*Proposals due February 1, 2019. * *Please contact any of the research advisors listed below if interested.*
*Additional details at **http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc <http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc>* *Multi-Resource Analysis - Integrating Energy, Mineral, and other Natural Resource Assessments* An interdisciplinary USGS team has initiated a research agenda to develop methods and tools for Multi-Resource Analysis (MRA). MRA is a next-generation suite of analytical products that can be used to inform land use and resource management decisions by integrating scientific information about natural resources and explicitly recognizing changes to those resources caused by natural events and human decisions, including energy and minerals development decisions. MRA focuses on the effects of change on multiple natural resources, interrelationships among natural resources, and the economic and societal consequences of these changes to humans. The USGS has a growing body of work on MRA and related topics (Jenni et al., 2018; Haines et al., 2013; Martinez et al, in review; Diffendorfer et al., 2017). The focus of this Research Opportunity is to further advance MRA via integration of energy, mineral, and other natural resource assessments. The Mendenhall Fellow’s research may be centered on any of the physical, economic, or decision science aspects of the MRA. To that end, we solicit proposals touching on one or more of following research areas which are the primary components of an MRA described in Jenni et al. 2018. 1. *Baseline natural resource assessment:* USGS energy and mineral resource assessment procedures have been in place for many years, but there are no equivalent procedures for collectively assessing the many other natural resources in a region, nor an established means of integrating geologic, biophysical, and socioeconomic resource assessments. An innovative methodology to synthesize co-located natural resource data in a study region is needed. 2. *Scenarios and scenario analysis:* Natural processes and events and human decisions can change landscapes, their natural resources, and the benefits those resources provide. Resource managers need to make decisions despite significant uncertainty and there is a need for robust techniques that can provide an improved understanding of future conditions that could occur under a set of decision-relevant scenarios. 3. *Integrated, Dynamic Models of Physical and Biological Interrelationships:* Understanding how stressors, disruptions, and decisions can change future conditions of co-located natural resources requires an understanding of the interrelationships among those resources. Research is needed to develop integrated, dynamic models of the physical and biological relationships among resources. 4. *Economic Analysis:* MRA provides additional information by considering the connection between natural resources and people via economic analyses. Research is needed on methods to evaluate how the biophysical changes modeled under different scenarios affects and is valued by the people who live in the region or rely on the resources. We seek a Mendenhall Fellow to investigate and advance MRA using USGS energy and mineral resource assessments. The research should fall within one or more of the four categories described above. Possible topics include: - How can recent advances in data synthesis, automation, integration and AI allow the integration of multiple resource assessments to provide meaningful information on resource quantity, quality and importance, and how can information be collected, synthesized and delivered in a more in effective and efficient manner? - Exploring the potential for a set of generalized scenarios related to energy and mineral development strategies that could be applied consistently across many regions. - Exploring how scenarios and alternatives to scenarios capture and communicate alternative futures to decision makers and stakeholders and how well existing energy simulations perform compared to observed patterns of development. - Developing and applying methods that provide a quantitative accounting of the relationships between multiple resources. Possible examples include quantifying the individual and population-scale impacts of petroleum development on collocated species, or quantifying the social and economic impacts of recreation areas being converted to mineral resource extraction. - Connecting the valued aspects of the resources to quantitative measures of value, with particular interest in economic valuation. - Using or modifying risk assessment tools and approaches to integrate consideration and valuation of low-probability, high-consequence events (such as spill or leak) into the economic analysis. Applicants are expected to have strong technical skills in economics, decision science, geology, geophysics, geography, ecology, or another relevant physical science along with computational skills associated with the proposed work and a desire to contribute to advancing MRA; however, experience in applying the skills towards MRA is not necessary. *References* Diffendorfer, J.E., Beston, J. A., Merril, M. D., Stanton, J. C., Corum, M. D., Loss, S. R., Thogmartin, W. E., Johnson, D. H., Erickson, R. A., Heist, K. W. 2017. A method to assess the population-level consequences of wind energy facilities on bird and bat species. 65-76 in “Wind Energy and Wildlife Interactions: Presentations from the CWW2015 Conference”. Springer, New York, New York. ISBN: 9783319512709 Haines, S.S., Diffendorfer, J.E., Balistrieri, L., Berger, B., Cook, T., DeAngelis, D., Doremus, H., Gautier, D.L., Gallegos, T., Gerritsen, M., Graffy, E., Hawkins, S., Johnson, K.M., Macknick, J., McMahon, P., Modde, T., Pierce, B., Schuenemeyer, J.H., Semmens, D., Simon, B., Taylor, J., and Walton-Day, K., 2013, A framework for quantitative assessment of impacts related to energy and mineral resource development: Natural Resources Research, v. 23, no. 1, p. 3–17. Jenni, K.E., Pindilli, E., Bernknopf, R., Nieman, T.L., and Shapiro, C., 2018, Multi-Resource Analysis—Methodology and synthesis: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1442, 81 p.,https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1442. Martinez, C., S. Haines, S. Garman, J. Diffendorfer, D. Semmens, Dorning, M., Jenni, K., in review. Quantifying potential future effects of developing oil and gas resources on ecosystem attributes: A demonstration in the Piceance Basin, Western Colorado. Natural Resources Research. *Proposed Duty Station:* Denver, CO; Reston, VA *Areas of Ph.D.:* Economics, decision science, geosciences, geography, landscape ecology, hydrology or related fields (candidates holding a Ph.D. in other disciplines, but with extensive knowledge and skills relevant to the Research Opportunity may be considered). *Qualifications:* Applicants must meet one of the following qualifications: Research Economist/Economist <https://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/opps/qualifications.html#res_econ>, Operations Research Analyst <https://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/opps/qualifications.html#op_anal>, Research Social Scientist <https://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/opps/qualifications.html#res_socsci>, Research Physical Scientist <https://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/opps/qualifications.html#res_phys>,Research Geologist <https://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/opps/qualifications.html#res_geol>/ Geophysicist <https://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/opps/qualifications.html#res_geophys>, Research Ecologist <https://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/opps/qualifications.html#res_ecol>, Research Geographer <https://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/opps/qualifications.html#res_geog>. (This type of research is performed by those who have backgrounds for the occupations stated above. However, other titles may be applicable depending on the applicant's background, education, and research proposal. The final classification of the position will be made by the Human Resources specialist.) *Research Advisor(s):* Karen Jenni, 303-236-5766, [email protected] <https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&[email protected]>; Emily Pindilli, 703-648-5732, [email protected] <https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&[email protected]>; Seth Haines, 303-236-0459, [email protected] <https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&[email protected]>; Darius Semmens, 303-236-1420, [email protected] <https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&[email protected]>; Jay Diffendorfer, 303-236-5369, [email protected] <https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&[email protected]> . *Human Resources Office Contact:* Emilyn Claycomb, [email protected] <https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&[email protected]>, 703 648-7481 *The USGS Mendenhall program.* The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began the Mendenhall Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program (now called Mendenhall Research Fellowship Program) in 2001 in honor of Walter C. Mendenhall, the fifth Director of the USGS. The Mendenhall Program provides an opportunity for recent PhD graduates (within five years since completion of the doctoral degree) to conduct concentrated research in association with selected members of the USGS professional staff. The Program is intended to provide research fellows with experiences that enhance their personal scientific skills and accomplishments. Through the Mendenhall Program the USGS acquires current expertise to assist in the advancement of its scientific goals. To date, over 120 Mendenhall Fellows have joined the USGS. Mendenhall Fellowships are 2-year appointments with a competitive salary (~$60,000) and benefits package. Mendenhall Fellows are also granted project expense funds appropriate to the scope of research to be conducted. Postdoctoral research projects under this program have spanned a wide range of scientific topics of interest and relevance to the mission of the USGS. For additional information, please consult the Project Profiles section of the Mendenhall Program web site at the following URL: http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc. What is it like to be a USGS Mendenhall Fellow? Check out the FAQ section of the program web site for some very informative quotes from previous Mendenhall Fellows. Also, another way, of course, is to find out directly from a Fellow -- Project Profiles contain their contact information. Program contacts: Dr. Rama K. Kotra, 703-648-6271, [email protected]; -- Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Denver Federal Center, Bldg 25, room 1719, MS 980 Denver, CO 80225 303-236-5369 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jay_Diffendorfer <https://profile.usgs.gov/jediffendorfer> ORCID: 0000-0003-1093-6948
