Jobs

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station is seeking a full-time Assistant Scientist II research position in the Analytical Chemistry Department. The scientist will establish and lead an original research program investigating the safety of food from environmental contamination. Advances in agriculture have increased the input of xenobiotics in the food-environment continuum which, combined with the presence of natural toxins such as mycotoxins and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), continue to threaten the safety of our food system. Addressing these impacts requires an in depth understanding of the presence, form, and mechanisms of action of these organic contaminants. Potential research topics include assessing the temporal and spatial dynamics of organic contaminants such as pesticides, mycotoxins and PAH accumulation in agricultural crops; untargeted analyses of contaminants in food, soil, sediment, drinking water, and sewage; and the transport and biotransformation of pollutants. The scale of research can range from nanoscale to whole systems, with a full range coverage preferred. The candidate is expected to form internal and external collaborations, seek extramural funding, and disseminate research findings through peer-reviewed studies.

Required Qualifications: The candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Analytical, Organic, Environmental, Agricultural or Food Chemistry by the end of May 2026; have experience in the use and data interpretation of conventional analytical chemistry instruments such as LC/MS-MS, GC/MS, HPLC, ICP-MS-HPLC, Ion Chromatograms, and/or high-resolution microscopes; and have performed scholarly research in analytical or environmental chemistry demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. Candidates must be willing to participate in collaborative research and pursue external grant funding.

Preferred qualifications: The ideal candidate will have the ability to discuss current applications and implications of synthetic and natural organic compounds in agriculture and food systems. Preferred experience includes developing analytical methods, managing analytical data and protocols, and conducting basic instrument troubleshooting and optimization. Candidates should also demonstrate experience in performing collaborative research in a team, serving as lead or corresponding author on multiple scientific publications, mentoring trainees toward publishable data, and/or writing successful grant proposals.

The starting salary is $90,256/yr, with competitive medical, dental, and pension benefits.

Interested candidates should submit electronically: 1) Curriculum Vitae; 2) a statement of research interests up to three pages long highlighting research accomplishments and research goals for the first five years of the position; 3) reprints of three relevant authored publications; 4) official university transcripts; and 5) arrange to have three letters of recommendation sent to: Christian Dimkpa, Ph.D., Head and Chief Scientist, Department of Analytical Chemistry, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT 06511, tel. 203-974-8523, fax 203-974-8502, Christian.Dimkpa@ct.gov. Website: https://portal.ct.gov/CAES. Review of applicants will begin immediately and will continue until a suitable applicant is found. Matriculation dates are not required on any application materials and can be redacted.

An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer
Equal employment opportunity means employment of people without consideration of age, ancestry, color, criminal record (in state employment and licensing), gender identity or expression, genetic information, intellectual disability, learning disability, marital status, mental disability (past or present), national origin, physical disability (including blindness), race, religious creed, retaliation for previously opposed discrimination or coercion, sex (pregnancy or sexual harassment), sexual orientation, veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, and workplace hazards to reproductive systems unless the provisions of sec. 46a-80(b) or 46a-81(b) of the Connecticut General Statutes are controlling or there are bona fide occupational qualifications excluding persons in one of the above protected classes. To file a complaint of discrimination, contact Dr. Jason White, Director, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, New Haven, CT 06504, (203) 974-8440 (voice), or Jason.White@ct.gov (e-mail). CAES is an affirmative action/equal opportunity provider and employer. Persons with disabilities who require alternate means of communication of program information should contact the Chief of Services, Michael Last at (203) 974-8442 (voice), (203) 974-8502 (FAX), or Michael.Last@ct.gov (e-mail).

Drug abuse is a major problem affecting individuals and communities worldwide, but it is difficult to study. Analysis of untreated wastewater is an increasingly common technique for assessing drug use on a community scale. We are investigating drug abuse in cities across Connecticut by combining wastewater analysis with street level data collection in collaboration with local harm reduction groups and the Yale School of Public Health. The postdoc hired for this project will be responsible for planning and executing wastewater sample collection, conducting wastewater analysis using mass spectrometry techniques, and communicating with collaborators across disciplines to share data and publish meaningful results. We are seeking a recent Ph.D. with training in environmental engineering, analytical chemistry, environmental health, or a closely related field. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in the following areas:

• Interdisciplinary collaboration and communication
• Field sampling of wastewater systems
• LC-MS analysis (including targeted and non-targeted methods) and sample preparation for analysis of organic contaminants in complex matrices
• Complex, multivariable statistics
• GIS software

Candidates must have a valid U.S. driver’s license and be confident driving to different cities for sample collection. The candidate should demonstrate enthusiasm for the projects, a willingness to learn, a commitment to work cooperatively, and must be able to work independently and as part of a team. Strong written and verbal communication skills are required. A significant record of productivity as demonstrated through refereed publications is preferred. The appointment is for 1.5 years, with potential extension subject to performance and funding availability. The starting salary is $56,982/yr with competitive medical and dental benefits. The ideal start date is November 1, 2025.

Interested candidates should submit the following documents electronically:

1. A letter of application describing your interest in the position, research interests and career goals, and a brief overview explaining how your research experience will help you succeed with the position duties.
2. A Curriculum Vitae
3. The names and contact information (including email addresses) for three professional references.

Please send the above materials to Sara Nason (sara.nason@ct.gov) and Anuja Bharadwaj (anuja.bharadwaj@ct.gov). Review of applicants will begin ASAP and continue until a suitable candidate is found. Candidates can contact Sara with any questions about the position.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station is the nation’s first state Agricultural Experiment Station, founded in 1875. The main campus is located in New Haven, Connecticut. The CAES also encompasses a 75-acre research farm in Hamden, a satellite research facility and farm in East Windsor, and a research farm in Griswold. The CAES is a state-supported scientific research institution dedicated to improving the food, health, environment, and well-being of Connecticut residents.

The Remucal research group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is searching for a full-time post-doctoral scholar to apply high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), including Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance MS and Orbitrap MS, to investigate complex mixtures in aquatic systems. Our group studies the composition and reactivity of mixtures including dissolved organic matter (DOM) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). While HRMS generates extremely rich data sets, we can only annotate a fraction of the collected data and seek to develop novel approaches for data analysis. The post-doctoral scholar will have the opportunity to work on multiple collaborative projects within this space, depending on their interests and expertise. The scholar will be responsible for analytical measurements and data analysis, and may be involved in sample collection. The post-doctoral scholar will be based in the Water Science and Engineering Laboratory, which is located on the shore of Lake Mendota.

This position is for up to two years, with renewal for the second year considered after a successful first year. The position is directly funded by the university. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. A start date during the fall 2025 is preferred, but later start dates are possible if needed.

Minimum Requirements. Applicants must have a PhD in environmental engineering, environmental chemistry, chemistry, or related fields, excellent written and oral communication skills, strong quantitative and analytical skills, and a good track record of first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals. Applicants must have a demonstrated ability to design experiments and conduct independent research, as well as to work collaboratively on a team.

Preferred Qualifications. Experience with some combination of the following skills is preferred:

• Experience in LC-MS/MS and/or HRMS analysis and sample preparation, or other related analytical chemical analysis
• Experience or interest in data analysis (e.g., experience with R)
• Interest in science communication and/or outreach

To apply, please send a cover letter describing your interest in the position, a CV, and a list of three references as a single pdf to remucal@wisc.edu.

For more information about our research group, go to: http://remucal.engr.wisc.edu

Dr. Benedikt Warth is looking for a skilled postdoc to enrich their ERC and EIRENE-AT teams (large-scale EU projects) at the University of Vienna (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101043321).

Focus should be on GC-HRMS (Orbitrap Exploris GC240) but also experienced analytical chemists without abundant GC experience are welcome to apply. More information attached and here: https://jobs.univie.ac.at/job/University-Assistant-postdoctoral/1215389401/

Link: https://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/157020

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Position Details

Position Location	Fort Collins, CO
Work Location	Position is fully in-office/in-person
Research Professional Position	Yes
Posting Number	202500132AP
Position Type	Admin Professional/ Research Professional
Classification Title	Postdoctoral Fellows
Work Hours/Week	40
Proposed Annual Salary Range	$60,000-$80,000 Salary depends on years of experience post-degree.
Employee Benefits	Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service. With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact. Review our detailed benefits information here. Explore the additional perks of working at CSU here. For the total value of CSU benefits in addition to wages, use our compensation calculator. Lastly, click here for more information about why Fort Collins is consistently ranked in the top cities to live in!
Desired Start Date
Position End Date (if temporary)
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on	02/24/2025 (Rolling applications, until a suitable candidate has been identified)
Description of Work Unit	The Department of Soil and Crop Sciences is focused on education, research, and outreach to solve the world’s most pressing food production issues and crucial matters about Earth, its ecosystems, and their services. Our faculty and staff apply research-based solutions to benefit Colorado and the world. We offer academic programs to prepare students to address national and global crop production, sustainability, and environmental quality challenges such as waste management, water quality, and reclamation of drastically disturbed lands. There are numerous opportunities for students to be involved in cutting edge research related to global food production and ecosystem function and protection.
Position Summary	The post doctoral fellow will develop novel analytical methods for rapid contaminant and toxicity assessment of industrial wastewater. The postdoc will contribute to the design of a cutting-edge non-targeted analysis (NTA) and suspect screening analysis (SSA) methods using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and computational tools to detect and identify unknown or suspected chemicals in raw and treated oil and gas (O&G) produced water (PW).The research will focus on developing a novel approach for non-targeted analysis of compounds in produced water using Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) in combination with Liquid Chromatography (LC) and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS). SPME offers a rapid, solvent-free method for sample preparation, while LC-HRMS enables precise identification and structural elucidation of both known and unknown contaminants at trace levels. This integrated method will be applied to assess the risk of compounds in treated produced water, with a particular focus on evaluating the environmental toxicity of these compounds.The postdoc will use laboratory measurements (including Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), LC-Q-TOF MS, LC-QqQ-MS/MS, GC-MS, and SPME) characterize variability of organic constituents in treated and raw PW across the Permian. This will include characterization of chemical classes, and some specific constituents of interest. The postdoc will investigate the potential for using SPME and LC retention times as an effective method for assessing the toxicity risks of compounds present in PW.This position is initially funded as part of a 2 year grant program.
Required Job Qualifications	Ph.D. in analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, environmental engineering, environmental science or a related field by start of employment. Experience in mass spectrometry analysis, data processing, and/or interpretation. Experience in liquid- and gas chromatography. Relevant laboratory experience. The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the United States by the proposed start date; the department will not provide visa sponsorship for this position.
Preferred Job Qualifications	Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry Proficiency in R, python, Matlab, or equivalent software for efficient data handling and organization. Expertise in Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME). Familiarity with manipulative experiments. Capabilities for teamwork and independent work. Environmental toxicology. Proficiency in handling moderate-to-large datasets and applying statistical analyses.

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Essential Duties

Job Duty Category	Research
Duty/Responsibility	Develop non-targeted analysis methods for characterization of compounds in produced water using SPME in combination with LC and HRMS. Develop and pursue innovative techniques related to detection of water contaminants by mass spectrometry. Sample raw and treated produced water as well as “uncontaminated” environmental samples such as upstream river water and wetlands. Determine quantitative and qualitative variability in contaminant classes in produced water and natural environments. Develop database with produced water compounds and biomarkers Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments. Mentor students in the lab setting
Percentage Of Time	70

Job Duty Category	Authorship and Grant Proposal Submission
Duty/Responsibility	Communicate research outcomes in scientific publications and presentations. Contribute to the development of grant proposals and progress reports.
Percentage Of Time	30

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Application Details

Special Instructions to Applicants	To apply, please upload a cover letter that addresses the required and preferred job qualifications, a CV, an unofficial transcript, and the contact information for three professional references. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, but for full consideration please apply by February 24, 2025.CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you are needing assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact.References will not be contacted without prior notification to candidates. Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
Conditions of Employment	Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires)
Search Contact	Thomas Borch, Thomas.Borch@colostate.edu
EEO	Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or pregnancy in its employment, programs, services and activities, and admissions, and, in certain circumstances, marriage to a co-worker. The University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. The Office of Equal Opportunity is located in 101 Student Services.The Title IX Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Title IX Programs and Gender Equity, 123 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-1715, titleix@colostate.edu.The Section 504 and ADA Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, oeo@colostate.edu.The Coordinator for any other forms of misconduct prohibited by the University’s Policy on Discrimination and Harassment is the Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, Co. 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, oeo@colostate.edu.Any person may report sex discrimination under Title IX to the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education.
Background Check Policy Statement	Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.

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References Requested

Minimum Requested	3
Maximum Requested	3

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Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Cover Letter
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Unofficial Transcripts

Do you want to work in a fast-paced environment with a multi-disciplinary group of researchers and community collaborators working at the nexus of environmental health science, community-based participatory research, and environmental justice?

The Sustainability and Health Equity (SHE) Lab at the University of California, Berkeley seeks highly motivated applicants for a postdoctoral position to work on a project applying analytical chemistry methods and novel computational and statistical techniques to analyze complex high resolution mass spectrometry data involving non-targeted chemical analysis to characterize the presence of environmental chemical exposures in drinking water samples. This exciting work will be guided by a team of multidisciplinary scientists in environmental health science, analytical chemistry, and computational methods at UC Berkeley, US EPA, UCLA, as well as the Community Water Center. The position will primarily be based at the US EPA’s research facilities in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

The SHE Lab is a multi-disciplinary and committed group of scientists, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, and community collaborators who advance scientific inquiry and knowledge, professional training, research translation, and environmental policies to reduce the impacts of toxic chemicals and other environmental hazards on human health. Based in the School of Public Health and the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, the SHE Lab investigates the health equity and environmental justice implications of a wide range of environmental health hazards, from toxic chemicals to climate change. We seek to advance scientific understanding of structural determinants of environmental health with a focus on inequality, racism, psychosocial stress and how these factors interact with environmental chemical exposures to produce health inequalities. We also mentor and promote early career scientists by supporting their training and enhancing their capacity to engage in environmental health research, policy, and education.

The SHE lab also collaborates with other scientists, communities, and regulators to develop science-policy tools for assessing the cumulative impacts of chemical and non-chemical stressors to improve regulatory decision-making and advance environmental justice. This work
has served as a foundation for Cal-EPA’s CalEnviroScreen, US EPA’s EJSCREEN, and the Biden Administration’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. Other tools include Toxic Tides, which projects sea-level rise flooding threats to hazardous sites in environmental justice
communities, and the Drinking Water Tool, which characterizes drinking water quality and access threats for communities relying on public water systems and domestic wells.

Some of our projects include:

• Conducting community-driven water equity studies to reduce chemical contamination and improve community access to safe drinking water (UC Berkeley Superfund Research Center’s Water Equity Science Shop).
• Examining the effects of prenatal chemical exposures (using targeted and non-targeted analytical techniques) and chronic social stressors on birth outcomes and infant development;
• Conducting targeted and non-targeted human biomonitoring for potential breast carcinogens in women workers, including firefighters, office workers, nurses, hospital staff, and domestic workers (Women Worker Biomonitoring Collaborative).

The postdoc will be hired by UC Berkeley but spend the majority of their time working with EPA’s Office of Research and Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Chemical Characterization Division. CCTE strives to utilize the latest advancements in analytical chemistry, toxicology, and informatics. As such, the postdoc will be expected to extract
samples, collect high resolution mass spectrometry data, process that data using advanced software or custom scripts, and integrate the results with chemical hazard profiles. The postdoc will be expected to present and publish findings.

Knowledge/Skills:
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in analytical chemistry, computational and statistical methods, environmental health, and cheminformatics. Excellent problem-solving skills, creative and interdisciplinary thinking, and the ability to learn and work with multiple software tools are required. Because the successful candidate will be undertaking lab work at US EPA in North Carolina applicants must be a US citizen.

The successful candidate must have:

• PhD in epidemiology, biostatistics, analytical chemistry, computational informatics, environmental health science, cheminformatics, or other relevant environmental health or engineering related field.
• Strong programming skills in R, Python, Stata and/or SAS or other relevant software.
• Experience with mass spectrometry/metabolomics analysis and data processing.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Track record of published or forthcoming peer-reviewed publications.

The postdoc will join an interdisciplinary group of scientists at UC Berkeley, US EPA, and UCLA. They will also interact with our collaborators at the Community Water Center, a community-based water justice organization supporting low-income communities of color struggling with drinking water quality and access challenges in California’s San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast regions. The Postdoctoral Scientist will be advised by and work closely with Drs. Rachel Morello-Frosch, Seth Newton (US EPA) and Lara Cushing (UCLA). The appointment is for two years. Start date is in the first quarter of 2025. The initial appointment will be at 100% time for two years with the possibility of extension based on satisfactory performance and availability of funding. The postdoc must complete a security background check in order to access EPA facilities.

Interested candidates should submit the following application materials to:
Lauren Baehner baehnerl@berkeley.edu
Seth Newton Newton.Seth@epa.gov

1. a cover letter that includes a statement of relevant research experience and interests,
2. a curriculum vita,
3. pdf copies of a recent publication or writing sample,
4. contact information of three references. Any solicited letters or references will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law.

Specific questions regarding the recruitment can be directed to Lauren Baehner, Research Coordinator baehnel@berkeley.edu.

Salary and Benefits:
This position provides full benefits. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and will range from $70,000 plus benefits. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see:
http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

Application Deadline: 11/22/2024 11:59:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Reference Code: EPA-ORD-CEMM-ACESD-2024-01A

Research Project: Non-targeted analysis (NTA) has been increasingly used in recent years to elucidate structures of novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), however, the majority of PFAS NTA studies have applied this technology in water or soil matrices. NTA in biota is complicated by the presence of endogenous chemicals that may interfere with identification of environmental contaminants like PFAS. NTA workflows in biota need to be further developed, tested, and applied in order to be widely adopted and used in decision making.

The goal of the research project is to apply PFAS NTA techniques in biological samples of interest to state and regional partners to identify chemicals of interest and produce data processing workflows optimized for PFAS NTA in biota. 

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, the research activities will include, but not limited to:

• Exploring the usefulness of sample preparation and clean-up on PFAS identification in biological samples.
• Exploring and mastering software workflows used for PFAS NTA (e.g., Compound Discoverer, FluoroMatch, patRoon, etc.).
• Writing QA/QC procedures and documents and writing programming code (R or other) for processing data output.

Applications of derived workflows will include identification of novel PFAS in biological samples originating near manufacturing facilities and from ambient offshore marine environments to test applicability of workflows across a range of exposure scenarios. 

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Anna Robuck (robuck.anna@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 3, 2024.  All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year and may be renewed upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.

Level of Participation: This appointment is full-time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Click here for detailed information about full-time stipends.

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.

EPA Office/Lab and Location: A research training opportunity is available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling (CEMM), Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division (ACESD) located in Narragansett, Rhode Island.

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 EPArpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

See the application page for Qualifications and Application information.

Application Deadline: 11/8/2024 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Reference Code: EPA-ORD-CEMM-ACESD-2024-01

Research Project: Non-targeted analysis (NTA) has been increasingly used in recent years to elucidate structures of novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), however, the majority of PFAS NTA studies have applied this technology in water or soil matrices. NTA in biota is complicated by the presence of endogenous chemicals that may interfere with identification of environmental contaminants like PFAS. NTA workflows in biota need to be further developed, tested, and applied in order to be widely adopted and used in decision making.

The goal of the research project is to apply PFAS NTA techniques in biological samples of interest to state and regional partners to identify chemicals of interest and produce data processing workflows optimized for PFAS NTA in biota. 

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, the research activities will include, but not limited to:

• Exploring the usefulness of sample preparation and clean-up on PFAS identification in biological samples.
• Exploring and mastering software workflows used for PFAS NTA (e.g., Compound Discoverer, FluoroMatch, patRoon, etc.).
• Writing QA/QC procedures and documents and writing programming code (R or other) for processing data output.

Applications of derived workflows will include identification of novel PFAS in biological samples originating near manufacturing facilities and from ambient offshore marine environments to test applicability of workflows across a range of exposure scenarios. 

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Anna Robuck (robuck.anna@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 3, 2024.  All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year and may be renewed upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.

Level of Participation: This appointment is full-time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Click here for detailed information about full-time stipends.

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.

EPA Office/Lab and Location: A research training opportunity is available at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling (CEMM), Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division (ACESD) located in Narragansett, Rhode Island.

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 EPArpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

See the application page for Qualifications and Application information

Claros Technologies is a venture backed, deep-tech company solving the worldwide challenge of destroying PFAS in the environment. PFAS remediation is rapidly becoming a multi-billion-dollar, global market and is at the center of regulatory action in the US, Europe and Asia that requires the removal of this carcinogen from drinking water, industrial processes and waste sites. Claros has developed a patented, scalable destruction technology proven to fully destroy 99.99% of PFAS in customers’ samples.   

We are a diverse team of scientists, business-builders, and impact leaders committed to solving problems without creating new ones. The company has just closed a $20M financing round with leading environment venture capital firms, which provides the credibility and resources required to convert current pilot users into full scale commercial customers as well as to sell easy-to-identify prospects across the globe.   

If you are a mission driven, highly motivated analytical scientist, join us as we solve one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time.  

Position Summary: Claros Technologies is primarily focused on the research, development, scale-up, and commercialization of its PFAS destruction technology. We are seeking a collaborative, driven individual to join our Analytical Services Team as a Senior Scientist. The Senior Scientist will drive the research and development of analytical methods to support both internal and external customers of the Analytical Services Team. Reporting to the Director of Analytical Laboratory Services, this individual will be tasked with operating advanced analytical instruments independently, conducting critical research and analysis of data derived from the instruments, and acting as a subject matter expert to the team. 

Essential Job Functions:

• Operate and maintain the IMS-HRMS instrument
• Develop analytical methods and run samples to support Claros research and development
• Engage and contribute in Claros’ analytical team technical discussions
• Train and education other technical members
• Maintain a clear record of experimental details and perform data analysis, including statistical analysis
• Follow all lab operations and safety protocols

Competencies & Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Thorough understanding of the fundamentals of HRMS, LC, GC, and IMS
• Organized, Flexible, and Quality-focused
• Experience with extractable and leachable application strongly preferred
• Experience with PFAS preferred

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, analytics, or a related field with at least 5 years of HRMS experience, or
• Master’s degree in related field with at least 2 years of HRMS experience, or
• PhD. in a related field with some direct HRMS experience

Job Specifications:

• Salary: $80,000.00 – $100,000.00 per year
• Schedule: 8 hour shift
• Ability to commute/relocate: Minneapolis, MN 55413: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)
• Work Location: In person

Claros Technologies offers attractive salary and benefits including health, vision, and dental insurance, PTO as well as 401k plans and options.

For more information, please visit www.clarostech.com, or access the job posting here.

Application Deadline: 9/13/2024 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Reference Code: EPA-ORD-CESER-BIL-2024-03

Research Project: Consumption of contaminated drinking water is one of the most common routes of human exposure to environmental pollutants. As a result, evaluating the effective removal and/or degradation of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) – which include perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), pesticides, cyanobacterial toxins – in water treatment processes is of great interest to the EPA. In practice, this entails interest in monitoring for disappearance of known CECs, potential formation of new transformation by-products, or identification of novel contaminants which are not being removed through treatment processes. This is a challenge for targeted analytical workflows, because while monitoring for disappearance of known contaminants is straightforward, identifying either unknown contaminants or formation of novel by-products is not feasible. The use of non-targeted chemical analysis (NTA) enabled by high resolution mass spectrometric (HRMS) instrumentation is an ideal tool for this application, as it collects data without a need for specific standards or structural knowledge in advance. For PFAS characterization, in addition to NTA, other analytical techniques include targeted analysis, suspect screening, and novel methodologies such as the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay and total organofluorine (TOF). The research participant will be part of a team within EPA and one or more drinking water utilities aimed at using non-targeted analysis to evaluate the effect of various drinking water treatment processes on the removal and/or transformation of PFAS and other CECs.

Under the guidance of the mentor, research activities may include:

• Computer programming (Python and/or R) to develop tools for data processing and analysis.
• Data interpretation from the application of existing analytical methods for non-targeted analysis of environmentally relevant samples using mass spectrometry.

Learning Objectives: A variety of skills will be developed and used in the pursuit of the overall research objectives in this project. Because of the complexity of non-targeted data, identification of chemical features of interest in analytical outputs is extremely complex and predicated on the use of a wide range of tools, including predictive models, machine learning techniques, statistical analysis, and fragmentation analysis to better characterize species being identified. There will also be opportunities to explore the use of theoretical modeling techniques including quantum chemical simulations to explore the underlying mechanisms and pathways for treatability/transformation of chemicals of interest in conjunction with experimentally obtained data. Further, the research participant will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of scientists to obtain a more holistic understanding of the underlying challenges and solutions to complex environmental problems. Under the guidance of a mentor, the research participant will have also freedom to pursue additional research objectives within the study areas as their own interests direct.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Toby Sanan (sanan.toby@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: July 1, 2024.  All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.

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. Click here for detailed information about full-time stipends.

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.ORD@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

See the application page for Qualifications and Application information