EPA Partnership Programs Branch Research Opportunity

Organization
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Reference Code
EPA-Water-2018-437
How to Apply

A complete application consists of:

 

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.

Description

The Partnership Programs Branch (PPB) supports EPA’s mission to protect and restore U.S. water resources and habitats for the health and economic benefit of all citizens, in both urban and rural communities.  PPB plays a critical role in OWOW and the national water program, serving as the focal point for the use of collaborative, stakeholder-driven approaches to help states achieve Clean Water Act goals.  The core partnership programs managed by PPB are the Urban Waters Program (UW), the National Estuary Program (NEP), and the Trash Free Waters Program (TFW).  These core programs are the facilitators of many successful water program partnerships that are led by states and localities.  This catalytic role has strong support from state and local governments, the business community, citizen groups, and many others.  There is broad public recognition that collaborative planning and program development through partnership programs can foster innovation, reduce adversarial barriers, and achieve beneficial and measurable outcomes.

The ORISE participant will have the opportunity to gain hands on experience through analysis and research to support development of collaborative program approaches to address water program priority issues.  Project work will address substantive issues related to one or more of three partnership programs: Urban Waters (UW), the National Estuary Program (NEP), and the Trash Free Waters program (TFW).  Research and analysis experience will focus on technical, policy, communications, and measurement issues related to these programs.  The Participant will learn about the use of collaborative partnership approaches to achieve EPA’s clean water goals, with a particular emphasis on the integration of multiple partnerships to improve water quality and ecosystem health in specific geographic locations across the U.S.

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. The initial appointment is for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of EPA and is contingent on the availability of funds. The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. The appointment is full-time. Participants do not become employees of EPA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.

The mentor for this project is Robert Benson (benson.robert@epa.gov). The anticipated start date for the appointment is September 4, 2018.

Qualifications

Applicants must have received a post-graduate degree (MA, MS, or PhD) within five years of the appointment start date.  Environmental Studies/Sciences, Public Policy and Administration, Nonprofit Management, Urban Forestry, Geography, Biology, Geology, or a closely related discipline.

The ideal applicant will have:

  • Knowledge or practical experience regarding EPA programs, particularly the Clean Water Act.

  • Experience working on public/private partnerships, state or urban/community programs, freshwater or estuarine programs, trash prevention programs, and/or environmental justice.

  • Experience with public policy (complementary to technical skills).

  • Strong written and oral communication skills, and the ability to comfortably interact with internal and external stakeholders from a wide variety of programs, offices, groups, and entities. Experience with public outreach is a plus.

  • Strong analytical skills with regard to program planning, public policy, and technical issues.

Eligibility Requirements
  • Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
  • Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 month(s).
  • Discipline(s):
    • Communications and Graphics Design (2 )
    • Environmental and Marine Sciences (13 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (1 )
    • Social and Behavioral Sciences (1 )
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