Smithsonian Bicoastal Science Communications Internship
Stipend: $500/week
Time: 18 weeks (April-August 2017)
Location: Edgewater, Md. and Tiburon, Calif.
Application Deadline: February 10, 2017, 11:59 p.m. PST
Description:
Gain hands-on experience with environmental communication on both sides of
America! The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is seeking an intern to
work for 18 weeks, from April through August, covering the work of SERC
researchers in Maryland and California. The intern will start at SERC's
Chesapeake Bay headquarters in the spring, getting training in SERC science
communications. In the summer, the intern will travel to San Francisco Bay to
cover the work of SERC marine biologists in California for the remaining 10
weeks. Travel funds from Maryland to California are included.
Spring (Part I): Chesapeake Bay
The intern will spend the first eight weeks at SERC's headquarters in
Edgewater, Md. There, the intern will interview SERC scientists in the field
and the lab and write about their work. This first part of the internship will
introduce the intern to the main features of SERC science communications:
writing articles for the SERC Shorelines blog<http://sercblog.si.edu>,
preparing posts for SERC's social media and assisting in the production of
SERC's quarterly newsletter On The Edge, under the mentorship of SERC science
writer Kristen Minogue.
Summer (Part II): San Francisco Bay
For the final 10 weeks, the intern will work in California, with the Tiburon
section of SERC's Marine Invasions Research
Lab<https://serc.si.edu/labs/marine-invasions-research>. SERC's Tiburon branch
is hosted at the Romberg Tiburon
Center<https://serc.si.edu/tiburon-research-branch>, a marine field station of
San Francisco State University. SERC marine biologists in Tiburon work in San
Francisco Bay and traverse the Pacific Coast studying invasive species, oyster
restoration and other critical conservation issues. There, the intern will
cover the work of SERC's West Coast scientists while exploring and developing
communication strategies within the Pacific market. During the California part
of the internship, the intern will work under the onsite supervision of
research ecologist Andrew Chang and correspond with Kristen Minogue via Skype.
Qualifications:
Strong scientific background (natural sciences coursework; not required to be a
science major) and skill writing about science for a nonscientific audience.
Ability to use Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint) required;
familiarity with photo editing software, Wordpress and HTML a plus.
To apply:
Send a cover letter, resume with references (name, title and contact
information) and unofficial transcript to
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> by 11:59 PST
February 10, 2017. One to three published or unpublished writing samples
explaining science for general readers are also essential to include with the
application to be considered. For more information visit http://serc.si.edu
