Environmental Health Fellowship

ATSDR collects data on exposure to hazardous substances in the environment and produces toxicological reviews of substances of concern. The Office of Innovation and Analytics (OIA) is seeking a fellow in data analysis with a scientific background (e.g., toxicologist, environmental health scientist, biologist, or chemist) to assist in analyzing data from hazardous waste sites (HWS), producing ATSDR's Substance Priority List (SPL), and otherwise assist with using agency HWS and toxicology data to make our products (Toxicological Profiles, Minimal Risk Levels, etc.). The selected participant will collaborate with a variety of environmental health professionals to contribute to various aspects of agency toxicological products and risk assessments.

The participant will be involved in a variety of activities to support public health programs designed to evaluate the human health impacts resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. The participant will explore and analyze data and apply results to areas such as environmental science, toxicology, and risk assessment.

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will be involved in the following activities:

Querying data from various agency systems to evaluate potential for chemical exposure or impact
Helping maintain datasets or being technical point of contact for various systems used by the Toxicology Section
Advise the section and the office in regards to data usage, new standards, and recommendations on overall data interoperability
Participate in development of science documents, especially as it intersects our science datasets
Participating in section and office meetings as necessary, as well as meetings with partners and others interested in our data or products
Utilizing risk assessment tools to develop health guidance values (Minimal Risk Levels)
The participant will learn how ATSDR and the U.S. government investigate hazardous waste sites to identify contaminants that may be harming the public. This also includes seeing how toxicology data is tabulated and summarized in order to produce health comparison values for public use.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: June 28, 2021 (start date is flexible)

This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and CDC. The initial appointment can be up to one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of CDC contingent on the availability of funds. The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. The appointment is full-time at CDC in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Participants do not become employees of CDC, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.

Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a masters or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred skills:

Competence with SQL, Microsoft Office (Excel and Access)
Familiarity with R, Python, SAS, or similar statistical or data-analysis software