EPA Health Risk Data Analysis and Presentation Internship

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 Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Health & Environmental Effects Assessment Division, Integrated Environmental Assessment Branch (IEAB) in collaboration with EPA Region 10 and ORD’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER).

The appointment will be served in either Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, OH, Seattle, WA, or Anchorage, AK.

Research Project: CPHEA is responsible for environmental assessments that inform regulatory offices of the EPA, regions, states, and authorized tribes. CPHEA is collaborating with EPA Region 10 and ORD’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER) to assess health risks from soil, sediment, and water contamination related to disposal sites near Alaskan federally recognized Tribes. Solid waste practices employed by rural Alaskan tribal governments may be contributing to human and environmental health impacts, which may be exacerbated with the loss of permafrost and increased erosion. In some communities, human waste, household hazardous waste, and electronic waste are co-mingled with typical solid waste in Class III landfills (also commonly referred to as open dumps). The co-mingling of wastes may be causing the transport of contaminants into land and water resources.

Throughout the course of this project, the research participant will engage in scoping and problem formulation, stakeholder engagement processes, conceptual model development, literature reviews, evidence table development, and research gap analysis using a variety approaches (e.g., methods from human and ecological risk assessment, causal assessment, systematic review, human-centered design (HCD), translational science research, and social science) to assess important environmental and exposure pathways relevant to Alaskan Tribes. Projects will be conducted in collaboration with EPA Region 10, Alaskan Tribes and other stakeholders.

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

• Developing scoping and problem formulation documents
• Conducting stakeholder engagement processes
• Developing conceptual models
• Conducting literature, data, and other information searches and screening, including applying systematic review approaches and methods
• Developing evidence tables using weight of evidence approaches
• Applying HCD and other social science principles to design stakeholder engagements, gather feedback, and conduct prioritization exercises
• Preparing presentations, peer-reviewed manuscripts, and reports

The research participant will also assist with outreach and reviewing draft educational materials.

Learning Objectives: The research participant will benefit by learning and implementing risk or causal assessment methods, weight of evidence approaches, HCD and social science approaches to inform Alaskan Tribes on contaminant movement and potential human exposures to landfill contaminants. The research participant also will have the opportunity to be involved in qualitative or quantitative analyses of data and the visualization and presentation of highly relevant information. The participant will gain an understanding of how scientific evidence is used to inform decision-making processes. The research participant will also collaborate with scientific staff in CPHEA, CESER, Region 10, Alaskan Tribes, and other stakeholders.

Through this research project, the participant will gain experience conducting virtual and in-person workshops, conducting literature reviews and screening, developing conceptual models, incorporating stakeholder feedback, and developing technical summaries of scientific priorities. The participant will further develop strong scientific writing skills evidenced by publications in peer-reviewed journals, as well as strong communication skills such as giving oral presentations at scientific conferences. The participant will develop knowledge of the EPA’s mission and awareness of the breadth of EPA’s programs.