Project Assistants

~ Founded in 1983 by the eminent ecologist Dr. Gene E. Likens, the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is a world-renowned leader in applying the ecosystem approach to some of society's most pressing problems, from the quantity and quality of freshwater resources to the health of our forests. ~

The unbiased scientific information produced by our scientists is essential to sound environmental policy, management decisions, and education curricula.

Position Overview

“Mouse-mast Project” Project Assistants (up to 4):

• Research the dynamics of mammalian communities and the relationships between mammals, ticks, oak trees, and Lyme disease in Hudson River Valley.
• Duties include live-trapping small mammals, taking blood, urine, and fecal samples, reliably recording trapping data, sampling abundance of ticks, tree seed collection, and seedling surveys within eastern deciduous forest plots.
• Early am, late afternoon and occasional weekend hours required.
• Experience handling small mammals preferred.
• Start date between April through mid May, 2018, ending approximately November, 2018.
• Job Number: 18002-I.

“The Tick Project” Project Assistants (up to 13):

• Research the effects of tick management interventions on the survival and behavior of blacklegged ticks and risk of tick-borne disease in people in Hudson River Valley with travel throughout Dutchess County.
• Duties include sampling and collecting ticks in suburban neighborhoods, live-trapping small mammals, gathering and entering data on tick encounters with local residents and cases of tick-borne disease, deploying and maintaining wildlife cameras.
• Meticulous attention to detail and experience in field ecology is mandatory. Experience handling small mammals preferred.
• Start date between March 12 through May 15, ending approximately September 30, 2018.
• Job Number: 18003-I.

“The Lyme-Climate Project” Project Assistants (up to 6):

• Research the effects of weather and climate on the survival and behavior of blacklegged ticks and risk of tick-borne disease. Location is Millbrook, NY, with travel to sites between northern New York and North Carolina.
• Duties include maintaining lab colonies of mice and ticks, establishing and maintaining field plots with ticks, assessing and recording tick survival, and downloading data from dataloggers.
• Meticulous attention to detail and experience in field ecology is mandatory. Experience handling small mammals is highly desirable.
• Start date between March 15 and April 30 2018, ending approximately October 31, 2018.
• Job Number: 18004-I.

Additional Information

• Positions are full time, 35 hours/week, non-benefited.
• Finalist candidates must complete a post-offer, pre-employment driving background check successfully.
• On-site or nearby housing may be available.
• Postings open until February 12, 2018 or until filled.
• Authorization to work in the US is required.

~ The Cary Institute is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA) employer. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, familial status, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information. ~