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A complete application consists of:

• An application
• Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted. All transcripts must be in English or include an official English translation. Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts.
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• Two educational or professional recommendations

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

*Applications may be reviewed on a rolling-basis. Click here for information about the selection process.

EPA Office/Lab and Location: A research training opportunity is currently available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA), Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM), Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) located in Washington, DC.

The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to protect human health and the environment. One or more full-time paid opportunities are available with the EPA's Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) in Washington, DC. ORCR works with state, tribal and regional partners to implement the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Our mission is to protect human health and the environment by ensuring responsible management of hazardous and nonhazardous waste. ORCR's goals are to conserve resources by reducing waste, prevent future waste disposal problems through regulations, and clean up areas where waste may have spilled, leaked, or been improperly disposed.

Research Project: This project seeks to advance research on environmental justice considerations across all divisions in the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, and includes interacting with tribal communities; communities near hazardous waste transfer, storage, and disposal facilities; and other disadvantaged communities with concerns about being overburdened with pollutants.

The participant will engage in experiential learning while performing hands on research and analysis that supports the ORCR Environmental Justice Action Plan, an internal EPA plan with 13 specific projects that are being worked on with an emphasis on environmental justice. The opportunity will also include research and engagement to support development of new initiatives and guidance that help ORCR programs view their work through an environmental justice lens. The participant will research tribal nations and report on the nexus between Environmental Justice and tribal sovereignty as well as tribal self-determination. The project may include conducting program research to support the government wide Justice40 initiative and ORCR’s EJ dashboard, which was created to monitor and strengthen the programs commitment to environmental justice.

Mentor(s): The mentors for questions about this opportunity are Toshia King (king.toshia@epa.gov) and Caroline Klos (klos.caroline@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s) directly.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2022.  All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.

Appointment Length: The appointment initially may be for one year and may be renewed up to three additional years upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.

Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Click here for detailed information about full-time stipends.

EPA Security Clearance: Completion of a successful background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required for an applicant to be on-boarded at EPA.

ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and EPA. Participants do not become employees of EPA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

ORISE offers all ORISE EPA graduate students and Postdocs a free 5 year membership to the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA).

The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).

Questions: Please see the FAQ section of our website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.EPA.REG@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor's or master's degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
• Discipline(s):
  • Communications and Graphics Design (1 )
  • Earth and Geosciences (2 )
  • Engineering (3 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (4 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (8 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 )
• Veteran Status: Veterans Preference, degree received within the last 120 month(s).