EPA Public Health and Wildland Fire Smoke Events Internship

*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: Two research opportunities are available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Public Health Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Public Health and Environmental Systems Division (PHESD) located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Research Project: The objective of this research project is to inform strategies for improving community-level public health response to emergent environmental health concerns. Specifically, this research is designed to better understand the relationship between community-level environmental public health tools, community capacity, and community resilience.

Learning Objectives: The research participant may have the opportunity to be involved with and contribute to a range of research activities including: developing data collection instruments, data collection and management, data analysis, publications, and webinar/conference presentations.

The research participant may learn how to and contribute to: developing and maintaining project progress and tracking spreadsheets; developing survey instruments using Qualtrics software; developing interview and focus group guides; data cleaning and management; analyzing quantitative and qualitative data using current software packages (e.g., R, NVivo, etc.); and developing publications and presentations.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Mary Clare Hano (hano.maryclare@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 2020. 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 three additional years upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.

Level of Participation: The appointment is part-time (10-25 hours per week).

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.

Questions: Please see the FAQ section of our website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email EPArpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity (EPA-ORD-CPHEA-PHESD-2020-03).