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Atmospheric chemistry and air quality evaluations to support human health and environmental science assessments
| Project number: | CPHEA-09-09-2020-02 |
| Lab/Center/Office: | CENTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT |
| Division: | HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ASSESSMENT DIVISION |
| Branch: | INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BRANCH ({{RTP}}) |
| Brief description of research project: | CPHEA is responsible for scientific assessment activities related to the health and welfare (i.e., ecological and environmental) effects of chemical pollutants. The findings of these assessments are used in the development of EPA policy and in regulatory decisions, and inform national and international environmental policy and implementation beyond the EPA. Examples of these assessments include the Integrated Science Assessments (see https://www.epa.gov/isa) to support the National Ambient Air Quality Standards and an array of other health and ecological assessment products produced by or with support from CPHEA (see https://www.epa.gov/risk). These assessments of the impacts on human health and welfare of atmospheric air pollutants typically include evaluations of the state of the atmospheric sciences concerning the pollutant or class of pollutants (i.e. nitrogen oxides, sulfoxides), along with a description of important sources and patterns in the ambient concentrations of the pollutant(s). The atmospheric sciences topics addressed include current understanding regarding the photochemical production and loss reactions of the pollutant(s) that significantly affect atmospheric concentrations, the meteorological processes that influence pollutant formation and transport, as well as the measurement and modeling of ambient pollutant concentrations. Activities to be undertaken by the participant will particularly concern the identification of critically important atmospheric sciences studies, the evaluation and analyses (quantitative or qualitative) of study findings or data, and projects to help improve rigor and efficiency in the development of air quality science assessments. The participant will have opportunities to collaborate in these analyses with the diverse scientific staff in CPHEA and, potentially, scientists from other EPA Labs, Centers, or Offices. Daily activities may involve evaluation of study quality, identification of informative studies and scientific topics for use in assessment products, summarizing and extracting study information, synthesizing results across multiple studies, and evaluation and analysis of air quality data, conditions, or models. Example work products may include: • Qualitative and quantitative analyses of study results, atmospheric measurements, and pollutant emissions data to support health and environmental assessments of environmental chemicals or stressors. • Technically rigorous and concise syntheses of pertinent issues in the atmospheric sciences for inclusion in CPHEA assessment documents based on current best practices in scientific assessment and methodologies. • Assessment products and articles that address cross-cutting scientific issues that arise in EPA science assessments. The underlying evaluations for these products may include modeling and data visualization or the development and/or application of tools or methodologies to improve assessments. • New science-based methodologies that improve CPHEA’s science assessment processes. |
| Geographical location of position: | Research Triangle Park, NC |
| High priority research areas: | Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA), Air and Energy (A&E), Safe and Sustainable Water Resources (SSWR), Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC) |
| Scientific project area: | Emissions characterization, atmospheric chemistry, environmental engineering, geographic information systems, atmospheric modeling, fate and transport, advancing and transforming assessment methods |
| Educational requirements: | PhD or equivalent in Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or a related scientific discipline |
| Specialized training and/or experience preferred: | Preferred candidate will have training or experience relevant to the characterization of environmental pollutants; training or experience in integration and synthesis of scientific information |
| Projected duration of appointment: | 3 years |
| Paid relocation to EPA work location: | Yes |
| Application Period Open Date: | Sep 09, 2020 |
| Application Period Close Date: | Oct 09, 2020 |
| Scientific contact/Principal Investigator(s)*: | Chris Weaver, weaver.chris@epa.gov, 919-541-1396 |
*This person/persons may be contacted for additional scientific information about this project. This person is not authorized to accept applications, make job offers, set salaries, establish start dates or discuss benefits. See general announcement for details on how to apply.