Dartmouth College · 18 hours ago
Research Assistant I.
Hanover, NH
Full-time
Onsite
Entry Level
$21/hr - $23/hr
1+ years expDartmouth College is seeking a full-time Research Assistant for the Tumber-Dávila lab. The RA will manage lab activities, conduct field work, perform analyses, and assist in organizing lab logistics to support research on terrestrial ecosystems and global environmental change.
EducationHigher EducationUniversities
Responsibilities
Assist with the purchase/setup of lab equipment and supplies and develop a streamlined organizational system for efficient collaborative use of research space
Coordinate research team work-flow including for experiments, online data and code repositories, compliance with lab and field safety protocols, training and coordination of student research assistants (graduate and undergraduate)
Partner with other users of the Environmental Measurements Laboratory ( EML ) and the Teaching Laboratory to ensure smooth functioning in these in coordination with Asst Professor Tumber-Dávila and other faculty and staff users in the Environmental Studies Department
Responsible for: daily management of lab activities, especially upkeep of lab space for order and cleanliness, regular maintenance of lab or field experiments; safe and orderly management of lab bench research on campus; ordering and maintaining inventories of research equipment, chemicals, preparing solutions and reagents, and other supplies
Adhere and ensure maintained compliance with laboratory safety requirements including general and chemical/hazardous waste safety disposal methods
Organize field trips and logistics
Collect air, soil, water, and plant samples from various terrestrial ecosystems following established protocols
Install and maintain field equipment
Maintain up-to-date field book recording all data collected and field activities performed
Help establish and maintain field experiments in a variety of settings
Requires travel to field sites in New England and beyond, such as local sites near Hanover (including the Dartmouth Organic Farm and Dartmouth Woodlands, Harvard Forest, The Second College Grant, and other field sites and experiments outside of New England often for extended periods of time
Set up and perform soil, plant and root measurements using established and developed protocols under the guidance of the Principal Investigator
Perform analyses of carbon and nutrients in soils, plants, roots, and other environmental samples
Collaborate with the Principal Investigator in investigating and developing modifications to protocols/techniques, and document all new techniques developed in the laboratory
Collect and analyze data resulting from experimentation/analyses
Summarize results, makes graphs, and prepare progress reports for oral presentation at laboratory meetings
Conduct literature searches to assist in establishing new laboratory techniques and meta-analyses
Help with occasional side experiments and there will be opportunities to establish new research and side projects
Opportunity to prepare data graphics and other visuals for presentations, manuscripts, and reports
Opportunity to assist with literature searches and preparation of manuscripts and proposals
Help organize and participate in regular lab meetings and help foster a lab culture of scientific excellence, creativity, collaboration, inclusion, and social responsibility
Help establish lab standards of conduct to foster community of diversity and inclusion
Coordinate research team work-flow such as team meetings, experimental planning and schedules, and work of student research assistants
Communicate regularly with students, faculty, staff, suppliers, and other parties
Take active role in: maintaining protocols for lab; developing and conducting standard operating procedures; collecting data, managing databases and basic statistical analyses; training and coordination of student research assistants
Help with the maintenance and creation of lab written and visual resources including the lab website, information for Dartmouth and external collaborators/sources, and project and personnel records
Qualification
Required
Bachelors or equivalent combination of education and experience
Bachelors degree in relevant discipline (e.g. Ecology, Environmental Science, Biology)
Course work or other educational training relevant to terrestrial ecology
1 year experience in lab/fieldwork in an applicable terrestrial ecology setting (or the equivalent)
Must have experience doing field work and laboratory analyses
Strong professional communication skills and able to work collaboratively in teams
Strong organizational and time management skills and able to work independently
Ability to embrace challenges and troubleshoot when faced with setbacks
Eager to do physically demanding labor in a wildland field setting
Solid experience or interest in terrestrial ecological systems, particularly with plant, root, and soil ecology
Sufficient experience or ability to learn statistical data analysis and graphical presentations technique using R
Familiarity with running ecological field experiments/observations and laboratory analyses for plant and soil samples
Computer and computational skills. Familiarity with R, Excel, Word, Slack, GoogleDocs
Must be able to manage multiple projects/priorities and perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned
Must have clean driving record and valid driver's license
Preferred
Masters degree in relevant discipline (e.g. Ecology, Environmental Science, Biology)
Training in field ecological research methods including soil sampling and forest inventory and plant observations
Experience conducting research outside in the field
Experience working in a laboratory beyond lab sections of college classes
Experience working with chemistry protocols for environmental analyses
Previous experience working with soils and roots not necessary but preferred
Experience with plant identification and measurements
Company
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a member of the Ivy League and consistently ranks among the world's academic institutions.
5001-10000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Dartmouth College has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2024 (1)
2023 (9)
2022 (55)
2021 (25)
2020 (38)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$61.2MKey Investors
US Department of EnergyAllison MagnusonAlfred P. Sloan Foundation
2022-08-25Grant
2018-10-28Grant· $10M
2018-05-07Grant· $20M
Leadership Team
Eric R Fossum
John H Krehbiel Sr. Professor of Emerging Technologies, Thayer School of Engineering
Recent News
2026-01-09
2025-12-15
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