The Climate Adaptation Partnership at Colorado State University is recruiting a graduate student (MA/MS or PhD) to conduct research focused on the integration of Indigenous knowledges in co-management of public lands. The graduate student could start as early as Fall 2024 or in 2025. The student would be co-advised by Dr. Courtney Schultz (Forest & Rangeland Stewardship) and Dr. Lindsey Schneider (Ethnic Studies). Depending on the student’s background and interests, they could work towards a degree in either the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship (which offers an MS and PhD in Forest Sciences) or in the College of Liberal Arts (graduate programs include anthropology, history, political science, and sociology). Specific research topics are flexible but could include Indigenous land relationships, Indigenous data sovereignty, institutional research policies, relationships between tribal nations and government agencies, co-production of knowledge, history/development of management policy and approaches, climate adaptation, planning, ecological resilience, or tribal sovereignty, all with a connection to federal land management.
We have two years of GRA funding; for a PhD student, additional teaching assistantships and research funding will be sought to provide a full four years of support. Regardless of their program of study, the student will be able to take courses across a variety of disciplines. In addition to standard graduate level work of literature reviews, developing research questions, and fieldwork/analysis, the student will have opportunities to engage with tribal communities, help develop training and guidance for researchers/practitioners, and participate in communicating their findings to policymakers. We are particularly interested in recruiting a Native American/Indigenous student and are prepared to support them appropriately. As a Native scholar, Dr. Schneider has over a decade of experience in mentoring Indigenous students and working with tribal nations. Dr. Schultz has mentored Native students over the last year, in partnership with other Indigenous scholars in her home department who would be likely committee members for a student. The incoming student would find a strong community of Native graduate students within the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship. Please see, for example, the Indigenous Land and Data Stewards website for more information. CSU has made an institutional commitment to Native American/Indigenous issues, including a VP of Indigenous and Native American Affairs and Native American Advisory Council, and the student would be joining a strong intertribal community at CSU and in the Fort Collins area.
We are seeking a student with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree closely related to Indigenous studies, natural resource management, human dimensions of natural resource management, public administration, political science, or other relevant programs. Experience working with tribal communities is strongly preferred. Students should be excited about the research focus, comfortable working as part of a team, and interested in a career path that can be supported by this project.
To apply, students should submit materials by May 1st for admission in Fall 2024. If a student is interested in admission in 2025, please send a CV and Statement of Interest nonetheless so we can consider our best applicants (we are happy to delay the start date if appropriate). Please send:
- Curriculum vitae w/ three references to contact (1 reference can be a community member)
- Statement of Interest (2-page max)
- Unofficial transcripts
- Academic writing sample (10-20 pages)
Materials should be via email to courtney.schultz@colostate.edu and lindsey.schneider@colostate.edu. Please feel free to contact either of us with any questions!
