Click HERE to apply. 

The EPA National Student Services Contract has an immediate opening for a full time Watershed Laboratory Analysis position with the Office of Research and Development at the EPA facility in Narragansett, RI.

The Office of Research and Development at the EPA supports high-quality research to improve the scientific basis for decisions on national environmental issues and help EPA achieve its environmental goals. Research is conducted in a broad range of environmental areas by scientists in EPA laboratories and at universities across the country.

What the EPA project is about

The Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling (CEMM) develops, evaluates, and applies measurements and models to characterize the sources, occurrence, transformation, transport and effects of pollutants and stressors in the natural environment. Within CEMM, the Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division (ACESD) is responsible for coastal watershed, freshwater, estuarine, and coastal ecological research. ACESD scientists develop and evaluate theory, methods, models, and data to better understand and quantify the cumulative effects of multiple anthropogenic stressors and extreme weather events on the coastal waters and watersheds of the Atlantic seaboard.

What experience and skills will you gain?

As a team member, you will conduct field and laboratory work, perform data management, data analysis, report generation, and perform literature reviews. The team member will work with experts in several research projects, including, but not limited to, the “Spatial and temporal dynamics of freshwater cyanobacterial HABs” and “Survey of Reservoir Greenhouse Gas Emissions (SuRGE)” research projects.  Resulting data will be entered into project datasets and reports generated. The team member will maintain careful and accurate records in designated laboratory or field notebooks.  These notebooks and all other data produced under this order will be the property of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Field work will include:

• Travel to and from field locations with federal staff;
• Preparation/cleanup of field equipment for water and air quality sampling;
• Water and air sample collection;
• Recording data;
• Shipping and receiving of samples; and
• Other field tasks as needed.

Laboratory work will include:

• Performing analysis of phytoplankton pigments, included sample preparation, filtering, etc.;
• Analyzing samples for cyanotoxins;
• Perform plankton counts;
• Assistance with water chemistry analysis and sample preparation;
• Preparation of analytical calibration and quality control standards;
• Recording data into laboratory databases;
• Other laboratory work as needed; and
• Keeping accurate laboratory notebooks.

Data management, analysis, and reporting will include:

• Conducting statistical analyses and exploratory data analysis (i.e., summary statistics, correlation/regression, hypothesis testing, data visualization, etc.);
• Creating and assisting with the generation of reports about the project and data; and
• Managing data or other information and entering data into datasets using a variety of software (e.g., Microsoft Excel/Word/Access, R, RStudio, etc.).

Literature reviews will include:

• Literature searches for scientific communications and
• Enter journal articles into a bibliographic database.
   

Required Knowledge, Skills, Work Experience, and Education

• General skills/experience in laboratory work (additional training will be provided as needed);
• General skills/experience in field work (additional training will be provided as needed);
• Experience with data entry and descriptive statistical analyses (i.e., mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, median, etc.) using Excel, R, or other statistical software;
• Strong written, oral and electronic communication skills; and
• Basic safety requirements in the laboratory and field (additional safety training will be provided).

Location: This job will be located EPA’s facility in Narragansett, RI.

Salary: Selected applicant will become a temporary employee of ORAU and will receive an hourly wage of $24.31 for hours worked.

Hours: Full-time.

Travel: Occasional travel to field locations is required, with some requiring overnight stays.  All sights are within the Northeastern US.

Expected start date: The position is full time and expected to begin October 2022. The selected applicant will become a temporary employee of ORAU working as a contractor to EPA. The contract renews each May through 2025.

For more information, contact EPANSSC@orau.org. Do not contact EPA directly.

• Be at least 18 years of age and
• Have earned at least a Bachelor’s degree in in an environmentally related discipline such as environmental science, biology, ecology, biochemistry, chemistry or other related field of study from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months and
• Be a citizen of the United States of America or a Legal Permanent Resident.

EPA ORD employees, their spouses, and children are not eligible to participate in this program.

• Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
• Degree: Bachelor's Degree received within the last 24 month(s).
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (1 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (2 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (3 )

I certify that I am at least 18 years of age; a recent graduate with at least a Bachelor’s degree in in an environmentally related discipline such as environmental science, biology, ecology, biochemistry, chemistry or other related field from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months; a citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America; and not a current employee of EPA ORD or the spouse or child of an EPA ORD employee.

Click HERE to apply.