Experimental Research Laboratory Support
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The EPA National Student Services Contract has an immediate opening for a full-time contractor position; Experimental Research Laboratory Scientist with the Office of Research and Development at the EPA facility in Research Triangle Park, NC.
Salary: $30.16 per hour.
Travel: Travel may be required for this position.
Required Skills:
- Demonstrated education and hands on experience with laboratory chemistry and physics experiments, data collection, analyses, preliminary interpretation of the experimental results. Laboratory experience shall include analyses of chemicals, and biological simulants; and
- Strong written, oral, and electronic communication skills.
Desired Skills:
- Experience with chromatographic analytical methods, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectral analysis, and scanning electron microscopy and
- Experience with air flow measurements, particulate filtration, particulates, and characterization.
Qualifications
- Be at least 18 years of age and
- Have earned at least a Master’s degree in the fields of chemical engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, physics, environmental science, or a related field from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months and
- Be a citizen of the United States of America or a Legal Permanent Resident.
EPA ORD employees, their spouses, and children are not eligible to participate in this program.
What the EPA project is about
The Center for Environmental Solutions & Emergency Response (CESER) plans, coordinates and conducts applied, customer-driven, national research and development program to improve decision making by EPA, federal, state, tribal and local agencies, when faced with challenging environmental problems in the built environment. The Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP), within CESER develops and provides applied scientific and engineering solutions, technologies, and cutting-edge innovations to protect and remediate our air, land, and water resources, and critical infrastructure challenged by systemic and acute environmental contamination. The Wide Areas and Installations Decontamination Branch (WAIDB), within HSRP, focuses on assisting CESER customers across the nation with effective and innovative approaches to decontaminate wide areas contaminated chemical and biological (CB) agents. The WAIDB develops, evaluates, and applies research and demonstration methods at various scales spanning laboratory to pilot to full field scale to provide the most useful and efficient scientific solutions in support of EPA’s mission and the Office of Research & Development (ORD) mission and strategic vision.
To understand the science behind decontamination and deactivation of airborne CB agents, the WAIDB will conduct an experimental project to demonstrate efficacy of a small Mobile Hot-Zone Decon (MHD) system. The project goal is to conceptually demonstrate the deactivation of select airborne CB agent simulants at the EPA-RTP’s High-Bay facilities. The primary goal will be achieved by building a small MHD system awith particulate filters, metal oxide catalysts, and a perlite sorption bed in the treatment train; and evaluate the system with benign simulants of SARS-CoV-2 (e.g., MS2), and a chemical warfare agent (Mustard) simulant, such as 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (2-CEES).
This is an excellent opportunity for a recent Master’s graduate to collaborate with EPA’s research team. Research experience includes:
- Participating as a member of a multi-disciplinary research team;
- Performing research;
- Contributing to research reports; and
- Networking and exploring many career paths at EPA.
Interested in this research opportunity? If so, follow the link below to apply. Questions? Email Elyse.Morrow@ORAU.org