EPA Fellowship on PFAS and Other Emerging Contaminants in Aquatic Environments
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An application
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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.
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A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
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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 training opportunity is available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling (CEMM), Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division (ACESD) located in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
Research Project: The goal of the research project is to evaluate PFAS and potentially other pollutants in sediment, water, and biota from aquatic ecosystems to evaluate the fate, transport, and bioaccumulation of PFAS. This project will particularly focus on elucidation of novel PFAS in comparison to more well-studied PFAS in marine and estuarine systems.
- Conducting sample preparation and clean-up for measurement of PFAS in complex samples
- Analyzing and processing data to derive concentrations of PFAS in samples of interest using both targeted and nontargeted tools
- Writing QA/QC procedures and documents and writing programming code (R or other) for processing data output.
Learning Objectives: Training will be provided for the aforementioned activities. Learning objectives include learning how to analyze and interpret data for PFAS analysis in complex matrices.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Michaela Cashman (cashman.michaela@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: May 15, 2025. 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 upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.
Level of Participation: This 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 bachelor's degree in one of the relevant fields or be currently pursuing with completion within six months of the appointment start date. Degree must have been received within five years of the anticipated appointment start date.
- Experience running, troubleshooting, and maintaining mass spectrometers, preferably high-resolution mass spectrometers.
- Experience with chromatography (gas or liquid, but experience with liquid preferred).
- Experience dealing with large datasets, preferably using programming code such as R or Python.
- Experience performing benchtop chemistry including preparation and clean-up of samples for chemical analysis.
- Strong written, oral and electronic communication skills.
- Familiarity with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
- R and/or Python programming for data processing and analysis.
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
- Discipline(s):
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