Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation

Leadership Grant Opportunity in Ecosystem Services Valuation

Recent global economic events have re-framed debate over public spending on the environment, putting pressure on government officials to focus on job creation and quantification of ecological services and values. A leader in holistic ecosystem restoration, the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) is working to better understand its place in the Commonwealth’s restoration economy. The fellow will establish and implement part of a research framework to estimate economic benefits from DER’s restoration work. The fellow will work with DER’s Director and select staff to examine existing data on completed restoration projects, construct a research plan to estimate ecosystem service values, and carry out a feasible portion of that plan. This work will require synthesis of information about wetland and river restoration projects’ effects on parameters (e.g. flooding, water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration) and evaluating various methods for valuing those effects. The fellow will travel to an array of restoration sites, meet with government and private sector leaders in restoration, and take part in data collection and analysis. There is a very likely opportunity for the fellow to direct the work of an assisting intern, as well.

The final product of the fellowship will be a detailed research plan, and may include a report on results from specific research under that plan and outreach materials (graphics, blog entries, conference presentations) as mutually agreed upon by the fellow and DER. This project may  be full- or part-time, depending on the agreed-upon scope.

Qualifications and Contact Information: A background in environmental economics (especially non-market valuation approaches) is required.  Additional experience or interest in river, salt marsh, and wetland restoration is a plus. The fellow must have the skills to synthesize data, identify data gaps, and design a research plan. Technical writing and public presentation skills, and the ability to communicate well with a broad range of people are also important. This person must be willing to work both independently and collaboratively.  Our goal is to identify a candidate and submit a concept letter by the September 1, 2012, deadline. For more information please contact: Nick Wildman, Priority Projects Coordinator at 617-626-1527; nick.wildman@state.ma.us; http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/der/restoration.htm