2019 Spring & Summer Volunteer Internship

This is an unpaid volunteer internship at the U.S. EPA Headquarters in OAR’s Office of Air Policy and Program Support (OAPPS).

Volunteer interns will gain valuable experience in efforts to protect public health and the environment with an emphasis on the Clean Air Act in concert with educational and research interests. The position requires a person with ability to analyze and coordinate international, economics, research, and science issues; engage stakeholders with effective communication and outreach; manage program operations; support top priorities cross-OAR policies and processes; and work independently and/or with small teams.

The specific project will be negotiated with the selected volunteers and will be contingent on his or her knowledge, skills, and interests. Current needs and illustrative tasks include assisting with:

• Congressional relations – perform legislative analysis, assist with hearing preparation, and track correspondence;

• SharePoint Sites and Websites – develop, update and maintain SharePoint sites and webpages;

• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests – track and upkeep FOIAs and develop best practices;

• Lean projects – help streamline aspects of our programs while making them more effective;

• Research efforts -- analyze data and coordinate science policies;

• Rulemaking – assist rule team with tracking and facilitating rulemaking process with OP; and

• Special Emphasis Programs – support various activities that cut across OAR such as the Clean Air Excellence Awards Program, Skills Marketplace Program, etc.

Volunteer interns may be assigned to work on one of the above projects or multiple project areas, in addition to contributing to and obtaining insights and exposure to a host of Air Policy and Programmatic issues. Background and majors from various disciplines are anticipated to help fulfill these needs: physical, health and environmental sciences; engineering; business management and organizational design; government, political science, public policy and administration; project management; information technology and computer science; English (writing) and communications; economics; law.

You must be a U.S. citizen and a full-time undergraduate, graduate or Ph.D. candidate student. A diversity of candidates and fields of study are of interest including degree candidates in the following disciplines: sciences, economics, public policy, public health, engineering, political science, information technology, organizational management, and international policy.

We anticipate hosting 1-2 interns this coming spring and summer. Volunteers may work full-time (maximum of up to 40 hours per week) or part-time (minimum of 20 hours per week). Students may elect to volunteer in the spring or summer:

• Spring internships start in January/February and end in May/June.

• Summer internships start in late May/early June and end in August.

We recognize, however, that this timeframe may vary due to class schedules, e.g., semester vs. quarters, and will work with individual candidates to refine the timing and duration of an internship as needed. There may be opportunities for tenures to be extended for those local to U.S. EPA Headquarters in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area or interns participating in local area semester study programs.

To be considered, you must submit the following information by email as a single Word or PDF file to: Joseph Morris (Morris.Joseph@epa.gov) and Mary Resendez (Resendez.Mary@epa.gov) by December 7, 2018 for spring internships or January 9, 2019 for summer internships. Please indicate your preference for the spring or summer internship in your cover letter.

1) Cover letter (briefly summarizing your interest in the position, desired timing of internship (spring or summer) and qualifications); and

2) Resume

Please do not send writing samples, references or transcripts at this time. If these materials are deemed necessary once applications are received, they will be specifically requested. We will contact you if you are selected for an interview. Interviews will be held in person, via teleconference or Skype in December or January.