The Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics at Virginia Tech is seeking two highly motivated applied economists to join our team as (Senior) Research Scientists in the Fall of 2024. Depending on the qualifications of the successful candidate, the positions may be filled at the senior research scientist or research scientist level. The positions are twelve-month, calendar year, restricted positions; which will be reviewed annually, based upon funds available, needs of service, and performance.
As part of our work with the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture, the Research Scientist positions will be responsible for leading the conceptualization and conduct of research projects, managing and ensuring completion of the objectives of a sponsored research program, and delivering research materials, including writing peer-reviewed journal articles and making presentations at academic conferences and for public audiences on topics such as:
- Estimating the consumer demand for climate-smart certified food products using incentivized lab-in-the-field choice experiments in a relevant setting
- Rigorously assessing the range of ecosystem service values associated with climate-smart agricultural practices pursued as part of the program
- Evaluating the drivers and impacts of climate-smart agricultural practice adoption, with a focus on the role of financial incentives and program design from our pilot program for ecosystem services
The effectiveness of the research agenda will be influenced by the Alliance faculty members’ ability to work closely with relevant partners, including fellow researchers, private sector retailers, soil and water conservation districts, and producers.
About The Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture
The Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture is a coalition of organizations, led by Virginia Tech, that will implement an $80 million, three-year project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). This project will be implemented across four states – Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Virginia – and will feature payments to farmers to adopt climate-smart agriculture practices to increase resilience and climate change mitigation.
Virginia Tech faculty will conduct a rigorous research agenda to evaluate the implementation and impacts of this program. Under the three-year pilot, Virginia Tech and its partners will help producers in the four states prove the value of paying farmers and ranchers $100 per acre or animal unit for stewardship practices that deliver public value through carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas reduction, improved soil health, water quality, water conservation, and other environmental services. We aim to create a national model for incentivizing and rewarding farmers for adopting climate-smart practices. More information on the program can be found at this link: https://www.allianceforcsa.org
About Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is and has been pursuing a series of cluster hires to complement the strengths of existing faculty in pursuing interdisciplinary research the nexus of digital, biological, social, and physical sciences and engineering with application to agriculture, food, and natural resources. This vision aims to create a state and nation-wide network of interconnected faculty, partners, and resources for scientific discovery and developing and deploying new technologies. The goal is to increase overall efficiency, resiliency, sustainability, and economic value of food, agriculture production systems, and natural resources while expanding Virginia Tech’s global influence in this rapidly evolving domain.
Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, VA with a full-time student population of 33,000+ students. The Blacksburg campus is in a growth phase associated with significant public and private investments in computer and data science research and education. These investments include the construction of a Data & Decision Science Building that is part of a larger investment in developing a Global Business and Analytics Complex in Blacksburg. Geographically, Blacksburg is nestled in the heart of the New River Valley, close to the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail with ample outdoor recreation opportunities.
In addition to the Blacksburg campus, VT operates a rapidly growing campus in the National Capital Region (Washington, D.C.) located in close proximity to multiple public agencies, research institutes, and private sector companies with related interests.
Department, College, University, and Community: The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech is a robust and growing unit with about 300 primary and secondary undergraduate majors, 75 graduate students, and 32 faculty members (http://www.aaec.vt.edu). The Department is located in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (http://www.cals.vt.edu/), which advises about 3000 undergraduate students and 640 graduate students across 10 departments and schools. Virginia Cooperative Extension, also located within the college, delivers research-based information to the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia through county/city extension offices, 4-H educational centers, and Agricultural Research and Extension Centers (http://www.ext.vt.edu/offices). Virginia Tech (http://www.vt.edu/) is located in Blacksburg, VA (http://www.blacksburg.va.us/) with a full-time student population of more than 38,000 students. Blacksburg is nestled in the New River Valley, close to the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail, and was recently ranked by Bloomberg's Businessweek as the best place in the U.S. to raise kids and by Forbes as one of the top 25 places in the U.S. to retire (http://www.forbes.com/places/va/blacksburg/).
Location: The base location for this position is Blacksburg, VA. Travel to Blacksburg on a routine basis will be required. The position is open to hybrid or remote; however, preferred remote location will be within a reasonable commuting distance to one of the partner locations (i.e. Virginia, Minnesota, Arkansas, and/or North Dakota).
