• 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. Click here for detailed information about recommendations.

*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 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.

Research Project: This research project will use a recently-established technique to retrofit high-throughput toxicity (HTT) assays with xenobiotic metabolism (XM). Initially, this project will focus on cell viability, cellular stress and endocrine HTT endpoints. The goal is to identify chemical metabolites with bio-activity profiles that differ from their respective parent compounds so that in vitro hazard characterization for these chemicals more accurately predicts in vivo adverse outcomes.

• Maintain and expose cell cultures to control and test chemicals
• Transfect various human cell types with XM enzyme-encoding messenger RNAs
• Conduct multiple HTT assays for cell viability, cellular stress and endocrine HTT endpoints
• Analyze HTT data and synthesize results for publication and presentation

• Hands-on participation in experimental research and data interpretation
• Reading and interpreting relevant scientific literature
• Active participation in meetings of the project team
• Preparing reports, presentations, and summaries of the data
• Presenting at professional meetings
• Authoring manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Steve Simmons (simmons.steve@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Winter 2021/2022.  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 or four additional 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.

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 be currently pursuing or have received a bachelor's degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

• Lab course or work experience with general laboratory techniques associated with aseptic technique (cell culture)
• Experience with automated liquid handling platforms such as acoustic dispensing and/or solenoid micro-dispensers
• Experience with basic statistical methods and software (e.g. GraphPad) or object-oriented programming (R, Python)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook).
• Strong written, oral, and electronic communication skills

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Bachelor's Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
• Discipline(s):
  • Earth and Geosciences (1 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (46 )
  • Mathematics and Statistics (10 )
• Veteran Status: Veterans Preference, degree received within the last 120 month(s).