Our Parent Society has an exciting opportunity that you may be interested in:

Call for Applications! AFS has established a competitive Policy Fellowship Program.  For our pilot in 2014, we seek applications for one half-time, six-month Policy Fellow to work on science/management/policy issues related to threatened and endangered fishes.

Requirements: Each applicant must be an AFS member, and the opportunity is open to members ranging from the youngest student to the oldest retiree. The Policy Fellow may have academic training and/or professional experience in the sciences, resource management, policy, or another relevant field. Applications (a one-page statement of interest and a separate resume) should be submitted as attachments to an email sent to Tom Bigford, AFS Policy Director (tbigford@fisheries.org). Each application should recommend two potential mentors, one of whom will be selected to provide non-supervisory guidance to the Policy Fellow during the work period.

Closing Date and Schedule: Applications are due by August 22, 2014.  Nominations must be submitted as one email with the two required attachments. No other materials need be submitted. The first Policy Fellow will be selected by early autumn and begin as soon as possible.

Pay: This half-time fellowship will be paid at about $8,000 to $10,000 for the six-month period. That pay is intended to reflect typical compensation for a student assistantship, research assistantship, and other similar programs in academia and governments.

Tasks: This Policy Fellowship focuses on an AFS need to:

1. review the scientific literature related to three existing AFS policy statements on endangered, threatened, or imperiled species;

2. develop a plan to combine those statements and more recent scientific and management advances into one new statement; and

3. complete the new statement and related documents within a six-month period.

The Fellow is expected to work half-time, and may work remotely. AFS will provide a supervisor, a mentor, and administrative support to ensure the Policy Fellowship is successful.

Background: This Policy Fellowship focuses on an effort to review and merge three existing AFS policies into one concise background document that supports a single policy. The three policies are:

#10 – Protection of Threatened and Endangered Species; approved 1982;

#19 – Introductions of Threatened and Endangered Fishes; approved 1989; and

#27 – Conservation of Imperiled Species and Reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act of 1973; approved 1993.

Those policies and background materials may be viewed athttp://fisheries.org/policy_statements.

For more information: Contact Tom Bigford, AFS Policy Director,tbigford@fisheries.org or 301/897-8616 x207.