A complete application consists of:

• An application
• Transcripts – 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 references

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

If you have questions, send an email to EPArpp@orau.org . Please include the reference code for this opportunity in your email.

A postgraduate research training opportunity is currently available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of the Administrator Policy (AO) in the Office of Policy (OP). The appointment will be served with the Office of Regulatory Policy and Management (ORPM), Policy and Regulatory Analysis Division (PRAD) in Washington, DC.

OP is the primary policy arm of EPA. It collaborates with EPA colleagues to support Agency priorities and enhance decision-making. It provides multi-disciplinary analytic skills, management support, and special expertise in five areas: regulatory policy and management, environmental economics, strategic environmental management, sustainable communities, and climate adaptation.

EPA issues regulations to carry out the environmental and public health protection laws enacted by Congress. OP's Office of Regulatory Policy and Management (ORPM), manages the regulatory development process for the Agency, providing support and guidance to EPA's program and regional offices as they develop regulations. ORPM provides policy and analytical advice and support to these offices, ensures compliance with key statutes and Executive Orders relating to regulatory process, and helps to promote analytical consistency and rigor across EPA’s regulatory portfolio.

ORPM advises the Administrator and other senior Agency decision-makers on regulatory and policy development; manages the Agency's policy priority agenda; conducts timely and effective policy analysis; and helps ensure that EPA’s regulatory decision processes and actions are invested with high quality information. ORPM assists the Administrator's Office in executing the Administrator's priorities. The Policy and Regulatory Analysis Division (PRAD) provides expert advice and information to senior EPA management and program offices. PRAD participates in development of -- and then review of -- all regulations that are to be signed by the EPA Administrator. PRAD also investigates, tracks, prioritizes, and communicates with senior management about key environmental issues (existing and emerging threats), new opportunities or approaches, and environmental policy options.

The opportunity involves environmental policy analysis focused on projects that are likely to involve synthesizing and summarizing information about environmental issues, policies, and opportunities, to communicate priorities and perspective on a broad set of environmental policy issues, trends, opportunities, and emerging threats.

The internship will involve research and analysis, and then documentation of those findings, to identify, prioritize among, analyze, and put in context selected examples of existing or emerging ecological or environmental health threats. There may also be technological or organizational opportunities using data analytics. A typical example of such activity would be EPA’s Strategic Foresight Panel, a group that is conducting environmental scanning of emerging issues and opportunities in the context of EPA’s strategic plan. This training opportunity may also involve drawing upon, extending the findings, or re-analyzing existing analyzes, such as conducting trends analysis across chemical pollutants or key terms in the scientific literature and press coverage. This may also include summarizing EPA programs, resources, or activities in the context of addressing future challenges.

This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and EPA. 

Applicants must have received a bachelor’s or master's degree in environmental policy analysis, such as public policy/public affairs, economics, environmental science/ engineering or a closely related field within five years of the desired starting date, or completion of all requirements for the degree should be expected prior to the starting date. Experience in compiling and manipulating data from the internet and various databases will enhance this research opportunity,

The appointment is full time for one year and may be renewed upon recommendation of EPA and contingent on the availability of funds. The participant will receive a monthly stipend. Funding may be made available to reimburse the participant's travel expenses to present the results of his/her research at scientific conferences. No funding will be made available to cover travel costs for pre-appointment visits, relocation costs, tuition and fees, or a participant's health insurance. The participant must show proof of health and medical insurance. The participant does not become an EPA employee.

The mentor for this project is Mark Corrales (corrales.mark@epa.gov). The desired start date is November 1, 2016. 

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree received within the last 60 month(s).
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (1 )
  • Communications and Graphics Design (1 )
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (16 )
  • Earth and Geosciences (3 )
  • Engineering (7 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (11 )
  • Mathematics and Statistics (2 )
  • Other Non-Science & Engineering (2 )
  • Physics (2 )
  • Science & Engineering-related (1 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (11 )