Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: May 1, 2025 (Next deadline)
Funding Amounts: $65,000 base stipend per year; additional supplements for medical screening and senior researchers; typical duration 2-3 years.
Summary: Fellowship for PhD-level researchers to improve Life Cycle Assessment models of drought resilience by enhancing water data resolution, integrating global datasets, and assessing groundwater impacts within an LCA framework.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents; postdoctoral and senior researchers eligible; research conducted at EPA's Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response in Cincinnati, OH.
Description
This fellowship opportunity, offered through the NRC Research Associateship Programs in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), supports research aimed at improving Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies for drought resilience. The research focuses on refining the characterization of water use within LCA frameworks to avoid shifting environmental impacts across time, space, or media.
Key research components include:
- Enhancing data resolution for surface and groundwater availability in U.S.-based LCA models.
- Utilizing globally available data to predict surface and groundwater distributions, validated against U.S. heterogeneous datasets.
- Incorporating non-renewable ("fossil") groundwater into water availability and scarcity models.
- Comparing novel water stress assessment approaches with existing methods through case studies, contributing to global consensus on water impact modeling in Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA).
The research scope may expand to related interdisciplinary topics such as:
- Investigating local impacts of nutrient releases affecting water quality via eutrophication or acidification under climate scenarios.
- Developing and testing spatially explicit ecosystem service models that account for changes in water quantity and quality within an LCA context.
Candidates are expected to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment, demonstrating creativity and the ability to quickly learn and apply new skills. The Sustainable Technology Division at EPA employs experts from ecology, economics, engineering, environmental science, geography, and physical sciences to address sustainability challenges at multiple scales.
Due Dates
- Next application deadline: May 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- Review finalized: Early June 2025
- Subsequent deadlines occur quarterly (August 1, November 1, February 1, etc.)
Funding Amount
- Base stipend: $65,000 per year
- Medical screening supplement: $1,365
- Senior researcher supplement: $10,000
- Travel allowance: Varies by agency (none specified for this opportunity)
- Relocation assistance available for awardees moving more than 50 miles to the host lab
- Health insurance available for awardees and qualifying dependents in the U.S.
Eligibility
- Citizenship: U.S. citizens and permanent residents only
- Education: PhD (or equivalent) in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, or related discipline required before tenure begins
- Career stage: Open to postdoctoral researchers (within 5 years of doctorate) and senior researchers (5+ years post-PhD or permanent appointment with significant research experience)
- Prior affiliation: Applicants with current or recent prior employment or postdoctoral fellowship at EPA may be ineligible; collaboration experience is generally acceptable unless continuing the same project or adviser
- Security clearance: May be required depending on agency policies
Application Process
- Identify the opportunity number: 22.09.04.B8391
- Contact the Research Adviser (Cissy Ma, ma.cissy@epa.gov) prior to applying to discuss research plans and funding availability
- Prepare application materials including:
- Profile information (contact, education, transcripts for postdocs)
- Research proposal (max 10 pages) detailing problem statement, background, methodology, expected results, and significance
- Letters of recommendation (minimum 3, including dissertation adviser for postdocs) uploaded by letter writers via the online system
- Submit application via the NRC RAP online portal before the deadline
- Applications are reviewed by expert panels; scoring above 70/100 is typically required for award recommendation
- Applicants receive reviewer feedback approximately one week after review finalization
Additional Information
- Research location: EPA Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Water Infrastructure Division, Cincinnati, OH
- The fellowship encourages interdisciplinary and creative approaches to sustainability and water resource challenges
- Awardees must be prepared to work in a team-oriented environment and demonstrate adaptability
- All application materials become property of the National Academies and are not returned
- Health insurance and relocation benefits are provided as part of the award package
External Links
Contact Information
| Contact Person | Email | Phone | Affiliation |
|---|
| Cissy Ma | ma.cissy@epa.gov | 513-569-7828 | EPA, Water Infrastructure Division |
| NRC RAP Office | rap@nas.edu | 202-334-2760 | National Academies Fellowships Office |