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VIRTUAL SEMINAR – Friday, 9 Oct 2020 | 9 am | Dr Chong Kwek Yan

The vegetation ecology of tropical freshwater swamp forests

Speaker: Dr Chong Kwek Yan, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore

Date & Time: Friday, 9 Oct 2020, 9 am

Join Zoom Meeting | LINK
Meeting ID: 964 7175 9984
Meeting Password: see poster below

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VIRTUAL SEMINAR – Monday, 5 Oct 2020 | 9 am | Dr Robert I. McDonald

The promise and pitfalls of using nature to help cities adapt

Speaker: Dr Robert I. McDonald, Lead Scientist, The Nature Conservancy, Research Scientist, CUNY Institute for Demographic Research

Date & Time: Monday, 5 Oct 2020, 9 am

Join Zoom Meeting | LINK
Meeting ID: 965 4349 3071
Meeting Password: see poster below

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Job: Sustainable Solutions Specialist (Flora)

With Wildlife Reserves Singapore; see link.

Job Duties And Responsibilities

  • End to End management of the permanent flora monitoring plots in forested environment including the processing and analysing the data
  • Mandai Ecological Restoration Plan – Map and assess plots for ecological restoration or habitat enhancement and soil seed bank investigation. Investigate suitable planting methods for respective plots
  • Support Softscape Taskforce and construction teams with flora issues such as analysing the arborist reports, working on solutions for replanting and be a subject matter expert on flora issues.
  • Analyse Arboreal Connectivity in the Mandai over time and space as development progresses to provide scientific rigour and basis for mitigation measures
  • Manage Tree Inventory for Mandai with the aim to reconcile to prepare for handover to operators upon project completion
  • Guide and onboard the WRS operator team to be more familiar with development flora work to prepare for handover in future
  • Support the carbon accounting framework with tree carbon sequestration data and calculation
  • Support the operations of Mandai Wildlife Bridge

Job Requirements

  • Minimum Masters’ Degree or Honours Degree in ecology; environmental conservation and/or related fields
  • At least 4 to 7 years of relevant experience in managing flora and ecological related projects
  • Strong in analytical skills and be able to understand the balance between development and ecological considerations
  • Ample field experience and proficient in planning and managing outfield activities
  • Good network and rapport with the local nature community and other environmental groups
  • Prior research experience and developmental background will be an advantage
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Job: Looking to break into horticulture? Here is an opportunity for fresh grads or undergraduate interns

The boss of Infinite Pond & Landscape Pte Ltd, Henry Tang, is an alumni of the Department of Biological Sciences and is looking for life science graduates or undergraduate interns interested in nature and working outdoors on landscape and pond maintenance projects with schools.

The industry has good opportunities and this is a good place to start as he is open to fresh graduates who are keen to work hard and learn the ropes. The company handles some 40 school projects and has provided these details about the nature of the job, the outlook they are looking for and the learning opportunity the job provides:

  • Nature of Job: Landscape and pond maintenance exclusively for schools
  • Contracts for Primary and Secondary schools, Junior Colleges and Tertiary institutions.
  • The creation and maintenance of eco-gardens, eco-ponds, butterfly gardens, vegetable/herb gardens, rainforest and wetlands patches and vertical gardens
  • A degree in biological sciences or environmental studies or the equivalent and a love for nature
  • You will be dealing with the Heads of Science Departments, Vice Principals of Education/Admin and Principals of Schools
  • Starting pay $2.500 or more, depending on experience
  • 3 months probation and up $3,000
  • Individuals with no experience are welcome but must be hands on, and be humble to work with and learn from FMWs, who are highly skilled and experienced individuals
  • Must be enjoy the outdoors, getting your hands dirty and being engaged in hard and rewarding work.
  • Look forward to also learning through sponsored courses conducted by CUGE
  • there is a career path within a dynamic company – horticulture is large industry in Singapore, beyond school landscape projects but include streetscape, hardscape and softscape, etc
  • Roles include Technician, Supervisors, Manager

Contact Henry Tang @ 9776-0849 or email henry@infinitelandscape.com.sg

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Job: Research Assistant (Plant Genomics/Plant Biology)

A Research Assistant position is available in the Laboratory of Jarkko Salojarvi at the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University.

Job Responsibilities

  • DNA extraction of plant leaf samples and genomic library preparation of DNA extracts for high-throughput sequencing, including protocol optimization
  • In-vitro plant tissue culture
  • Other duties related to procurement and reimbursements as assigned by principal investigators (Jun Ying Lim and Jarkko Salojarvi)

Job Requirements

  • BSc degree in Biological Sciences, Molecular Biology, or related fields
  • Able to work independently and possess good communication skills
  • Well-organized and able to work safely in a wet lab
  • Prior experience with DNA extraction and genomic library preparation for high-throughput DNA sequencing, and/or in vitro plant tissue culture ideal but training will be provided
  • Fresh graduates are welcome to apply

Apply at this link.

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Job: Flora specialist (Contract)

Camphora is a collective that provides integrated flora, fauna and arboriculture baseline data to inform design intent and formulate solutions for ecological conservation.

We are seeking to hire an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual who has a passion for botany and enjoys working in the outdoors.

Responsibilities

You will mainly be assisting the Lead Botanist in (but not limited to):

  • Planning and execution of flora surveys
  • Integrate flora surveys with fauna and arboriculture surveys in baseline studies
  • Report writing
  • Attend and prepare for meetings  

Requirements

  1. Degree in Environmental Science, Botany, Zoology, Horticulture or related fields
  2. Passionate about plants, botany and horticulture
  3. Responsible, independent, and possess strong interpersonal skills
  4. Physically fit, and comfortable being outdoors and in the forest
  5. Training will be provided but familiarity with local flora will be an advantage. Fresh graduates are welcomed to apply.

Appointment will be on a 1-year contract basis and salary will commensurate with qualification and experience.

To apply, please send a cover letter and CV to Derek Yap at derek@camphora.com.sg.

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Job for fresh grad (9-months; immediate): seagrass/mangrove surveys and experiments!

Vacancy for SGUnited Traineeship (9 months) @ St John’s Island National Marine Lab 

Research Apprenticeship (STEM) in Marine Science

We have one position available for interested candidate who is able to start in early August. 

This traineeship focuses on emerging Blue Carbon Research in the Marine Science Research and Development Program. (MSRDP) Program. Blue carbon refers to the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrasses. The trainee will assist in research related to marine science and blue carbon research. These will include ecological studies of coastal ecosystems around Singapore such as seagrass communities.  The traineeship may include short industrial attachments to learn about environment management. 

Requirements:

  1. Bachelor’s Degree with Honours in Environmental Science, or related field (Class of 2019/2020).  
  2. Proficient with Microsoft Word and Excel 
  3. Effective oral and written management communication skills
  4. Preferably some experience in field work, GIS, mapping techniques and statistics.  

Learning Plan:

  1. Project planning, management and sampling
  2. Data collection, handling and reporting in marine science research. 
  3. Articulation of various aspects of marine science research and relevance to Singapore

If you are interested to be considered for the traineeship, please send your CV to Dr Ow Yanxiang (tmsowyx@nus.edu.sg) by Sat 1 August 2020 (ASAP).

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Job: Research Associate/Assistant in Coastal Ecosystem Assessment (NUS Geography, 15 Aug 2020 – 30 Jun 2021)

Research Associate/Assistant in Coastal Ecosystem Assessment
In the Department of Geography, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC), Asian School of the Environment, and Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

INVITATION TO APPLY
The Department of Geography at the National University of Singapore (NUS), in collaboration with the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) and Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) invite applications for up to 2 Research Associates/Assistants in coastal ecosystem assessment, to begin on 15th Aug 2020 or soon thereafter. The position will run until 30th June 2021. The successful applicant will be part of a multi-million dollar project on the topic of ‘A Natural Capital Assessment for Singapore’ (www.naturalcapital.sg).

THE ROLE
The Research Associates/Assistants will conduct data analysis to determine trends in the health of Singapore’s coastal and marine environment and the ecosystem services it provides. This will involve the compilation of several existing temporal and spatial datasets, and modelling of coastal ecosystem services using software such as R and/or ArcGIS. S/he will also provide assistance to other ongoing projects, including field data collection, laboratory soil analysis and literature review.

S/he will have knowledge of tropical coastal ecosystems and the ecosystem services concept, and will have strong quantitative analysis skills. S/he will work closely with project staff, as well as the PIs to ensure the requirements of the project work plan are met.

Job responsibilities:

  • Compilation of management of spatial, ecological and social datasets related to Singapore’s coastal and marine environment
  • Data processing and modelling in both R and ArcGIS
  • Assistance with field data collection in mangroves, seagrasses and beaches
  • Report to and work with the principal investigator and assigned project staff
  • Any other ad-hoc duties as assigned by the principal investigator

Required Skills:

  • Undergraduate degree (second upper or higher) in Geography, Environmental Science, Life Sciences or related fields (for position at the Research Assistant level)
  • Strong skills in coding, data processing and analysis using R
  • Experience with Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Highly organized and proactive
  • Ability to work independently and meet deadlines
  • Positive working attitude, both in a team and independently

Desired Skills:

  • A Masters degree in Geography, Environmental Science, Life Sciences or related fields (for position at the Research Associate level)
  • Experience with other data analysis software (e.g., Matlab, SPSS or Python)
  • Experience with statistical data analysis techniques (e.g., ANOVA, PCA, Regression)
  • Experience with basic laboratory techniques such as sediment grain size analysis and carbon estimation
  • Excellent data management and analysis skills

ABOUT THE RESEARCH PROJECT
The overall aim of the project is to quantify the economic, social, and cultural value of Singapore’s environmental assets (its ‘Natural Capital’), and present and model the information in such a way that it can inform future policy and urban development. To protect and enhance natural capital in Singapore and secure the long-term foundational benefits from this capital, we need to understand the current status of Singapore’s ecosystems, and develop tools to predict the environmental impacts of future urbanization. This will be achieved by: 1. quantifying the current status of Singapore’s terrestrial and coastal-marine ecosystems 2. quantifying the value of Singapore’s terrestrial and coastal/marine ecosystems to Society. 3. assessing tradeoffs between urban development (urban assets) and natural capital (natural assets) 4. assessing future policy and development opportunities that integrate natural capital

ABOUT THE INSTITUTIONS
The QS World University rankings place NUS in the top 15 universities in the world and number one in Asia. In the same rankings the Department of Geography is generally ranked among the top 10 Geography programmes globally. Further information on the Department is available at: http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/geog

Young and research-intensive, Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) is ranked 13th globally and 1st amongst the world’s best young universities. The Asian School of the Environment is home to Environmental Sciences at NTU. Our aim is to provide the next generation of Geoscientists, Ecologists and Environmental Sociologists with the training they need to succeed in their chosen career. For more information, please visit: http://www.ase.ntu.edu.sg

The Singapore-ETH Centre was established in 2010 by ETH Zurich and Singapore’s National Research Foundation, as part of its CREATE campus. The vibrant hub for research aims to provide practical solutions to some of the most pressing problems through its programmes – Future Cities Laboratory and Future Resilient Systems.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

  • The appointment will be tenable until 30th June 2021
  • The position comes with competitive remuneration
  • Singapore citizens and permanent residents are eligible for provident fund benefits

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Interested scholars should submit i) a letter of interest, ii) a Curriculum Vitae and iii) the contact details for two references via email to dan.friess@nus.edu.sg by 5pm 10th July 2020: Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed over Zoom.

For further information on the project contact Dr. Dan Friess (dan.friess@nus.edu.sg) or Dr. Natasha Bhatia (nbhatia@ntu.edu.sg)

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Job (Closed): Full-Time Teaching Assistant for undergraduate zoology modules (6 months)

SGUnited Teaching Apprentice Job Description
Job Title: Full-time Teaching Assistant

Job description: The FTTA will be working with a team with professors and laboratory officers to achieve holistic goals for undergraduate education in NUS. The FTTA must possess familiarity with administration and data management, be digitally competent, be consultative and exhibit leadership with peers, understand undergraduate student issues, be communicative and a team player and be passionate about teaching. The applicant will be a teaching staff in the Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore for six months.

The modules that the staff will be teaching and/or handling the administrative duties of the following zoology modules –

  • LSM2251 Ecology and the Environment
  • LSM2252 Biodiversity
  • LSM3254 Ecology of Aquatic Environments
  • GES1021 Natural Heritage of Singapore

The responsibilities of the FTTA include:

  1. Teaching undergraduates in Biodiversity and Ecology modules
  2. Manage communication and administrative needs of modules
  3. Recruit, train and supervise part-time teaching assistants
  4. Oversee scheduling of field trips and laboratory practical sessions
  5. Undertake and manage all students’ assessments
  6. Initiate improvements to management and pedagogy with advice and support from module coordinators

Basic qualifications:

  1. A Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident
  2. Graduating in 2020 or have graduated in 2019
  3. A Bachelor (Honors) Degree in Zoology, Life Sciences or Environmental Studies or in a relevant field; field related experience is desirable
  4. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom and Google Docs.

For more details, please see the SGUnited job description here:

SGUnited JD_Tg Apprentice for FTTA – WTDownload

To apply for this position, go to the NUS Department of Biological Sciences website > Jobs in DBS to apply. Deadline is 17 June 2020, Wed.