Careers as a Research and Development Staff Associate in a National Laboratory

I am a research scientist in Disturbance Ecology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). My job is to investigate the impacts of disturbances, such as wildfires and insect outbreaks, on terrestrial ecosystems with an emphasis on soil processes. I was not "trained" to work at a national laboratory in graduate school or during my past postdoc experiences at the university setting. In this presentation, I hope to provide some suggestions as to how to best prepare for a career in a national laboratory. At ORNL, employers strive to (a) find experts in their field (environmental science, ecology, soil ecology, soil science, or related field), which can also be translated into experience in designing experiments, data analysis, and/or mathematical simulations, (b) a proven track record of publication in leading peer-reviewed journals, (c) ability to work and communicate as part of a diverse and distributed team.