POSITION DETAILS
Position ID(s): 4321
Position Title: Biology Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network, Kingston, Rhode Island
Number of positions available: 1
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 12 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 06/01/2026
End Date: 08/24/2026
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 450 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.
BENEFITS
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: $ 1,956.35 upon successful completion of position
- Weekly Living Allowance: $ 700.00 per week, fixed rate
- Relocation Allowance: $ 450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck)
- Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
- Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, February 15, 2026. Applications will be reviewed after the application deadline passes. Positions will close after receiving 60 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 15, 2026, whichever occurs first.
KEYWORDS: Data Management, Coastal Ecology, Salt Marsh, Seagrass, Ecological Monitoring, Ecology, Natural Resources, Coastal Science
PURPOSE
This Biology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. One of the goals of the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program (I&M) is to help parks make sound science-based management decisions that help preserve America's special places. In order to meet this goal, the I&M Program must provide information in a variety of formats to park managers and staff and the public. This position will help the NCBN meet these information needs and contribute to the mission of the program.
The duties will also contribute to the Network by filling a very important role related to 1) applying monitoring data to resource management; 2) science communication; and 3) data delivery, which are all goals of the I&M Program. Park managers are in need of not only the scientific reports that the Network develops, but communication material and online visualizers that make the information and data more readily available to them to use for planning and management of the coastal resources that they protect.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) is one of 32 networks created by the National Park Service to implement ecological monitoring activities under the NPS Inventory and Monitoring program (I&M). The NCBN consists of eight parks linked by geography and shared natural resource characteristics, and extend from MA to VA. These eight parks together contain approximately 59,220 hectares (146,300 acres) of park lands, representing some of the most ecologically similar collections of lands within the National Park Service. These parks protect vital coastal wetlands that are essential to water quality, fisheries, and the biological ecological variety of coastal, near shore, and terrestrial environments.
Depending on the participant's interest and experience, potential tasks could include: 1) Duties with scientists on data quality control and help them to prepare metadata for each data product they produce; 2) Organize photos and prepare photo metadata for archiving on NPGallery; 3) Collaborate with park staff to archive publications, related field documents, and resultant reports on DataStore; 4) Document database tables and fields using data dictionaries, entity-relationship diagrams, and technical descriptions of views, triggers, scripts, code documentation, etc.; 5) Create SOPs for data entry, manipulation, summarization, and output; 6) Create, update, and document data visualizations; 7) Update the NCBN website.
In addition, the participant will have the opportunity to collaborate with our team collecting field data, and traveling to the parks to collect seagrass, water quality data, salt marsh data and other ecological monitoring data.
DELIVERABLES
Deliverables and products will depend on the SIP participant's skillset and their learning goals. The SIP's position will focus on collaborating with NCBN staff and partners to develop data management products, such as certified data packages and technical reports of findings, and will help to collect field data and participate in monitoring activities.
QUALIFICATIONS
- United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
- Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award
- Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security background check for the host site.
- The applicant must be available to participate for the entire 12 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
The participant must have strong writing skills and a strong understanding of scientific concepts and terminology, with science and/or natural resources, or ecological conservation background gained through coursework or former work-related activities. The participant should be able to conduct projects well independently in the office with little supervision. Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel are essential. Experience with metadata, basic GIS skills, data collection, databases, scripting in R or python, and data visualization would be beneficial. The desire to learn is key.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
The SIP participant's position will be stationed at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston Campus in an NPS office within the Natural Resources Science Department. Office space will be shared with staff from the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network. Kingston Rhode Island is close to summer resorts and beaches and approximately 50 minutes from Providence, RI and 35 minutes from Newport, RI. Because the area is a popular summer vacation destination, and a college town, it is very difficult to find affordable housing, therefore housing must be obtained before accepting the position if a participant is selected. A single room close to campus ranges from $600-$900/mth but further away in North Kingstown, Warwick, or Providence where more is available, rooms are $350-$500/month and studio apartments, $1,200-$1300/month, or less the further you go away from campus. Because Rhode Island is a small state with many colleges, there are many resources available for applicants to search for housing, even on the URI housing website: https://offcampus.housing.uri.... there is even a roommate finder option on this site.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is recommended for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The selected candidate will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area.
There is no housing available.
OUR COMMITMENT
Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions.
TIME REQUIREMENTS
- This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary based on project needs. Lunch breaks and days off will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.
- Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.
ORIENTATION AND TRAINING
- Member will receive pertinent project and site training from host site throughout term
- Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
- Access to free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff
EVALUATION AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of minimum AmeriCorps hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.
Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply online, all Scientists in Parks positions are listed at: https://conservation-legacy.breezy.hr/. Complete the application for this position, highlighting why you are interested in the position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. Be prepared to upload your resume and unofficial transcript as part of completing the application questionnaire.
Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks positions per season. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect, or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.). Learn more about Scientists in Parks at: https://www.scientistsinparks.org/.
Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the Scientists in Parks program will host the Biology Assistant at Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network.
Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Scientists in Parks using the email address at the base of the home page, under “Questions? Contact Us!”
