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EPA Water Infrastructure Fellowship

*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's (EPA) Office of Water (OW), Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW) Drinking Water Protection Division (DWPD), Infrastructure Branch (IB) located in Washington, DC.

The Infrastructure Branch is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the over $40 billion Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program. To successfully implement the program, the Branch coordinates with EPA regional and state partners; develops guidance documents for key aspects of the program, such project eligibility, financial management, and American Iron and Steel compliance; conducts of the Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey; and reviews state and EPA Regional program performance. More information is available at https://www.epa.gov/dwsrf.

Research Project: The DWSRF is a financial assistance program to help water systems and states to achieve the health protection objectives of the Safe Drinking Water Act. This includes overseeing the implementation of the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019 (ASADRA) that provides additional funding to states and territories for drinking water and wastewater facilities impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Michael, Typhoon Yutu, and calendar year 2018 wildfires and earthquakes. The objective of this project is to conduct research to better understand the drinking water and wastewater resiliency projects implemented with ASADRA funding and develop informational products to share these research results with states, EPA regions, utilities, communities, and other key stakeholders.

Learning Objectives: With guidance from the mentor, the participant will have the opportunity to:

  • Conduct research on the drinking water and wastewater projects funded under ASADRA and develop case studies demonstrating facilities' resiliency best practices
  • Develop informational products that assist EPA Regions, states, and other stakeholders in understanding the how facilities implement projects to improve their resiliency to natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires)
  • Conduct research to gain an understanding of how national policy is implemented at the state and community level and develop lessons learned
  • Collaborate with engineering and scientific staff across EPA, impacted states and territories, and drinking water and wastewater systems receiving ASADRA funding
  • Gather data to evaluate how quickly the disaster relief funding can be utilized by communities to implement resiliency projects
  • Participate in on-site engineering reviews for resiliency projects funded under ASADRA

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Jorge Medrano (medrano.jorge@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 2020 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 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. At this time, bachelor's degree stipends are ~$48,670 per year, master's degree stipends are ~$59,534 per year, and doctoral degree stipends are ~$72,030 per year. 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.

Questions: Please see the FAQ section of our website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email EPArpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.