Hi all:
ERS is hoping to hire an
intern this summer to assist us with crop modeling of
several specialty crops (using EPIC) for input into our
economic model of national agricultural production. The
contract structure would involve establishing a cooperative
agreement with that student’s educational institution that
would cover the student’s time for the summer. We are
seeking candidates who are interested in being stationed
full-time at our offices in Washington DC over the summer.
If you have students who you feel may be interested, or if
you have networks through which you can distribute this
announcement, we would appreciate the assistance in getting
the word out! Below I have inserted a very brief position
announcement, and any interested parties are encouraged to
contact me to discuss. Thank you very much!
--Liz Marshall
Resource and Rural Economics
Division
Economic Research Service,
USDA
(202) 694-5571
Title of project: Calibration of Specialty
Crop Production in EPIC for Input into REAP
Project Supervisor: Elizabeth Marshall,
USDA/ERS,
[log in to unmask]
Project:
The REAP model, a
mathematical programming model of the U.S. agricultural
sector, is an important tool for national agricultural
policy and impact analysis at USDA’s Economic Research
Service. One of REAP’s strengths is its explicit link to
customized, field-level biophysical modeling results derived
from EPIC, which is used to produce variable estimates for
yield and environmental impact across crop rotations, soil
types, and climate conditions within the REAP production
regions. REAP is currently being expanded to include
specialty crops—fruits, vegetables, and nuts—and a
cooperative agreement with an external institution has been
established for the development of the production input
files necessary for the modeling of those specialty crops
within EPIC. We are currently seeking an intern or external
partner with crop modeling or EPIC experience to finalize
the input production files for ERS’ iEPIC/EPIC platform,
test and troubleshoot the results of the EPIC biophysical
modeling, calibrate yield estimates, and collaborate on the
reconciliation of cost of production estimates for those new
specialty crop rotations (which are being developed through
a separate internship).
Anticipated project
activities include:
·
Final formatting of
production input files for specialty crops (which are being
developed under a separate cooperative agreement) for ERS’
iEPIC/EPIC platform;
·
Calibration of production of
specialty crops using the EPIC biophysical simulation model;
·
Assisting in the
reconciliation of biophysical outputs and production input
files with the production cost estimates being collected by
another intern;
·
Establishing a framework for
feedback and input from crop production modelers at the
Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville.
Desired skills/educational
level:
The ideal candidate will have
some background in agronomy and plant growth modeling as
well as some facility with spreadsheet development. The
candidate should have familiarity with software applications
including Office suite (Word, Excel, Access) and SQL.
Additional strengths would include any understanding of the
U.S. fruit and/or vegetable sectors and/or GIS experience.
Location and Timeframe:
The intern or partner will
work out of the offices of the Economic Research Service in
Washington, DC. The intern or partner would ideally be
available for at least three months between May 2015 and
September 2015.
Salary:
Compensation will depend on
academic level, qualifications, and cooperative contract
structure with student’s academic institution.
Contact:
Elizabeth Marshall at
[log in to unmask], 202-694-5571.