EPA Modeling Resilience of Drinking Water Systems Research Opportunity
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis. (Please note: it is anticipated that a participant will be chosen before the deadline)
APPLY THROUGH EXTERNAL LINK. SUBMIT RESUME WITH APPLICATION.
A research opportunity is currently available with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER), Homeland Security & Materials Management Division (HSMMD) located in Cincinnati, Ohio. EPA ORD recently reorganized and these are the newly named Centers/Divisions/Branches. This was formerly in the National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC).
Drinking water utilities are vulnerable to a wide variety of natural and man-made disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, drought, extreme winter storms, and contamination. Improving resilience to these disasters requires an understanding of how drinking water systems will perform during disruptive incidents, how customers will be affected, what response strategies will be effective, and how to implement them during challenging conditions. The EPA research team has developed the Water Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR) software tool for this purpose. This research project involves partnering with drinking water utilities to address resilience scenarios of concern by using WNTR to estimate potential damages, understand how damage to infrastructure would occur over time, evaluate preparedness strategies, prioritize response actions, and identify worse case scenarios, efficient repair strategies, and best practices for maintenance and operations. The research participant will collaborate with the research team that is leading the development and application of WNTR.
Under the guidance of a mentor, the research participant may have the opportunity to be involved in the following team activities:
- Reviewing literature for natural disasters and other emergency incidents that have affected drinking water utilities
- Gathering knowledge and data related to these incidents that could be used for modeling, simulation and analysis for case study applications
- Evaluating and testing EPA’s drinking water distribution system resilience tool on specific case study applications
- Writing code and producing documentation
- Testing and applying related water security and resilience software tools
- Writing, reviewing, and editing scientific reports and presenting data at national conferences
- Participating in relevant meetings and communications between researchers and stakeholders
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Summer 2020 (Please note: start date and interview process may be impacted by the current COVID-19 situation)
This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and EPA. The initial appointment is for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of EPA and is 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 EPA in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area. Participants do not become employees of EPA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing one of the degrees and will reach completion by the end of August 2020. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.
This opportunity is available to US citizens only.
If you have questions, send an email to EPArpp@orau.org. Please include the reference code for this opportunity (EPA-ORD-NHSRC-2020-01) in your email.