EPA Fellowship on Analysis of Continuous Shallow Water Monitoring Data in the Chesapeake Bay

*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 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) located in Annapolis, MD, College Park, MD, or Philadelphia, PA.

Research Project: Shallow waters lie at the interface between nearshore and offshore hydrologic systems. Although the biogeochemical and ecological importance of shallow water environments are widely recognized, analysis of continuous shallow water monitoring data presents spatial and temporal challenges. There is critical need to assess progress for attainment of water-quality standards and bay health in response to management actions. However, there is a data gap related to assess short-duration water quality criteria in all shallow waters. Due to this assessment gap along with the known importance of these areas for living resource nursery and spawning habitat, there is a need to develop robust analysis methods for continuous shallow water monitoring data from sensitive estuarine waters.

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

• Developing methods and statistical approaches to quantify short term variability in continuous water quality data.
• Better understand spatial/temporal autocorrelation in water quality data where station locations vary based on management decisions and funding resources.
• Generating statistical simulations of dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, and possibly chlorophyll a, that incorporate observed spatial and temporal correlation.
• Interacting with federal scientists and faculty collaborators and perform local travel in the Baltimore/Washington DC/Philadelphia area.

Learning Objectives: This research project will lead to the implementation of appropriate statistical techniques to analyze continuous shallow monitoring to better explain current water quality responses to management actions and climate influence, and inform future shallow water monitoring, research, and modeling efforts in the Chesapeake Bay. Developing robust analysis methods for multiple decades of continuous monitoring data from Chesapeake Bay shallow water habitat could lead to development of methods that could be applicable in other systems. 

Mentor(s): The mentors for this project are Paul Mayer (mayer.paul@epa.gov) and Kaylyn Gootman (gootman.kaylyn@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentors.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: January 1, 2024.  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 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. 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.

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, master's, or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.

Preferred skills/experience:

• Experience with general lab procedures in chemistry and geology.
• Experience with field sampling for water and water chemistry in rivers, streams, and lakes.
• Ability to manage and analyze data.
• Ability to summarize, synthesize, and report on research results would enhance the research experience.