Research Scientist in Decision Support - Drought

The Institute on the Environment (IonE), Knowledge Initiatives team at the University of Minnesota, invites a Decision Support Researcher to advance our decision support science portfolio, an area of work that focuses on the processes and tools that enable evidence-based decision-making in public and private sectors. The researcher will be critical to the strategy and implementation of mixed-methods approaches to rigorously assess and test the usability of environmental data products.

This position is focused on a proposed project titled, "Empirical Evaluation of Visual Strategies for Communicating Probabilistic Drought Outlooks to Enhance Impact-Based Decision Support for Stakeholders". This research focuses on improving how probabilistic drought outlooks are visually designed and shared with the public and other decision-makers. Building on earlier work to redesign deterministic drought outlooks, this research will evaluate how different visual strategies affect people's ability to understand and use drought forecasts. This project has a firm end date, so it requires a researcher with direct experience in probabilistic drought outlooks to advance the project quickly. Funding and the timing of this position is dependent on external funding from Federal grants. Currently, this position is scheduled to end on March 31, 2027.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

• 80% designing, conducting, and analyzing mixed-methods data using multidisciplinary social science research methods. Activities, which require regular team collaboration and expertise to work independently, include:
  
  • 70% Research Design and Data Collection, Management and Analysis
    • conducting literature reviews and formal document analyses
    • preparation and review of Institutional Review Board (IRB) documentation for human subjects determinations
    • designing and conducting semi-interviews with experts
    • developing and carrying out survey research
    • human subjects data curation and metadata documentation and data repository submissions, given best practices and grant requirements
    • qualitative and quantitative data analysis, summarizing results, and collaboratively discussing research findings and implications
      
  • 10% Research Communication and Dissemination
    • Author or co-author peer-reviewed publications developed based on this research.
    • Conduct dissemination activities and develop documents to accelerate and increase the use of research findings for operational uses.
      
• 20% Research Coordination, Collaboration, and Research Operations
  • support on other research projects as needed and as aligned with the employees expertise
  • regular communication with and coordination with project team members, including project-focused research mentorship of IonE Postdoctoral Fellows
  • project management and coordination including project goal setting, documentation of administrative, research workflows, and project management processes, regular project progress summaries via team meetings, and other project-related items
  • adopt IonE research software, data, and metadata best practices related to archiving, documentation, and accessibility
  • organize, document, and share work in Basecamp, Google suite collaborative products, and fully adopt team file organization structure, communication norms, and research project management best practices

Location and Work Environment

Our offices are located in St. Paul, MN. This position is structured as P4 allowing employees to work remotely given the engagement priorities within the Midwest region and across the nation. The person must have a high-speed internet connection and an appropriate office space to allow for remote work. The person will be expected to engage via web-conferencing, attend important IonE events and meetings, and develop working relationships with project team members and key IonE staff.

Work Schedule

This is a casual position, limited to a maximum of 14 hours per week. The employee and supervisor will identify a mutually agreed-upon set of core weekly hours for meetings and collaborative work sessions; other hours can be completed on a flexible schedule. Based on project funding, this position is expected to be completed no later than March 31, 2027; extensions depend entirely on external funding. One required in-person project planning meeting will be held in San Francisco, CA, during the week of AGU; Denver, CO, during the week of AMS; or at IonE midway through the project. Travel may additionally be required for one drought outlook design workshop with NOAA CPC in the Washington, DC metro area.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree and 2 years of related experience or BS/BA and 4 years of related experience
• Experience in interdisciplinary sustainability research and social science research methodologies such as interview and survey design
• Experience in one of the technical areas under consideration: probabilistic drought outlooks; science communication; decision support diagnosis, user engagement, and testing; stakeholder engagement and analysis; risk and decision analysis; and/or mixed-methods approaches
• Publications and other lead author research outputs related to visual communication testing

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD and/or prior postdoctoral fellowship experience in a relevant interdisciplinary field of sustainability
• Handle virtual and/or in-person interruptions during scheduled work hours; and proactively manage up and communicate project status to supervisor and project team members
• Experience in team science and partner-engaged scholarship, including professional interactions with stakeholders and faculty
• Public engagement, speaking, and outreach experience, including with Federal agency and community partners

This position will be based in the Knowledge Initiatives (KI) unit of the Institute on the Environment (IonE), which hosts the portfolio of interdisciplinary sustainability research and scholarly activity for IonE. The Institute on the Environment (IonE) seeks to lead the way toward a future in which people and the planet prosper together. IonE is accelerating the transition to this future by supporting breakthrough research across disciplines, developing the next generation of global leaders and building transformative partnerships across the state, region and globe. IonE prides itself on not being academia as usual. At IonE, we go out of our way to collaborate with external partners while bringing different academic fields of expertise together within the University - all with an eye towards being responsive, agile and entrepreneurial in the face of a changing world. For more information about IonE, see https://environment.umn.edu/.

Pay Range: $44.25 per hour

Retirement plan options are available for Civil Service, Faculty, Labor-Represented, Professional & Administrative, and Temp Casual classifications. Learn more about retirement plans.

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail jobcentr@umn.edu.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023, 2025, 2026), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work-life flexibility.