Open Internship Positions: Adjunct Fellows with ISGP

If any of you are interested in food production, debates about regulations associated with the food industry, and the science and technology used in innovative plant- and microbial-based procedures and gene-editing underlying new food and ingredient choices for public consumption, then the Adjunct Fellowship (unpaid internship with the Institute on Science for Global Policy) might be well-suited for you.  The internship would begin immediately and take you through the summer - with you playing a key role in an invitation only conference that will debate and generate white papers about the above topics.  It is a unique opportunity that has recently come to our attention.  The turn around time is quick - as ISGP wants to name the fellows as soon as possible so that conference preparation with the interns can happen immediately.  If you have the skills listed for the position, get excited about the responsibilities laid out and the prospect of doing an internship in this kind of way, please talk with Nate Jacobi or me immediately so that you can send an application into ISGP.  We have more details.

Adjunct Fellows

ISGP Innovative Foods and Ingredients Conference (IFI)

June 23-27, 2019 in Minneapolis, MN

The ISGP Adjunct Fellowship begins immediately - and is completed July 21, 2019. Each Adjunct Fellow will be mentored by ISGP staff to (i) develop an in-depth understanding of the science and technology used in innovative plant- and microbial-based procedures and gene-editing underlying new food and ingredient choices for public consumption and (ii) learn how the format of debates and caucuses pioneered by the ISGP facilitates productive engagements among stakeholders with diverse perspectives and priorities to identify real-world, practical outcomes. Adjunct Fellows can anticipate being involved in (i) not-for-attribution interviews with subject matter experts from stakeholder communities representing different aspects of the food supply system, (ii) editing papers prepared for conference debates, and (iii) contributing to staff-wide discussions concerning invitations to participants and their respective conference roles. Each Adjunct Fellow will have access to confidential information obtained from interviews and papers used to organize the IFI conference and will be assigned specific conference duties focused on critiquing debate results, cooperating with ISGP moderators in caucuses to record (scribe) discussions, and helping to assemble and analyze conference results for reports and publications.

Responsibilities:

·       Attend for the duration of the conference June 23-28, including a training session Sunday, June 23 and summary session on June 28, 2019.

·       Act as a scribe for small-group caucuses on June 26, 2019, and the plenary caucus on June 27, 2019.

·       Document and help to refine the language and clarity of the consensus statements formed in your assigned caucus group and at the plenary caucus.

·       Agree to act as a neutral facilitator (i.e., not expressing opinions or taking positions on any subject during the caucuses or conference).

·       Formally commit to maintain the confidentiality of all material, written and oral, presented in the IFI conference as defined by the Chatham House Rule.

·       Conduct oneself with the highest professional standards of dress and behavior.

·       Contribute to the strategic analysis of the diverse attitudes, perspectives, priorities, and values expressed in the debates, caucuses, and informal discussions.

·       Attend all after-hour meetings with the ISGP staff between June 23 and 28.

Qualifications:

·       Experience relevant to the field of innovative foods and ingredients (e.g., food science, food safety, nutrition, agriculture, environmental studies, economics, ethics, chemistry and chemical engineering, science communication).

·       Strong work ethic, sustained focus, and attention to detail.

·       Ability to think broadly and to link diverse concepts presented in the debates and caucuses.

·       Excellent computer and typing skills (G-Docs & G-Sheets).

·       Actively enrolled in pursuit of a baccalaureate degree or higher at the time of the conference.

For full position details and application instructions, please contact Nate Jacobi (jacobi@stolaf.edu) or Paul Jackson (jackson@stolaf.edu).

 

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has posted a Green Chemistry & Engineering internship for recent college STEM graduates (within 6 months of graduation) or active post-grads.  The internship will be hosted by a Minnesota facility this summer of 2019.

Go to https://www.pca.state.mn.us/waste/green-and-safer-product-chemistry-grants and scroll down to Intern application materials to find the form or click this link to download the form directly.  Applications are due by 30 April 2019.

If you have any questions about the internship or applications process, please email them to p2.pca@state.mn.us

2018 intern Abigail Giarrosso, at host remooble's lab

(image courtesy of MN PCA)

Washington State University is recruiting interns for the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) that is connected to the NSF center on Bioplastics and Biocomposites (CB2). This is a great opportunity for students to gain hands on research experience in the fast-growing field of sustainable materials.  This is a unique REU program as the projects are all closely related to industry and have industry mentors that are directly engaged in each project.

The application for Summer 2019 REU program is now open. The application deadline is February 22, 2019.

http://www.cb2.wsu.edu/reu.html.

Since the summer of 2017, the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (CB2), has established a new Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site designed to provide undergraduate students a chance to participate in industry-directed fundamental research opportunities in the fields of bioplastics and biocomposites. The students will gain hands-on experience with synthesis, processing, and characterization of biobased plastics and composite materials.

Each year, 10 students (recruited primarily from academic institutions where research programs in STEM are limited) will work on research conducted by the CB2, with 5 students conducting their research at Washington State University and 5 students doing their research projects at Iowa State University.

During the program, the students will participate in a series of bioplastics short courses, have responsibility for an independent research project performed with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, and engage with leading industry experts from the Industrial Advisory Board of the CB2.

The students will have a shared, well-defined common focus on sustainable bioplastics and biocomposites that will enable a cohort experience with a common orientation in Ames, IA and debrief in Pullman, WA. The cohort will also be part of a larger community of scholars on both campuses, with the research results showcased at Washington State University in a final poster presentation and symposium.