Translation and Tools for Advancing Community Resilience and Sustainabilityon the Western Balkans
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 postdoctoral research opportunity is currently available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD). The appointment will be served with the Immediate Office of the Assistant Administrator (IOAA) in Washington, DC.
Science at EPA provides the foundation for credible decision-making to safeguard human health and ecosystems from environmental pollutants. ORD is the scientific research arm of EPA, whose leading-edge research helps provide the solid underpinning of science and technology for the Agency.
Translating data, scientific findings, and science-based tools (e.g. software, models, decision tools, apps) to local communities poses unique challenges. While communities may have similar typologies and may face similar environmental and public health issues, local circumstances often dictate what specific data, applications, and/or tools are needed to bolster science-based decision making for advancing resilience and sustainability.
There is an interest in better translating science and tools to communities both in the U.S. and abroad. Under the auspices of the Clean Water Act and National Environmental Policy Act, EPA seeks to cooperate internationally to address the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. Under its Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research Program and its Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Research Program, ORD has been focusing its efforts on assisting municipalities, localities, and regions, both domestic and foreign, attain their sustainability goals, especially with respect to water resources. EPA has been working closely with the Regional Environmental Center of Central and Eastern Europe (REC) a non-partisan, non-advocacy, not-for-profit international organization established in 1990 by the United States, Hungary and the European Commission. EPA has been the REC's primary U.S. partner for over 25 years.
One focal area for collaboration with the REC is the Western Balkans, where the legacy of conflict, political shifts, and economic stagnation present both challenges for the environment, but more importantly incredible opportunities for sustainable decision-making facilitated by science-based tools. For example, recent climate-change exacerbated extreme weather events have caused severe flooding in the region, with devastating consequences. Other challenges related to trans-boundary river management and identified by local communities include: deforestation, erosion, river sediment excavation, industrial point source pollution, lack of wastewater and solid waste management, agricultural runoff, and lack of public awareness, expertise, and scientific tools.
The participant will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team focusing on community resilience and applying data, tools, and planning/design practices to advance sustainable decision-making in the Western Balkans, including Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, and Albania. There may be opportunities to expand the project to enhancing efforts in other areas both abroad and domestic to translate science and make use of tools for the purpose of building local resilience and advancing sustainable decision making.
The participant may be involved in the following activities:
-Assessing local and regional climate change impacts and vulnerabilities
-Providing frameworks and tools to local communities for integrating ecological protection into planning and sustainable development
-Adapting resiliency-building models and tools for use by municipalities and cities
-Synthesizing and translating research results for application to local needs
-Examining alternative approaches, such as green infrastructure or ecosystem-based approaches, towards managing wet weather impacts
Applicants must have received master's or doctoral degree in planning (urban, town, regional, and/or country) or a closely related field within five years of the desired starting date, or completion of the degree must have been received prior to the starting date.
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 available to reimburse the participant’s travel expenses to present the results of his/her research at scientific conferences. No funding will be available to cover travel costs for pre-appointment visits, relocation costs, tuition and fees, or 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 Jose Zambrana (zambrana.jose@epa.gov). The desired start date is June 1, 2016.
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