EPA Bioinformaticist/Data Scientist Fellowship

*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 Computational Toxicology and Bioinformatics Branch at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Biomolecular & Computational Toxicology Division (BCTD) located in Durham, North Carolina.

CCTE is responsible for developing new computational tools and providing quantitative analysis for improving environmental risk assessments and regulatory decisions pertaining to chemical safety and sustainability.

Research Project: The EPA Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE) is developing new approach methodologies (NAMs) to provide faster and improved evaluation of potential toxicology hazards in order to better support environmental risk assessments and regulatory decisions pertaining to chemical safety and sustainability. A subset of these NAMs, such as high throughput transcriptomics, generate high dimensional data streams. These untargeted profiling methods often require the development of novel analysis methodologies to data interpretation and mechanistic inference.

This research project aims to develop computational methods to predict chemical mechanism(s) of action using high dimensional biological data sets derived from various cell lines. The tools to be used include novel transcriptomic and cell painting data generated within EPA, publicly available databases of transcriptomic signatures and pathways, and software packages (both publicly available and custom, in-house tools). The project integrates bioinformatics, data science, software engineering, applied statistics, and predictive mathematical modeling. 

Learning Objectives: The research participant will collaborate in the development of novel predictive frameworks to analyze high dimensional data streams relevant to toxicological testing. This is a training position wherein the candidate will gain education and training in the general areas of bioinformatics, data science, transcriptomics, computational toxicology, and mathematical modeling in preparation for future career opportunities across government, industry, and academic sectors.

Under the guidance of the mentor, research activities may include:

It is expected that the research participant will be author or co-author on peer-reviewed publications, and will present at local and national meetings, which should help make the research participant a strong candidate for a variety of scientific career paths across government, industry, and academia. The research participant will be a member of a multi-disciplinary research team.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Joseph Bundy (Bundy.Joseph@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: August 01, 2023. All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year and may be renewed up to five 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. 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.ORD@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have received a master's degree in one of the relevant disciplines (e.g., Toxicology, Biology, Bioengineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Chemistry). Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred Skills: