EPA Internship that Assesses the Benfits and Costs od Environemntal Policies and Climate Change

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 currently available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Policy (OP)/National Center for Environmental Economics (NCEE), located at EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Research Project: The social cost of greenhouse gases (SC-GHG) combines climate science and economics to put the effects of climate change into monetary terms to help EPA and the public understand the societal consequences of actions that would increase or decrease greenhouse gas emissions. There are still many important categories of climate impacts and associated damages that are not yet reflected in these estimates due to data and modeling limitations. The selectee will participate in research to improve our understanding of how the world-wide physical impacts of climate change manifest into economic measures in ways that can be incorporated into economic models used to estimate the SC-GHG.

The participant will be involved with NCEE economists on research projects that will improve methodologies to assess the benefits and costs of environmental policies that improve water and air quality. The projects will involve significant data analysis and coding. One component of the water quality project is an evaluation of affordability metrics for costs of drinking and wastewater that are passed on to customers through water bills. With guidance and direction from an NCEE economist, the participant will review the literature on proposed affordability metrics (including those for similar services, such as electricity), apply these metrics to existing data, and evaluate their performance. The participant will also contribute to the evaluation of the effect of changes in water bills on outcomes such as household and government finances. Finally, the participant will engage in a study of the effectiveness of compliance assurance (inspections and enforcement) in the context of water quality. This project will involve the use of large, administrative data sets.

Additionally, to improve its ability to evaluate the contributions of voluntary programs, NCEE has a project underway to pursue case studies that examine the potential role that voluntary programs have played in participant actions to improve environmental outcomes. One potential case study involves assessing, in the supermarket industry, refrigerant gas emissions that have high global-warming-potential and that may deplete the ozone.

Allocation of time across the different components of the project is flexible. The participant will also have the opportunity to participate in additional research projects that are mutually beneficial.

Learning Objectives: This research project will provide the participant the opportunity to gain skills to compile, link, manage, and analyze large environmental, economic, and administrative datasets to facilitate analysis of the costs, benefits, and other economic impacts of environmental policies. The participant will have the opportunity to gain experience applying strong quantitative and computer coding skills to analysis of environmental policies. The participant is also expected to gain skills in applying econometric techniques to analyze relationships between the economy and the environment utilizing Stata, R, and/or other statistical programming languages. This training opportunity will provide an early career economist or data analyst with knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to conduct policy-relevant evidence-based research through collaboration with PhD environmental economists.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Alex Marten (marten.alex@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Summer 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 up to three 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.

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.

Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor’s degree in one of the relevant fields or be currently pursuing the degree and will reach completion by September 1, 2023. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills:
Strong quantitative skills
Experience using data analytic software (e.g., STATA, Matlab, or R) for data management and analysis
Understanding of statistics and economics
Eligibility Requirements
Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
Degree: Bachelor’s Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 9/1/2023 11:59:00 PM.
Discipline(s):
Computer, Information, and Data Sciences
Engineering
Environmental and Marine Sciences
Life Health and Medical Sciences
Mathematics and Statistics
Other Non-S&E
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Veteran Status: Veterans Preference, degree received within the last 120 month(s).
Organization
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Reference Code
EPA-OP-NCEE-2023-03
How to Apply
Connect with ORISE…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
5/1/2023 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone