Research Opportunities for Recent Students and Postdocs
On this page
- Overview of Early Career Opportunities at EPA
- News and Current Opportunities
- List of Early Career Programs at EPA and How to Apply
- About Working at EPA
Overview of Early Career Opportunities at EPA
EPA is home to competitive and challenging opportunities for a range of degree levels, from post-bachelors to post-doctoral researchers at the forefront of public health, toxicology, homeland security, and sustainability. Its work provides the scientific foundation for EPA to execute its mandate to protect human health and the environment.
Early career opportunities at EPA provide individuals interested in public health and the environment to gain invaluable experience to jump start your career, expand professional networks and opportunities, apply real-world lessons from knowledge gained in school, and contribute to policy and science to improve our planet.
To stay current on opportunities available at EPA, sign up for the Early Career Research Fellowships and Training Opportunities at EPA listserv here. EPA will distribute announcements via the early career listserv when opportunities become available. You can also get more infromation by visiting any of the early career program web pages identified below.
News and Current Opportunities
-
View ORD's Halloween Poster Session 2023 in the RTP campus, where postdocs gave presentations of their research for their peers.
-
Associate Administrator and Agency Science Advisor Chris Frey held a conversation about mentorship and his own experiences as a postdoc at the 2023 EPA Early Career Training and Development Forum.
-
Two postdoctoral researchers at ORD-CESER.
-
Postdoctoral researcher Jean Van Buren presenting their work at the 2023 Drinking Water Workshop.
Early Career Programs at EPA and How to Apply
EPA proudly offers professional training opportunities to graduate students, post-docs, and senior researchers in all the areas and disciplines related to environmental and human health, which are, but not limited to, environmental science and engineering, public health, toxicology, homeland security, and sustainability. EPA announces some opportunities through federal recruitment mechanism while through partnering organizations. This section summaries each of the different programs, and provides links to applications.
- Federal Post-Doctoral Program
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowships
- Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)/EPA Environmental Health Fellowship Program
- National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council Resident Research Associateship Program
- National Science Foundation Internship Opportunities at EPA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellowships
- Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program
Federal Positions: EPA's Post-Doctoral Research Program
In 1998, ORD began to enhance its scientific workforce by attracting first rate postdoctoral scientists and engineers into its research program through this new hiring initiative. Hundreds of postdoctoral researchers have participated in the program to date. The program offers appointments of up to four years, state-of-the-art facilities, world-class scientific expertise, locations throughout the United States, travel to professional scientific meetings, and active postdoctoral trainee organizations. Participants receive full benefits and a salary commensurate with qualifications and locality pay adjustments.
Learn more about EPA's Post Doctoral Research Program and see current opportunities
Programs Offered through Partner Organizations
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowships
The goal of the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships is to foster scientifically informed, evidence-based policy by engaging scientists and engineers learning firsthand about policymaking and implementation at the federal level and to build science-driven leadership that benefits all people.
Potential fellows apply to the AAAS Fellowships Energy, Environment, Agriculture Program. Fellows work in offices throughout the EPA on projects of mutual interest to the fellows and the hosting offices.
Applications are open from June 1 through November 1 of each year.
Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)/EPA Environmental Health Fellowship Program
The ASPPH Environmental Health Fellowship Program provides training and opportunities at EPA to early career public health professionals on current and emerging environmental public health needs. The program is open to professionals who have graduated within the past five years from a U.S. school of public health that is an ASPPH member. These placements will be for one year, with a possible one-year extension.
Applications are open from early December through the end of January each year.
Learn more about ASPPH Environmental Health Fellowship Program and apply at their website.
National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council Resident Research Associateship Program
This government-wide program enables post-doctoral and mid-career technical professionals to train as visiting scientists at federal laboratories, including EPA, for periods of up to three years. Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent.
You can apply to any opening on the list of available opportunities with NRC Research Associate Programs.
Learn more about NAS's Research Associate Programs at their website.
National Science Foundation Internship Opportunities at EPA
Current graduate students supported by National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded projects or Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) can join EPA Researchers as a fellow at an EPA facility. The NSF supports these fellowships for up to six months through supplemental funding provided directly to the academic institution of the graduate students and fellows.
The EPA strongly encourages eligible graduate students to: review the list of NSF/EPA Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Opportunities open for hosting fellows; communicate with the EPA researcher listed on the project; and work with their academic mentors to prepare and submit an INTERN supplemental funding application to the NSF. These projects are solely awarded and funded by NSF. There are no financial transactions between EPA and NSF, academic Institutions, or fellows.
You can find a list of openings and instructions on how to apply on EPA's Research Fellowships for Graduate Students page.
Learn more about NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) at their website.
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellowships
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) administer internships and research project training opportunities funded by EPA offices and laboratories and by other government and private sector organizations. These opportunities are available year-round to science and engineering undergrads, grad students, recent grads and post-docs.
You can find a list of openings and instructions on how to apply on EPA's Research Fellowships for Graduate Students page.
Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program
The PMF Program is a flagship leadership development program for outstanding advanced degree candidates or grad school graduates who want a career in public service or elsewhere. Eligible candidates apply and participate in a rigorous assessment process. Those ultimately selected as finalists seek appointments as PMFs (Fellows). In addition to salary and benefits, your two-year appointment as a PMF will provide a fast-paced opportunity to gain experience and develop your talents. PMFs perform valuable service to the American people while jump-starting their careers, and get challenging assignments, formal professional training, rotations to other agencies, feedback on their work plus an opportunity to make government run more efficiently.
As a PMF, you are hired as a federal employee, with the additional responsibilities of a Presidential Management Fellow for the first two years of employment. Some fellows may switch offices, but at the conclusion of your fellowship, assuming your manager has a vacancy available, you are typically converted to the same position within the office you first joined as a PMF. This "noncompetitive conversion" means that your manager can simply fill out some paperwork and change your status to a career or career-conditional appointment, without having to advertise the position in USAJobs.
Learn more about the Presidential Management Fellows Program at their website.
About Working at EPA
-
Where are EPA Postdocs now?
Read about their research and experiences in testimonials from past and present postdocs.
-
What to consider when applying
EPA hosts early career researchers on eleven campuses, across eight states and Washington DC. Learn more about where your research will take you.
-
What Kind of People Work at EPA?
Learn about the career paths available, from attorneys to toxicologists.