US EPA Post-Doc: Coastal Climate Change

EPA Office/Lab and Location: A Post-Doctoral 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) in Newport, Oregon.

Research Project: 

The post-doctoral fellow will collaborate with a team of EPA and external researchers conducting One-Environment/One-Health research (https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26602/transforming-epa-science-to-meet-todays-and-tomorrows-challenges) on coastal climate change, focusing on both environmental and human health endpoints, complementary to current Branch and Division research portfolio. 

The Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch (PCEB) is a leader in advancing the scientific knowledge needed to assess the effects of natural and anthropogenic stressors (e.g., pollution, climate change) on the status and condition of coastal and estuarine ecosystems (e.g., impacts of eutrophication and ocean acidification), and how environmental condition connects to human health and human well-being. The specific project(s) will be determined with EPA researchers, but they may include one or more of the following: 

• Research on effects of climate change (including sea-level rise, marine heat waves, changes in carbonate chemistry, and climate damage functions) on estuarine ecosystems (such as seagrass and blue carbon), using observational and experimental studies in the field and/or laboratory (including mesocosm facilities)
• Research on use of eDNA to understand coastal climate impacts (leveraging PCEB expertise in carbonate chemistry ocean acidification, eutrophication)
• Developing approaches to integrate and analyze multiple data streams for integrative analyses to assess ecosystem health and the effects of climate change from local sources of variability

The focus will primarily be on Pacific coastal communities (potentially including working on Alaska, Hawai'i, US territories, indigenous communities), but using approaches designed to be transferable to other locations. PCEB researchers also work at national scales (e.g., participating in the National Coastal Condition Assessment).

Appointment Length: 3 Years

Qualifications: The qualified candidate should have received a PhD in Biology, Ecology, Physical Science, or related disciplines.

Specialized Training and/or Experience:

• Using existing data sources, building dimensionality on existing climate research efforts at PESD and Newport
• Utilizing software programs for data organization and analysis (e.g., R, Matlab, Python, etc.)
• Outreach and collaboration with researchers on the Pacific Coast
• Presentation of research results at scientific conferences and research symposiums
• Peer-reviewed manuscript preparation, writing, editing, and publication

Application Process: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ordpd/PostDoc_Lab.cfm?Lab=CPHEA

Application POC: Elizabeth Martinez at (919)541-5659 or via email to ordpostdocapps@epa.gov

Project Posting: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ordpd/PostDoc_Position.cfm?pos_id=1576 

For additional information on scientific project (NOT applications, benefits, salaries, start dates, etc.) :  Matthew Harwell, harwell.matthew@epa.gov, 850-463-8365