Please visit NEON Biorepository Sample Preparator for complete job posting and application instructions.
The Arizona State University (ASU) School of Life Sciences is seeking a Sample Preparator (Research Technician) for the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Biorepository. NEON is expected to run for 30 years. For each project year, the NEON Biorepository at ASU will receive, process, store, and make available for research an average of 100,000 samples from more than 80 sites across the United States. We will facilitate this by creating a data portal to support discovery and tracking of sample occurrences and sample data linkages, sample transactions, and research use.
The NEON Sample Preparator will make critical contributions to the project through a variety of curatorial support and sample or specimen preparation and data publication tasks; focused mainly but not exclusively on mammal study skin and alcohol preparations and specimen digitization (~90%); and herbarium voucher preparations and digitization (~10%). The position therefore requires a relatively broad scope of research collection and sample preparation and data publication skills. Critical skills will revolve around preparing (small) mammal skins, skulls, skeletons, tissues, organs, and other partial samples, taking standard measurements, and other procedures that will maximize the long-term suitability of these NEON samples for varied research purposes.
Candidates who consider themselves well experienced or highly motivated to acquire these skills and hence complement the existing strengths of the NEON Biorepository team, are strongly encouraged to apply. An ability to develop new data products to leverage the research potential of NEON Biorepository samples with the greater community is highly desired.
The position is located in ASU’s newly renovated Biocollections (Alameda Building), located 2 miles southwest of the main Tempe campus. In addition to housing nine natural history collections, the NEON Biorepository, and affiliated personnel, the facility includes spaces dedicated to student training and public education.
This is a grant funded position. Twenty months of funding are available; funding beyond this period will depend on successful continuation of the project and further support for this position.
Essential Duties
The Sample Preparator will work under the direct supervision of the NEON Environmental and Zoological Collections Manager and in close collaboration with informaticians, other collection managers, researchers, and students affiliated with the NEON Biorepository. The selected candidate will focus mainly on preparing whole, small mammal NEON specimens – each year approximately 350 specimens as study skins with skulls and 500 specimens for ethanol preservation. The former preparation method also requires maintenance of an in-house dermestid beetle colony. As time and needs indicate, they will also contribute to the preparation and digitization of terrestrial and aquatic vascular plant specimens (herbarium sheets and packets). Regular duties related to these tasks may include: physical transfer of collection objects into the NEON Biorepository sample infrastructure; maintenance of the collection organization; shared oversight of best practices; loan activities; improvement of research-relevant information; standard-compliant sample/specimen digitization and imaging, with dissemination via the NEON Biorepository data portal; joint training of undergraduate students and volunteers; and participation in direct or social media-based outreach activities. The production of value-added resources and other openly accessible biodiversity data products for NEON Biorepository samples will be strongly encouraged.
Although a large component of the position will be driven by daily sample preparation and digitization tasks, we will encourage and support the candidate’s professional development in collection-based research and leadership broadly defined.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in a field appropriate to the area of assignment; OR, Four years research experience appropriate to the area of assignment; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or education from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.
Desired Qualifications:
Evidence of a Graduate degree with specialization in general and/or zoological (in-/vertebrate) collection curation and sample preparation (minimally two years).
Well-documented experience in the standard-compliant digitization (databasing, imaging) of zoological and botanical research collections is highly desired.
Knowledge of specific software platforms, and other relevant training, should be clearly stated in the application (with reference to publicly available products where suitable).
Evidence of interpersonal skills and enthusiasm towards mentoring and outreach – including suitable social media – are preferred.
Position details:
Full-Time
$20.00 hour