Igiugig Village Council and The Nature Conservancy 
Kvichak Smolt Monitoring 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 Guardians.

Host Organization: The Nature Conservancy and Igiugig Village Council
Location of Position: Alaska (Lakes Region of Bristol Bay preferred)
Duration of Position: Two years (June 2025 to June 2027)
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:

The role is anticipated to be primarily remote, depending upon the desired location of the selected applicant. If the fellow is based within the region and a partnering community, we will strive to provide a dedicated office space. 

 Fellowship Position Description:

As a member of the Bristol Bay Guardians initiative, the successful fellow will initially focus their efforts on gaining familiarity with historical and contemporary dynamics associated with Alaska Native relations and compiling all documented information regarding sockeye salmon smolt outmigration monitoring in the Lake Iliamna Watershed, primarily focused on the Kvichak River. Smolt monitoring efforts have occurred for decades: first by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and more recently by the Bristol Bay Science and Research Institute (BBSRI). Due to funding and capacity constraints, this long-term monitoring effort has been dormant since 2019 and represents a highly significant information gap regarding a more holistic understanding of the sockeye salmon populations of the most productive watershed in the world. By the end of year one, the fellow should have developed a deep familiarity with the existing documented information associated with these efforts. 

• Year One Deliverable: Draft literature review on the sockeye salmon smolt outmigration monitoring in the Lake Iliamna Watershed. 

It will then become the focus of this fellowship to restructure the historic research and monitoring relationship by prioritizing community investment and involvement in the development of a collaborative monitoring approach, wherein basic population and biological data can routinely be collected with support from engaged residents of regional communities. Building relationships with regional communities will be paramount to the success of the initiative and should be woven into the foundation of every decision throughout the process. Upon conclusion of the fellowship, our expectation is that the foundation for a collaborative, community-forward monitoring plan is developed and ready for pilot implementation, which may occur in years four and five of the award period. The draft monitoring plan should explore community investment in employing modern technologies (e.g., sonar, machine learning) for data collection efforts. Throughout the process, the fellow will also be expected to closely coordinate and potentially co-mentor with entities responsible for the bulk of existing data on this population (e.g., BBSRI, Aquacoustics).   

• Year Two Deliverable: Draft monitoring plan for the sockeye salmon smolt population

Anticipated Travel:

In addition to professional development opportunities and the peer-to-peer sharing event in 2027, the anticipated amount of travel will vary depending upon the duty station of the selected applicant (e.g., if the fellow is based in-region, several trips to Anchorage will be necessary; similarly, should the applicant be based in an urban area, they will be expected to travel to various communities within Bristol Bay to build relationships and promote the opportunity to engage in the process). Regardless, the fellow should expect to make 3–5 roundtrip visits from or to Bristol Bay communities annually, which is inclusive of information sharing opportunities (e.g., United Tribes of Bristol Bay Sustainability Summit, Western Alaska Interagency Science Conference, Southwest Interagency Meeting, Nila Vena Sustainability Forum) and community engagement opportunities (e.g., Kokhanok Carnival).  

Desired Qualifications:

The most important qualifications for a successful candidate are familiarity or lived experience with Alaska Native communities and geopolitical relations and a passion for developing equitable, community-forward opportunities within land relationship planning (i.e., natural resource management) practices. Life, work, and academic experience related to caring for Mother Earth will also be very helpful to the success of this project, including but not limited to community-based monitoring (CBM), sample design, wildlife, fisheries, natural environment, communications, gathering/harvesting, living in relationship with, etc. 

Fellow Mentoring:

The fellow will be mentored by

• Mary Hostetter, Tribal steward with the Igiugig Village Council,
• Bill Kane, Tribal stewardship director for the Igiugig Village Council and program manager of Iliamna Sustainable Futures at the Alaska Venture Fund, and
• Branden Borneman, Bristol Bay program director for The Nature Conservancy.

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

• 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). The most important piece of the application is the statement of interest.
• Resume, if available (two-page limit). If you do not have a resume, please submit a statement of interest.
• Two professional or academic references (names and contact information)