Scholarship #1: NASS - Statistician
Agency: National Agricultural Statistics Service (www.nass.usda.gov)
NASS is the statistical and data collection arm of the USDA. More than 300 official reports issued by NASS help maintain an orderly association among the output, supply and marketing sectors in agriculture. In addition, NASS is responsible for conducting the Census of Agriculture every 5 years. A combination of rapidly changing agriculture, new statistical methods, and state-of-the-art computer technology makes this an exciting era for NASS professionals.
Duty Location: TBD (will be placed in one of the 45 field offices in the United States)
Length of Scholarship: 2 Years
Desired Majors: Math, Statistics, Agriculture, Ag Business, Ag Economics/Management/ Marketing, Ag Production and Technology, Agronomy, Animal Science or related field.
Required to take 15 semester credits of math and statistics, of which 6 must be in statistics, plus 9 additional semester credits in other physical or social sciences.
Academic Level: Student beginning their college Junior/Senior year or Master’s degree in 2013 preferred
Position Title: Statistician
Position Description: Assists USDA officials in providing recommendations concerning mathematical techniques and methodology employed in planning and conducting statistical surveys.Assignments involve the application of statistical theories, techniques and methods used to obtain and analize agricultural data and prepare estimates, forecasts and reports.Working with NASS includes extensive training programs and new job assignments at regular intervals to help improve statistical and data processing skills and knowledge about agriculture in various areas of the country. New techniques, particularly those related to emerging technologies, are important segments of training and everyday performance on the job.
Desired Skills: Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. Training or experience in the agriculture industry is desirable.
