Indigenous Knowledge and Data Sovereignty Fellow

This position is part of the NOAA Coastal Resilience Fellowship Program, supporting the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (CRRC) projects. The fellow will support the project: Bristol Bay Climate Adaptation Planning Program.

Host Organization: Alaska Conservation Foundation
Location of Position: Anchorage, Alaska
Duration of Position: Two years
Annual Salary: $56,133 
Benefits: Medical insurance, 11 paid federal holidays per year, 15 paid personal days per year, professional development training, travel funding, relocation allowance

Work Environment:

Desk space at the Alaska Conservation Foundation (ACF) office in downtown Anchorage will be available for the fellow; however, this is a hybrid position that can work remotely and be in-person at the office at a frequency that is determined with the supervisor and mentors. This will likely require at least one day in the office per week to attend regular foundation staff meetings.

 Fellowship Position Description:

The fellow will be joining the Bristol Bay Climate Adaptation Planning Program project in the early stages and will play a key role in establishing the Bristol Bay Resilience Collaborative over the first year of the fellowship and helping support and grow the Collaborative over the second year. In addition to supporting Bristol Bay Native Association staff and project partners with the development of the Collaborative, the fellow will focus specifically on: 1) helping to define data collection and sharing for Tribal participants and 2) creating an ArcGIS StoryMap to share the work being done on this project. Due to the remote nature of this position, the fellow will be required to attend multiple virtual weekly meetings and have regular check-ins with their mentor(s) and other project partners (frequency to be determined at the outset of the fellowship). 

The fellow will work closely with the climate adaptation planning program manager (to be hired), another NOAA coastal resilience fellow, and other key project collaborators and other project partners to:

• Identify and reach out to key stakeholders in the Bristol Bay region to learn about the regional perspectives on adaptation and resilience efforts underway in the region and identify the initial needs and priorities for regional work
• Conduct outreach to committed, interested, and potential partner entities, Tribal and community leadership, and technical and knowledge experts, to generate interest in and educate on the Regional Collaborative
• Conduct research on climate adaptation collaboratives and Tribal community resilience and compile examples of best or promising practices in both spaces that can be used to inform the creation and support of both the Climate Adaptation Planning Program and the Regional Collaborative

In addition to the above responsibilities, the fellow will be asked to:

• Work with key regional and statewide partners to help define data collection and data sharing policies that seek to protect Tribal data sovereignty in the context of this project and future work in the Bristol Bay region. These discussions will start early within the project and Regional Collaborative and likely continue throughout the duration of the fellowship (and project), as these are fundamental priorities to center and protect Traditional Ecological Knowledge
• Work with their mentors and identified partners to create ArcGIS StoryMaps to determine appropriate and creative ways to tell the “story” of this project by highlighting the ongoing and planned adaptation efforts within the Bristol Bay region. This will ultimately serve as a deliverable for the fellowship; however, we don’t anticipate that the fellow will complete this project but instead begin this effort, provide a written roadmap, and be able to hand it off with a clear vision.

Anticipated Travel:

For this project, travel to Dillingham and communities within the Bristol Bay region to meet with Bristol Bay Native Association staff and other project members is recommended within the first year of the fellowship. The fellow will also travel to the first workshop, which will be held in the second year. In addition, there may be opportunities to attend related national and state events and environmental conferences in Anchorage, other Alaskan cities, or other states, including but not limited to the National Adaptation Forum, BIA Tribal Providers, Alaska Forum on the Environment, Alaska Tribal Administrator’s Conference, Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management, Bristol Bay Sustainability Summit, and the Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference.

Desired Qualifications:

Minimum qualifications include a high school diploma or GED, enjoyment working with a diverse group of people and backgrounds, and the ability to demonstrate computer skills and outstanding written and oral communication skills. The desired candidate should be familiar with and interested in a working knowledge of Alaska Native and Indigenous peoples, cultures, and Tribal environmental challenges. Desired education includes an undergraduate degree in natural resources or environmental studies, anthropology, or visual or creative arts. A background or special interest in climate adaptation and resilience is a plus; however, we encourage all interested and passionate individuals to apply for this position.

Fellow Mentoring:

The fellow will be mentored by the following individuals:

Mentor: Nyssa Russell, Alaska Conservation Foundation (ACF)
Role in Fellow’s Project: Nyssa will serve as the main point of contact for the fellow. Nyssa lives and works in Kodiak, Alaska, so she will support the fellow through regularly scheduled virtual meetings and will frequently visit Anchorage to meet in-person with the fellow. The fellow will be supported by additional Alaska Conservation Foundation staff in Anchorage. Nyssa works closely with many of the regional partners who the fellow will be engaging with, so she will help initiate those relationships and provide opportunities for the fellow to meet with them virtually and in-person when possible. She, and other mentors, will commit to supporting professional development by including the fellow in appropriate and relevant opportunities within the Alaska Conservation Foundation’s networks, when possible. 
Role in Overall Project: Key Project Collaborator
Role within Organization: Western Alaska Landscape Initiative Coordinator

Mentor: Aaron Poe, Alaska Conservation Foundation (ACF)
Role in Fellow’s Project: Aaron will serve as a secondary mentor for the fellow at the Alaska Conservation Foundation. Aaron works in Anchorage and is frequently at the foundation’s office, so he will be the main point of contact for the fellow when they are working in the office. Aaron is very well connected to the foundation’s broad network of federal, state, nonprofit, academic, and Tribal and community partners and will be able to provide additional support for the fellow to establish connections within the Bristol Bay region and throughout the state.  
Role in Overall Project: Key Project Collaborator
Role within Organization: Network Officer

Mentor: Adelheid Herrmann, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP)
Role in Fellow’s Project: Adelheid will serve as another mentor for the fellow throughout their project. Adelheid can support the fellow and offer additional professional perspective. She lives and works in Anchorage and can offer in-person support as needed. Adelheid is originally from the Bristol Bay region and is very well connected to the regional resilience and adaptation efforts in the region. She can also provide the fellow with access to information and tools in climate science and adaptation.
Role in Overall Project: Key Project Collaborator
Role within Organization: Postdoctoral Fellow

To apply, please upload the following materials in one PDF file:

• Resume (two-page limit)
• Statement of interest, where the candidate describes what they hope to gain from the fellowship experience and what they can contribute. Candidates should also highlight any connections to or special interests in the region, including Indigenous or local knowledge and relevant life experiences (500-word limit)
• Unofficial academic transcripts to show coursework (or joint services transcript for veterans)
• Two professional or academic references (names and contact information)