EPA Fellowship Development of Estrogen and Androgen In Vitro Assays to Endocrine

Organization

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

EPA-OCSPP-OPP-IO-2026-01

7/3/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Two research opportunities are currently available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), within the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program located in Durham, North Carolina.

The research project will adapt and validate the use of several high-throughput screening (HTS) assays to measure estrogen and/or androgen receptor function and cell proliferation endpoints. The goal of this research is to identify a combination of HTS assays that reliably predicts estrogen or androgen bio‑activity and then deploy this assay battery to test hundreds of chemicals identified by EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs.

Under the guidance of a mentor, the research participant will learn to develop/optimize methods, maintain human cell cultures, and generate/analyze high-throughput toxicity data.

• Hands‑on participation in experimental research and data interpretation
• Reading and interpreting relevant scientific literature
• Active participation in meetings of the project team
• Preparing reports, presentations, and summaries of the data
• Presenting at professional meetings
• Authoring manuscripts for publication in peer‑reviewed journals

• Maintain and expose human cell cultures to control, reference and test chemicals
• Utilize state‑of‑the‑art automated liquid handling systems
• Conduct several high‑throughput screening (HTS) assays for androgen receptor function and cell proliferation endpoints
• Analyze HTS data using nonlinear regression and synthesize results for publication and presentation

Scott Lynn (lynn.scott)

• Start Date: August 2026. All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors.
• Length: The appointment will initially be for one year and may be renewed three to four additional years upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.
• Participation Level: Full‑time.

The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $52,693 – $64,453 annually.

This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

Completion of a successful background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required for an applicant to be onboarded at EPA.

• Citizenship: U.S. citizen only
• Degree: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 6/18/2026 11:59 PM
• Disciplines:
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences
    • Analytical Chemistry
    • Bio‑inorganic Chemistry
    • Bio‑organic Chemistry
    • Biophysical Chemistry
    • Chemistry (General)
    • Environmental Chemistry
    • Inorganic Chemistry
    • Materials Sciences
    • Organic Chemistry
    • Physical Chemistry
    • Polymer Chemistry
    • Theoretical Chemistry
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences
    • Marine Biology
    • Environmental Biology
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences
    • Biology
    • Medicine
  • Mathematics and Statistics
    • Statistics
    • Applied Mathematics

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a bachelor’s or master’s degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years, or anticipated to be received by June 18, 2026.

• Lab course or work experience with general laboratory techniques associated with aseptic technique (cell culture)
• Experience with experimental planning and record keeping
• Experience with basic statistical methods and software (e.g., Graph Pad) or object-oriented programming (R, Python)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook)
• Strong written, oral, and electronic communication skills

Ashley