers project, watch this video:

The primary deliverable for this position will be a dataset of toxicity thresholds for multiple metals and fish in Arctic Alaska. This product will ultimately be included in a published dataset and will contribute to one or more manuscripts in the larger Rusting Rivers project. Depending on the participant’s interests and career goals, additional deliverables and projects products could include assistance with outreach presentations for park staff and local communities, preparing a poster for a local conference, co-authorship on a manuscript, and developing materials to communicate the findings of this project to various audiences.

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an Ameri Corps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award.
• Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security…