EPA Postdoctoral Fellowship on Using Novel Big Data Resources to Understand Toxic Emissions in Urban Settings

*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 Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Public Health & Integrated Toxicology Division (PHITD) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. 

Research Project: This research project seeks to use informatics approaches to evaluate the health effects associated with toxic emissions in urban settings. This research project will center around the use of electronic health records and omics data to understand environmental health risks tied to air pollution, PFAS, and underground storage tanks. While this research project will focus on epidemiologic approaches to understand clinical and molecular health effects there will also be opportunities for gaining expertise in exposure science and both targeted and non-targeted measurement of metabolomics.

Under the guidance of a mentor, research activities may include:

• Performing epidemiologic and computational analyses within the R programming language
• Designing and executing an epidemiological study using electronic health records
• Performing spatial analyses within R
• Learning how to efficiently manage large datasets
• Analyzing health effects associated with environmental exposures ranging from air pollution to underground storage tanks

Learning Objectives: The participant will learn to use novel big data sources and data science approaches to better understand environmental health effects, particularly for vulnerable and understudied communities. 

Mentor(s): The mentor for this project is Cavin Ward-Caviness (ward-caviness.cavin@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Fall 2024/Winter 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: 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.

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.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral or master’s degree in one of the relevant fields,or be currently pursuing the degree with completion before the appointment start date. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.  

Preferred skills/experience:

• Knowledge of epidemiology and statistics
• Experience in analyzing environmental risks associated with health outcomes using data from cohort studies
• Experience with data extraction and data manipulation, preferably using SQL
• Experience in exposure assessment
• Knowledge of GIS

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.