EPA Fellowship on Developing a Physiological Seagrass Nutrient Indicator for West Coast Estuaries

Organization U.
S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Reference Code EPA-ORD-CPHEA-PESD-2023-12 How to Apply Connect with ORISE.
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on the GO! Download the new ORISE GO mobile app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to help you stay engaged, connected, and informed during your ORISE experience and beyond! A complete application consists of: An application Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted.
All transcripts must be in English or include an official English translation.
A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list Two educational or professional recommendations.
All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.
Application Deadline 1/19/2024 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone Description *Applications may be reviewed on a rolling-basis and this posting could close before the deadline.
EPA Office/Lab and Location: A research training opportunity is available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Pacific Ecological Systems Division (PESD) in Newport, Oregon.
Research Project: The research participant will have the opportunity to collaborate with a team of EPA and external researchers on the following activities: 1) conducting seagrass- nutrient-temperature stressors research and 2) developing a seagrass indicator for excessive nutrients in estuaries.
Under the guidance of a mentor, the research participant will conduct research to characterize seagrass plant response to nutrient concentrations using a variety of mesocosms, water quality instrumentation and physiological and morphological measurements to assist in the development of a robust indicator.
Under the guidance of the mentor, research activities may include: Outreach and collaboration with EPA, Oregon State University, and other seagrass researchers.
Conducting applied experiments to evaluate seagrass response to individual stressors to develop a seagrass indicator.
Operation, maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting of sensors designed to characterize water quality.
Operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of a mesocosm facility designed to address hypothesis driven goals and objectives.
Operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of a Shimadzu TOC analyzer as applied to the development of a new method for quantification of seagrass carbohydrate content.
Organization of relevant seagrass and water quality datasets on plant response to nutrients and other stressors.
Analysis of water quality and seagrass datasets to characterize plant response to nutrient stressors.
Analysis of water quality samples for additional parameters such as total alkalinity and pH.
Utilizing software programs for data organization and analysis (e.
g.
R, Matlab, Python, and similar).
Presentation of research results at scientific conferences and research symposiums.
Peer-reviewed manuscript preparation, writing, editing, and publication.
Learning Objectives: The research participant will have the opportunity to gain knowledge by collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of EPA and external researchers.
The research participant will gain experience operating in a collaborative science project, conducting experiments, gathering and synthesizing novel datasets, preparing presentations and scientific papers, climate change research, and scientific communication with stakeholders.
The research participant is encouraged to collaborate on writing of manuscripts for project presentations and peer-reviewed publications.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this project is James Kaldy (kaldy.
jim@epa.
gov).
If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: December 1, 2023.
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 upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.
Level of Participation: The appointment is part-time, 20 hours per week.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
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 or be currently pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in one of the relevant fields.
Degree must have been received within two years of the appointment start date.
Preferred skills/experience: Prior experience with research on seagrass, eutrophication or ocean acidification and hypoxia, is preferred but not required.
Experience with organization of large datasets, data quality assurance procedures, water quality instrumentation, data analysis, technical/statistical software packages, and their application to environmental science research is preferred but not required.
Eligibility Requirements Citizenship: U.
S.
Citizen Only Degree: Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
Discipline(s): Chemistry and Materials Sciences Computer, Information, and Data Sciences Earth and Geosciences Engineering Environmental and Marine Sciences Life Health and Medical Sciences