ONE YEAR INTERNSHIP IN GENETICS AND COMPUTER MODELING Contact Dr. Karen Martien (Karen.Martien@noaa.gov) The Southwest Fisheries Science Center, located in San Diego, CA, USA, is accepting applications for a one-year internship in conservation genetics modeling. We are seeking a motivated, enthusiastic person interested in gaining valuable career experience while contributing to an international research project of immediate relevance to applied conservation genetics. The intern would join an international team of scientists working on the Testing of Spatial Structure Methods (TOSSM) project, a long-term research project aimed at testing the performance of different analytical methods of detecting population structure from genetic data. An adequate understanding of population structure is frequently a crucial element in enabling informed conservation and management decisions. Advancing our ability to detect population structure using genetic data has been identified as a research priority for both the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC SC) and the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Though a number of analytical techniques are available that use genetic data to address population structure questions, none have been thoroughly tested to quantify their performance in a conservation and management context. To address this lack of reliable performance tests, NMFS and the IWC SC jointly initiated the TOSSM project, the purpose of which is to design and conduct a large, iterative performance-testing study. The TOSSM project is currently in its third year. Our focus now is on data management and analysis. The intern’s duties will include: * Managing a large dataset, including basic database development * Creating and maintaining a website for the TOSSM project * Completing, documenting, and submitting an R package containing the project code * Writing analytical programs in the language R * Analyzing genetic data and interpreting results * Assisting in manuscript preparation The successful applicant will have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer science, biology, or other relevant field. Applicants must have computer programming experience, preferably in the programming language R. Experience writing R packages is highly desirable. Applicants should also have an understanding of population genetics, strong organizational and writing skills, and an ability to work independently. Though experience in both computer programming and population genetics/dynamics is desirable, we will place greater emphasis on computer skills when evaluating applications. Application deadline: December 15, 2006 Start date: Preferred start date is January 22, 2007, though alternative start dates will be considered To apply, please send a cover letter describing your qualifications, a resume, and a list of three professional references (phone numbers and e-mail contacts) to: Dr. Karen Martien Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service 8604 La Jolla Shores Dr. La Jolla, CA 92037 USA Karen.Martien@noaa.gov 858-546-7058 -- *********************************** Dr. Karen Martien Southwest Fisheries Science Center 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive La Jolla, CA 92037 USA Ph: 858-546-7058 Fax: 858-546-7003 ***********************************