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.

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

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

A research opportunity is currently available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling (CEMM), located in Narragansett, Rhode Island. EPA ORD recently reorganized and this is the newly named Center. This was formerly NERL/IO.

This research project will focus on the human dimensions and the use of restoration efforts to maintain salt marsh and estuary functions and provide ecosystem services. Under the guidance of a mentor, the research participant may contribute to the development and application of quantitative, spatial, and/or qualitative approaches to support management decisions. The research participant will have the opportunity to collaborate with ecologists, economists, state environmental scientists, and state policy makers to produce transferable and scalable social, economic, and ecological values and methods. The research participant will have the opportunity to be involved in research investigating coastal restoration efforts in southern New England.

With guidance from their mentors, the research participant will have the opportunity to be involved in:

• developing, managing, and analyzing spatial datasets
• engaging stakeholders and analyzing and reporting on participatory research efforts
• collaborating on scientific writing or presentations
• implementing case study evaluations of coastal restoration efforts

The research participant will learn about the social and ecological impacts of coastal restoration efforts and to apply data from multiple disciplines for improving decision making. The research participant will have the opportunity to learn through interactions with individuals and teams conducting research on other cross-cutting human/environment projects at ACESD and other EPA divisions. With guidance from the mentor, the research participant will have latitude in exercising independent initiative and judgment in the research commensurate with the level of training. The research participant will have the opportunity to collaborate with EPA Regions, researchers, states, and local stakeholders to improve EPA's abilities in generating and translating decision-relevant social and ecological data to end-users.

The research participant will have the opportunity to attend research team meetings and be involved in all aspects of the research including office, lab and fieldwork. This may also include active engagement with stakeholders regarding applications of the research. There will be opportunities to develop and conduct projects within the overall research program, and to publish and present research.

The mentors for this opportunity are Nathaniel Merrill (Merrill.nathaniel@epa.gov) and Cathy Wigand (Wigand.cathleen@epa.gov).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: May 15, 2020

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 at EPA in the Narragansett, Rhode Island, area. Participants do not become employees of EPA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. 

Completion of a successful background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required for an applicant to be on-boarded at EPA. OPM can complete a background investigation only for individuals, including non-US citizens, who have resided in the US for the past three years.

The qualified candidate should have received a master's degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing the degree and will reach completion by the appointment start date. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills:

• Quantitative and Qualitative data management and analysis, including: Geographic Information System (GIS) data management, analysis and mapping; statistical analysis and scripting using R, Python and/or Stata
• Strong writing skills and record keeping
• Prior experience with environmental restoration including field work

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Master's Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 5/15/2020 11:59:00 PM.
• Discipline(s):
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (1 )
  • Earth and Geosciences (3 )
  • Engineering (1 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (9 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (6 )
  • Other Non-Science & Engineering (2 )
  • Physics (1 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (12 )
• Veteran Status: Veterans Preference, degree received within the last 120 month(s).