EPA Fellowship for Economist/Social Scientist

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis and this posting will remain open until filled. Click here for information about the selection process.

EPA Office/Lab and Location: A postgraduate internship project is available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) within the Office of Communications, Partnerships and Analysis (OCPA) in Washington, D.C. OCPA serves as the principal office to the Assistant Administrator for OLEM.

Research Project: OLEM programs and regional colleagues regularly work in communities across America-cleaning up Superfund sites; responding to emergencies; assisting tribes, state and local governments in the cleaning up and redeveloping contaminated properties, brownfield sites and underground storage tanks sites; establishing protections for the management of hazardous waste; and promoting recycling and sustainable materials management. It is a very exciting time to join OLEM as a research participant due to:

With these important investments and initiatives, the research participant will have a real opportunity to contribute to research projects related to these efforts that will have real benefits for the American people, particularly those who are disadvantaged or overburdened by environmental hazards.

Learning Objectives: Under the mentorship of OCPA staff, the research participant will learn about a variety of OLEM programs and will have the opportunity to design and participate in benefits analyses and program evaluations of OLEM programs related to the investments and initiatives identified above, while gaining experience in one or more of the following activities:

Through the internship, the participant will benefit by learning new approaches to evaluate and analyze data to inform program and policy decisions in OLEM. The participant will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge of data analysis and geographic information systems. S/he may have the opportunity to communicate his/her analysis through peer-reviewed publications and/or presentations at conferences. Furthermore, s/he will gain an understanding of how scientific evidence is used to inform EPA decision-making processes.

The participant will be exposed to and interact with researchers and program staff from a variety of disciplines and organizations. S/he will have latitude in exercising independent initiative and judgment in the research commensurate with the level of training. Collaborating on project-related manuscripts will be encouraged.

Mentor(s): The mentor for questions about this opportunity is Karen Sullivan (sullivan.karen@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s) directly.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: June 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 recommendation of EPA and is contingent upon the availability of funds.

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. Funding may be made available to reimburse the participant's travel expenses to present the results of his/her research at scientific conferences. 

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.REG@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have received a master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g. Evaluation, Economics, Public Health, Geography, Public Policy), or be currently pursuing one of the degrees with completion before the appointment start date. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred Skills: