Opportunities
Summer Field Jobs in Alaska
Each year, the Alaska Salmon Program of the School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences typically has vacancies for paid and volunteer summer work at our sites in western Alaska. The Alaska Salmon Program consists of 5 remote field stations and has conducted field research on the biology and management of Pacific salmon for the past 50 years. The typical field program involves approximately 20 faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students, and runs from early June until early September. The work involves a range of scientific disciplines including fisheries management, population dynamics, ecology, behavior, and limnology. Field assistants will gain experience in such diverse tasks as sampling chlorophyll, zooplankton, insects, and juvenile fish with different types of gear, collection of biological samples from adult salmon, behavioral observations of adult salmon, conducting stream surveys for salmon abundance, and studies of predation by grizzly bears. The work can be arduous, living conditions are often primitive and exposure to harsh environmental conditions is probable.
Airfare, food, and accommodations are provided for both volunteer and paid positions. We typically hire (a) 3–5 research assistant/fish technicians that work as paid assistants for the season (June–September) and (b) graduate students that volunteer for 2- to 3-week blocks throughout the summer.
If you are interested, please submit the following information as soon as possible:
- a letter of interest highlighting relevant coursework and experience, such as handling fish, operating boats of any size, or field work;
- a resume or CV; and
- if possible, references and/or letters of recommendation.
College transcripts may be requested. You may submit all application materials to Chris Boatright via email or street mail:
- cboat@u.washington.edu, or
- Chris Boatright
University of Washington
School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences
Box 355020
Seattle, WA, 98195
If you have any questions, contact Chris Boatright at the email address above or 206-543-7628. Each year we try to hire the majority of these positions by the end of April.
Research Opportunities
The field camps and existing research and teaching that is done in the Alaska Salmon program provides a base for research for other investigators.
Undergraduate
Each year we employ a number of undergraduate students as field assistants, and many of these students do independent research projects, a number of which have been published in scientific journals. Students interested in doing research projects should contact any of the faculty members associated with the project.
Graduate
Many graduate students do their thesis work in our field camps, and we encourage students not supervised by Alaska Program faculty to enquire about research opportunities. Opportunities exist for work on salmon management, biology of salmon, biology of other fish, as well as basic biology of other animal and plant species. Several students are currently working in the Wood River system on the role of salmon in plant nutrients, supported by a National Science Foundation grant to Dr. Robert Naiman (UW Aquatic & Fishery Sciences).
Other UW Faculty
We encourage other interested faculty to explore the possibility of research and teaching in these facilities. Currently Dr. Robert Naiman of the School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences is working in the Wood River System.
Visitors from Other Campuses
We encourage interested scientists to communicate with us regarding proposals to work in these facilities. Dozens of scientists from other locations have worked with us and we hope to foster such interactions more.
