What are the responsibilities and job description for the EPA Fellowship on Development of Estrogen and Androgen In Vitro Assays to Support Endocrine Disruption Screening Program position at Zintellect?
*Applications may be reviewed on a rolling-basis and this posting could close before the deadline.
EPA Office/Lab and Location: Two research opportunities are currently available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), within the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program located in Durham, North Carolina.
Research Project: The research project will adapt and validate the use of several high-throughput screening (HTS) assays to measure estrogen and/or androgen receptor function and cell proliferation endpoints. The goal of this research is to identify a combination of HTS assays that reliably predicts estrogen or androgen bio-activity and then deploy this assay battery to test hundreds of chemicals identified by EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs. Under the guidance of a mentor, the research participant will learn to develop/optimize methods, maintain human cell cultures,and generate/analyze high-throughput toxicity data.
Research activities may include, but are not limited to:
- Hands-on participation in experimental research and data interpretation
- Reading and interpreting relevant scientific literature
- Active participation in meetings of the project team
- Preparing reports, presentations, and summaries of the data
- Presenting at professional meetings
- Authoring manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals
Learning Objectives: Through participation in this opportunity, the research participant will learn how to:
- Maintain and expose human cell cultures to control, reference and test chemicals
- Utilize state-of-the-art automated liquid handling systems
- Conduct several high-throughout screening (HTS) assays for androgen receptor function and cell proliferation endpoints
- Analyze HTS data using nonlinear regression and synthesize results for publication and presentation
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Scott Lynn (lynn.scott@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: August 2026. All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year and may be renewed three to four additional years upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $63,759 - $77,988 annually.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.
EPA Security Clearance: Completion of a successful background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required for an applicant to be on-boarded at EPA.
ORISE Information: 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. Participants do not become employees of EPA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
ORISE offers all ORISE EPA graduate students and Postdocs a free 5 year membership to the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA).
The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).
Questions: Please see the FAQ section of our website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.EPA.Other@orau.org / and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Salary : $63,759 - $77,988