EPA Toxicokinetic Database Engineering Internship

*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 opportunity is available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Chemical Characterization & Exposure Division (CCED) located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

The EPA CCTE is responsible for developing new computational tools and providing quantitative analysis for improving public health and environmental risk assessments and regulatory decisions pertaining to chemical safety.

Research Project: This research project focuses on developing a database of in vivo and in vitro toxicokinetic and data. Toxicokinetics describes the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of chemicals by the body. Toxicokinetic information is needed to understand the risks posed by chemicals in the environment to the public health.

Research activities may include: creating a database, curating additional data to populate the database, and using the data to evaluate models including high throughput toxicokinetic (HTTK) models. HTTK models are used by the EPA to extrapolate from in vitro bioactivity data to predict in vivo effects without requiring new animal experiments.

Learning Objectives: This is a research training opportunity and the research participant will develop skills in database management, computer programming, informatics, toxicokinetics, and statistical analysis. The research participant will receive training that will lead to authorship and co-authorship on peer-reviewed publications. The research participant may present their research at national meetings of professional societies and EPA seminars. The research participant will be involved in highly visible chemical safety efforts as part of the computational toxicology research projects and will be engaged with researchers world-wide.

The research participant will be a part of a multidisciplinary research team including scientists at EPA and multiple external partners. Collaborating researchers include Dr.s Katie Paul-Friedman, Chris Grulke, and Richard Judson.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is John Wambaugh (wambaugh.john@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Summer/Fall 2020. 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 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. 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.

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 (EPA-ORD-CCTE-CCED-2020-02).