Careers and Internships
Fellowships and Scholarships
Other Student Opportunities
- Fellowships
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowships
- Association of Schools of Public Health/EPA Fellowship Program
- EPA Office of Research and Development Post-Doctoral Research Program
- Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Undergraduate Fellowships
- National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council Resident Research Associateship Program
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellowships
- Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program
- Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships for Graduate Environmental Study
- Scholarships
Fellowships
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowships
The AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships program is designed to provide an opportunity for scientists, mathematicians and engineers with doctoral level degree (PhD, ScD, MD, DVM, etc.) to
- Environmental management and administration;
- Environmental science; and
- Public relations and communications.
Potential fellows apply to the AAAS Fellowships Energy, Environment, Agriculture Program. Fellows work in offices throughout the EPA on projects of mutual interest to the fellows and the hosting offices. Applications are accepted by AAAS in the fall of each year.
- Learn more about AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships
- Read about the eligibility and criteria for becoming a fellow
- Read testimonials by fellows in the AAAS Energy, Environment, Agriculture Program
Association of Schools of Public Health/EPA Fellowship Program
To enhance the training of highly qualified and motivated public health professionals, EPA has partnered with the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) to offer a professional development program for professionals who have graduated within the past five years from a U.S. school of public health that is an ASPH member and is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. Graduates apply to ASPH in December or January for one-year placements in EPA laboratories or offices to work on high-priority, environmental, public health issues. Fellows work with technical mentors to design projects that capitalize on their individual skills and interests while addressing important environmental public health goals.
EPA Office of Research and Development Post-Doctoral Research Program
EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) seeks postdoctoral scientists and engineers to fill up to four-year research positions. Positions focus on the exposure and effects of environmental contaminants on human health and the environment. Preferred candidates will have earned a Ph.D. within the last five years or will have it awarded prior to their federal employment start date. The location is based on the particular disciplinary focus of the candidate and the overall requirements of the program. Applicants must be United States citizens or permanent residents. Inquiries can be addressed to ordpostdocapps@epa.gov.
- Learn more about the Office of Research and Development Post-Doctoral Program
- See all current openings
Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Undergraduate Fellowships
The GRO fellowship program helps build capacity in universities with limited funding for research by awarding fellowships in environmental fields to students entering their last two years of full time study before obtaining their first bachelor’s degree (i.e. college sophomores). Students must be pursuing a bachelor's degree in an environmentally-related field, such as physics, biology, health, the social sciences, and engineering. The purpose of the fellowship program is to encourage promising students to obtain advanced degrees and pursue careers in environmental fields. Eligible students will receive support for their junior and senior years of undergraduate study and for an internship at an EPA facility during the summer between their junior and senior years. Applications for fellowships offered for a particular year generally are announced in August of the previous year and must be submitted by December of the previous year.
- Review guidance and frequent questions about the GRO fellowships
- Information about the most recent (2013) GRO fellowships: summary of program requirements, and award, eligibility and application information
- 2013 recipients
National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council Fellowships
This government-wide program enables post-doctoral and mid-career technical professionals to work as visiting scientists at federal laboratories, including EPA, for periods of up to three years. Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent.
- NAS/NRC Research Associateship Programs home page | About the RAP Fellowships | How and when to apply
- EPA Research Associateship Program
- EPA Faculty Fellowship Program
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Internships, Scholarships and Fellowships
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) administer internships and research project training opportunities funded by EPA offices and laboratories and by other government and private sector organizations. These opportunities are available year-round to science and engineering undergrads, grad students, recent grads and post-docs.
- ORISE Internships, Scholarships and Fellowships home page
- List of all current ORISE research opportunities at EPA
- Blog entries by ORISE fellows Leah Tai, Andrea Bolks, and Allison Gold.
Presidential Management Fellows Program (PMF)
The PMF Program is a flagship leadership development program for outstanding advanced degree candidates or grad school graduates who want a career in public service or elsewhere. Eligible candidates apply and participate in a rigorous assessment process. Those ultimately selected as finalists seek appointments as PMFs (Fellows). In addition to salary and benefits, your two-year appointment as a PMF will provide a fast-paced opportunity to gain experience and develop your talents. PMFs perform valuable service to the American people while jump-starting their careers, and get challenging assignments, formal professional training, rotations to other agencies, feedback on their work plus an opportunity to make government run more efficiently.
As a PMF, you are hired as a federal employee, with the additional responsibilities of a Presidential Management Fellow for the first two years of employment. Some fellows may switch offices, but at the conclusion of your fellowship, assuming your manager has a vacancy available, you are typically converted to the same position within the office you first joined as a PMF. This "noncompetitive conversion" means that your manager can simply fill out some paperwork and change your status to a career or career-conditional appointment, without having to advertise the position in USAJobs.
- Learn more about the federal PMF Program
- Learn about the PMF Program at EPA
- Read about the experiences of current and past Presidential Management Fellows at EPA
- Learn how the PMF Program may change under the new Pathways Programs
Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships for Graduate Environmental Study
EPA's Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program funds research grants and graduate fellowships in numerous environmental science and engineering disciplines through a competitive solicitation process and independent peer review. The program engages the nation’s best scientists and engineers in targeted research that complements EPA’s own outstanding intramural research program and those of our partners in other federal agencies.
This program awards graduate education fellowships for master's and doctoral level candidates in environmentally related fields of study, including both traditionally recognized environmental disciplines, and other fields such as social anthropology, urban and regional planning, and decision sciences. The purpose of the fellowship program is to encourage promising students to obtain advanced degrees and pursue careers in environmental fields. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years with funding available, under certain circumstances, over a period of four years. The application period usually starts in the late summer and remains open for two to three months.
- Review guidance and frequent questions about the STAR fellowships
- Read a blog entry from our Science Wednesday blog series about the STAR Fellowships.
Information about the most recent (Fall 2013) STAR fellowships:
- Summary of program requirements
- Award information
- Eligibility information
- Application and submission information
- Agency contacts
Scholarships
Marshall Scholarships
In recognition of the global nature of environmental challenges and the need to pool the resources of many nations to solve environmental problems, EPA has joined with the United Kingdom's Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, which has been administering the esteemed Marshall Scholarships since 1953. Through an EPA Marshall Scholarship, up to three talented college graduates with strong backgrounds in environmentally relevant sciences are selected each year to receive up to five years of graduate education assistance. The first two years are supported by the United Kingdom, through a Marshall Scholarship to a university in Great Britain. Successful candidates may receive up to three additional years of support towards a doctoral degree, either in England or in the U.S.
To be eligible for the EPA Marshall Scholarship, applicants must first be selected as Marshall Scholars, applying in the usual way, and must be pursuing a graduate degree in one of the following areas:
- Physical, life or systematic sciences
- Engineering and technology
- Economics
- Social and behavioral sciences
- Urban and regional planning
- Communication science