EPA Air Pollution Epidemiology Assessment Fellowship

EPA Office/Lab and Location

The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. EPA works to ensure that: Americans have clean air, land and water; National efforts to reduce environmental risks are based on the best available scientific information; Federal laws protecting human health and the environment are administered and enforced fairly, effectively and as Congress intended; Environmental stewardship is integral to U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy; All parts of society have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks; Contaminated lands and toxic sites are cleaned up; and chemicals in the marketplace are reviewed for safety.

Research Project

The selected participant will report to IHAB. This opportunity is suited for an epidemiologist or someone who is seeking an opportunity to contribute to high-impact policy-relevant scientific assessments and research in support of the EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment.

Learning Objectives

• Under the guidance of the mentor, the selected participant will have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of projects that can include qualitative or quantitative analyses of epidemiologic study findings and data.
• The selected participant will learn approaches for the evaluation, analysis, and synthesis of epidemiologic evidence on the health effects of environmental pollutant exposures that inform EPA scientific assessments.
• The participant will also gain an understanding of how scientific evidence is used to develop and inform EPA program priorities, rule-making, and decision-making processes.

Mentor(s)

The mentor for this opportunity is Adrien Wilkie (wilkie.adrien@epa.gov).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

August 3, 2026. All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors.

Appointment Length

The appointment will initially be for one year and may be renewed three to 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. The anticipated stipend range is $64,453 - $77,983 annually.

Citizenship Requirements

This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

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).

Questions

If you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.EPA.Other@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master's or doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields.

Preferred skills

• Relevant coursework, experience, and a strong interest in epidemiology, preferably in ambient air pollution epidemiology and environmental health
• Evaluation and synthesis of information from published literature
• Quantitative data analysis (preferably using R, SAS, STATA, Excel) and experience with analyzing environmental or health datasets
• Superior writing skills and effective communication of scientific information for technical and non-technical audiences
• Enjoys researching independently and has a strong interest in learning from and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams (e.g., atmospheric, health, toxicology, ecology, economic sciences)