EPA Fellowship in Supporting Drinking Water Preparedness and Incident Response

Organization
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Reference Code
EPA-OW-OGWDW-2023-01
How to Apply

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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. Click here for detailed information about recommendations.
All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.
Application Deadline
4/30/2023 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description

*Applications may be reviewed on a rolling-basis and this posting could close before the deadline. Click here for information about the selection process.

EPA Office/Lab and LocationTwo research opportunities are currently available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Water(OW). The appointment will be served with the Water Infrastructure & Cyber Resilience Division (WICRD) located in Washington, DC. 

Research Project: The objective of this project is to support research that advances the nation's analytical ability to response to drinking water and waste water contamination incidents. One goal of the project is to build the Agency's capacity to guide and coordinate activities to ensure that water utilities such as drinking water and waste water systems are protecting and safeguarding public health from terrorist and other intentional acts as well as natural and other disasters. The participant will conduct research, support communications efforts designed to provide technical assistance to water utilities for when conducting vulnerability assessments, enhancing laboratory preparedness, developing/revising emergency response plans, and responding to security alerts and attacks. The participant will also conduct research to build effective water security practices into the ongoing operations of water utilities including efforts supporting system decontamination. 

Learning ObjectivesUnder the guidance of a mentor, the participant will develop skills to advance incident response efforts for the nation’s water sector by learning how to create new tools and technical guidance documents. The participant will be able to present research results at technical conferences and collaborate with federal agencies and the general public aimed towards protecting the water and wastewater infrastructure of the United States. In addition, the participant will be exposed to research efforts aimed towards water infrastructure protection, including physical damage, contamination from biological, chemical and radiological agents and system failures. Specifically, the participant will:

  • Learn how to research and compose biologic, chemical and radiochemical contaminant profiles.
  • Learn about methodologies used to strengthen the infrastructure of water systems.
  • Learn how science policy is developed and implemented on the federal level. 

Lab Coordinator: The lab coordinator for this opportunity is Eric Bissonette (Bissonette.eric@epa.gov). If you have any questions about the nature of the research or appointment, please contact the lab coordinator.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Spring 2023. 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 three to four 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. At this time, bachelor's degree stipends are ~$53,105 per year, master's degree stipends are ~$64,957 per year, and doctoral degree stipends are ~$78,592 per year. 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.OW@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Most recent degree must have been received by 6/16/2023 and within five years of the appointment start date. 

Strongly desired applicants are those that possess either public health communication and chemical or environmental engineering skill sets.  

Eligibility Requirements
  • Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 6/30/2023 11:59:00 PM.
  • Discipline(s):
    • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
    • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
    • Engineering (27 )
    • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (48 )
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