OVERVIEW
The California Sea Grant College Program is soliciting applications for a 2023 Delta Science Communication Fellow in partnership with the Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Science Program.
The Delta Science Communication Fellowship provides a unique educational opportunity for an early career science communicator to gain hands-on experience in coastal, estuarine, and freshwater science communication and stakeholder engagement. The fellow will be advised by professional science writers and editors, and have access to science communicators around the country through the Sea Grant Communications Network.
The work will primarily include producing content that highlights scientific research findings on high-priority topics that are critical to managing the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
The successful applicant will be placed at California Sea Grant in San Diego for a 12-month paid fellowship ($4420.75 per month) starting in July 2023, with the possibility of an earlier start date pending funding availability.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE FELLOWSHIP
This opportunity will provide the fellow with the professional experience they need to launch a successful career in science communication. The fellow will learn skills and techniques specifically related to coastal, estuarine, and freshwater science communication and stakeholder engagement using a variety of digital communications tools. They will gain an understanding of and experience in science communication, the Sea Grant network, the Delta Stewardship Council and research funding and administration.
The Delta Stewardship Council is the California State agency that manages how the Delta provides a reliable water supply for California while protecting, restoring, and enhancing its ecosystem. The Delta is part of the largest estuary on the west coast of North and South America and is home to more than 750 plant and animal species. The Delta supplies drinking water for more than 27 million residents, which is about two-thirds of Californians.
The fellow will produce content related to the 2021 Delta Science Research Awards in four topic areas:
- Harmful algal bloom drivers, trends, and impacts
- Sea level rise and subsidence
- Migratory fishes: science tools to inform management and recovery
- Multi-benefit wetland habitat restoration and Delta food webs.
To advance the availability of research results to stakeholders, managers, and decision makers, the Science Communication Fellow will work with the Delta Science Program (DSP) to coordinate three to five themed stakeholder engagement workshops based on research funded by the 2021 Delta Science Research Awards. The Science Communication Fellow will work with DSP to develop workshop themes, identify invitees, and develop the agenda, format, and products of each workshop. That will include notes from the workshop and summary findings to be posted as Council or Sea Grant blogs, information sheets, published essays and other products.
Potential experiences may include:
- Collaborating with Delta Science Program and California Sea Grant team members (researchers, science communications specialist, students, etc.) to facilitate stakeholder engagement workshops and develop and distribute communication products;
- Producing science communication content related to research projects for various audiences including the general public, resource managers, and policymakers;
- Written products: press releases, articles, project summaries, newsletters, etc.
- Multimedia products: photo, video, audio, web, etc.
- Creating and publishing content for social media and analyzing audience engagement;
- Writing or contributing to reports and other communications for funding and agency audiences at national and state level.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
Applications may be submitted by a recent graduate or current student close to completing a degree (Bachelor's, Master's, Ph.D., or J.D) in a field related to science communication, journalism, or science, at a U.S. university. Applicants should address their degree of interest and experience in science communication, stakeholder engagement, and in issues of environmental, marine, coastal, estuarine, and/or freshwater science. Fellows must complete all degree requirements before starting the fellowship.
California Sea Grant is committed to increasing the diversity of the Sea Grant workforce and of the communities we serve. Sea Grant embraces individuals of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, disabilities, cultures, religions, marital statuses, job classifications, veteran status types, and income, and socioeconomic status types. Sea Grant is committed to building inclusive research, extension, communication, and education programs that serve people with unique backgrounds, circumstances, needs, perspectives and ways of thinking.
STIPEND AND EXPENSES
The fellow will receive $53,049 for stipends and health insurance for the twelve-month assignment ($4,420.75/month). Travel funds of $2,546 can be reimbursed to cover travel related expenses to attend meetings, workshops and conferences. Additional travel associated with the fellowship may be covered by California Sea Grant at the program’s discretion.
LENGTH AND LOCATION OF ASSIGNMENT
The length of assignment is 12 months (non-renewable) beginning on or about July 1, 2023. The fellowship will be a hybrid role based in San Diego, California with a mix of in-person and remote work and occasional travel to the Sacramento/San Joaquin area.
HOW TO APPLY
A complete application will include:
- A cover letter that emphasizes the applicant’s experience, abilities and interest in science communication, stakeholder engagement and marine, environmental, coastal, estuarine, and/or freshwater science;
- Resume/curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages using 12-point font);
- Three writing samples, including at least one about a scientific topic for a general audience;
- And a letter of professional recommendation from a faculty advisor or professional contact (supervisor, editor, etc), specifically addressing the applicant’s skills and experiences relevant to this role (not to exceed two pages using 12-point font). Applicants must also provide the name and contact information for two other professional/academic references.
The electronic files comprising your application must be submitted as PDFs using eSeaGrant, California Sea Grant’s online submission portal: https://eseagrant2.ucsd.edu/
If you have never used California Sea Grant's eSeaGrant portal before, you will need to register for an account. You can change the randomly-generated password once you log in successfully into the website. Contact sgproposal@ucsd.edu with any access issues related to eSeaGrant.
Please make sure to include your last name in the file names for each section of the proposal (e.g., Smith_statement.pdf or Smith_cv.pdf). When naming the document please do not use apostrophes. Once submitted through the website, PDFs may not be edited. To change a PDF, it must be deleted and resubmitted.
IMPORTANT: To maintain confidentiality, letters of recommendation may be submitted directly from the referee to California Sea Grant through eSeaGrant and must be submitted by the application deadline to be considered. Please address letters to Dr. Shauna Oh, Director, California Sea Grant. Late submissions may lead to the rejection of incomplete applications. Candidates are encouraged to work with referees to meet the deadline.
For electronic files larger than 6 MB, contact sgproposal@ucsd.edu to make other arrangements. Only PDFs are accepted.
For technical issues with submitting your application through eSeaGrant please contact sgproposal@ucsd.edu.
Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. PT on Monday, April 3, 2023.
CONTACTS
For general questions:
casgcomms@ucsd.edu
For technical issues or eSeaGrant questions: sgproposal@ucsd.edu