EPA Fellowship in Water Quality Standards Tribal Programs

*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 currently available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water (OW), Office of Science & Technology (OST), Standards & Health Protection Division (SHPD) in Washington, D.C. SHPD directs the national water programs for water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA).

The selected participant will be trained in the Division's Regional Branch (RB), one of the two branches in the Division that work on water quality standards. RB assists EPA Regional Offices in reviewing state and tribal water quality standard submission, promulgates federal water quality standards for states when necessary, conducts technical and economic analyses in support of achieving water quality standards, and coordinates with the National Branch (NB) in developing policies and procedures. 

Research Project: The goal of this research project is to support the development and review of state and tribal water quality standards, with a special emphasis on supporting tribal water quality standards and the application of federal rules for tribal waters and waters where tribal members have reserved treaty rights. The project supports adopting and implementing standards on tribal waters. The research participant will be involved with OST and regional offices in researching and reviewing tribal water quality needs with respect to aquatic life protection, human health protection, and cultural and traditional practices based on scientific studies, indigenous knowledge, community preferences, treaties, and reserved rights. The research participant will also be involved in translating these water quality needs to Clean Water Act programs that rely on water quality standards, such as point source discharge permitting.

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will explore the role of water quality standards in achieving the goals of the CWA and provisions of tribal treaties. The participant will analyze and learn how to evaluate tribal community water quality needs and how they relate to water quality standards development and applications. In addition, the participant will develop skills related to applying relevant EPA regulations and guidance documents.

This opportunity will provide excellent exposure to: (1) a broad range of water pollution control technical and policy issues; (2) the process of applying technical data and information to policy development; (3) interpretation of statutory and regulatory language and its application to state and tribal water quality standards proposals and submissions; and (4) synthesizing technical and policy information for presentation to EPA managers and staff and appropriate stakeholder groups.

Mentor(s)/Coordinator: The mentor for this opportunity is Jim Keating (Keating.Jim@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s) or program coordinator.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Spring/Summer 2024.  All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.

Appointment Length: The appointment may 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. Remote fellowships are not available at this time. Participants are required to be local to EPA HQ upon onboarding and report in-person at least one day a week.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The current stipends for this opportunity are Master’s ~$64,957; PhD ~$78,592. Funding may be made available to reimburse the participant’s travel expenses to travel to workshops, trainings, or conferences related to their participation with the EPA. 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.OW@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

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

Preferred skills/experience:

• Familiarity and/or experience with the Clean Water Act and water resources science and management.
• Interest in protecting resources important to tribal communities throughout the U.S.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.