EPA Air Pollution Epidemiology Assessment Fellowship

Mission and Organization

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) – Integrated Health Assessment Branch (IHAB) within the Impacts and Ambient Standards Division (IASD), located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment by ensuring that national efforts to reduce environmental risks are based on the best available scientific information and that federal laws are fairly and effectively enforced.

Selected participant will report to IHAB and engage in epidemiology and research supporting EPA’s mission. The role includes opportunities to apply systematic review methods, prepare Integrated Science Assessments (ISAs), develop assessment methodologies, and conduct independent epidemiologic research projects, potentially resulting in peer‑reviewed publications or conference presentations.

• Apply systematic review methods to air pollution epidemiologic data, including development of literature search and screening strategies, study evaluation, and synthesis of health‑effects evidence across disciplines to inform scientific assessments and policy.
• Participate in ISA preparation as a section coauthor, reviewing and analyzing epidemiologic data to conduct qualitative and quantitative assessments of health effects associated with exposure to criteria air pollutants such as ozone or particulate matter.
• Devise scientific approaches for IHAB’s assessment process and collaborate with EPA scientists to improve assessment methodologies.
• Identify and research cross‑cutting scientific challenges that arise in EPA assessments, rule‑makings, and policy development.
• Evaluate study quality for epidemiologic studies and identify studies and effects for use in human health assessment.
• Summarize and extract epidemiologic study information, evaluating concentration‑ or exposure‑response relationships.
• Conduct independent epidemiological research projects under guidance from the EPA mentor, with opportunity to author peer‑reviewed publications or develop conference presentations.
• Synthesize technical and policy information for presentation to EPA managers and stakeholder groups.

Under the guidance of the mentor, the participant will learn approaches for the evaluation, analysis, and synthesis of epidemiologic evidence on the health effects of environmental pollutant exposures that inform EPA scientific assessments and will gain an understanding of how scientific evidence is used to develop program priorities, rule‑making, and decision‑making processes.

Adrien Wilkie, wilkie.adrien

Start date:

August 3, 2026 (flexible).

Length:
One year initially, renewable for up to four additional years upon EPA recommendation and availability of funding.

Level: Full time.

Stipend: $64,453 – $77,983 per year.

Citizenship: U.S. Citizen only.

Security Clearance:
Successful background investigation required.

Candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master’s or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.

• Relevant coursework, experience, and strong interest in epidemiology, preferably ambient air pollution epidemiology and environmental health.
• Evaluation and synthesis of information from published literature.
• Quantitative data analysis (preferably using R, SAS, STATA, Excel) and experience with environmental or health datasets.
• Superior writing skills and effective communication of scientific information for technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Independent research and strong interest in learning from and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen only.
• Degree:
  Master’s or Doctoral.
• Minimum Overall GPA: 3.00.
• Disciplines:
  Computer, Information, and Data Sciences;
  Environmental and Marine Sciences;
  Life Health and Medical Sciences;
  Mathematics and Statistics;
  Social and Behavioral Sciences.
• Age:
  Must be 18 years or older.