EPA Fellowship Using Sea-Level-Rise Data to Understand the Threat in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
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 Location: A research opportunity is available with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 3 located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Research Project: This research project will utilize data from federal interagency sea level rise technical reports to be used in the development of tools that help decision makers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed better understand the threat their community faces from sea-level rise in order to develop appropriate adaptation and hazard mitigation strategies. In January 2017, The Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazard Scenarios and Tools Interagency Task Force produced a report entitled “Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States.” The report and its associated data table were intended to update scenarios of global mean sea level rise and integrate the global scenarios with regional factors contributing to sea level change for the entire U.S. coastline. The intention was to incorporate these regionally appropriate scenarios within coastal risk management tools and capabilities deployed by individual agencies in support of the needs of specific stakeholder groups and user communities. Several features of the dataset were designed to make it accessible to the needs of decision makers: site-specific projections at decadal resolution, probabilities associated with each projection, and a worst-case scenario. The sea-level-rise projections were updated in 2022 to reflect advances in the science that more accurately constrain projections over the next thirty years, highlight the increasing risk of more damaging floods, and quantify the risk that results from failing to curb emissions in the near term. Making this data available to decision makers in a readily consumable form will allow communities to better adapt to climate change.
Learning Objectives:
The selected candidate will build their data analysis and GIS skills and gain practical experience using those skills to translate climate science into actionable information for decision makers. They will learn about existing EPA environmental tools. The project will provide an opportunity for the participant to network with agency staff, other federal partners and external researchers through meetings and presentations.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Matt Konfirst, Konfirst.matthew@epa.gov. If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s) direct.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: March 27, 2023. All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.
Appointment Length: The appointment may initially be for one year and may be renewed 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. 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.
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.REG@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.