Information for Applicants
Applications are accepted from current students, recent graduates, and U.S. college/university faculty with participants selected by the EPA mentor. Review the applicant information and program details below for more information and contact ORISE with any additional questions.
Additional Information
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Eligibility
The ORISE Research Participation Programs at EPA are educational and training programs designed to provide college students, recent graduates, and university faculty opportunities to participate in project-specific EPA research and developmental activities.
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Because of the educational nature of these programs, participants must fall into one of the following categories:
- Students must be enrolled in an accredited U.S. pre-college, college or university pursuing a degree in a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM), and must maintain satisfactory progress in academic coursework.
- Postgraduates must have received their degree in an appropriate STEM discipline within five years of the appointment start date, or must complete all requirements for such a degree prior to the desired start date.
- Faculty must be full-time faculty from an accredited U.S. pre-college, college or university.
Appointments are made for a maximum of one year at a time and may be renewed in one-year increments. The total duration of a participant’s appointments at EPA may not exceed four years, except for post-doctorate students where the total duration may extend up to five years.
Applications will be considered without regard to race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or covered veteran’s status.
Currently EPA opportunities are only open to US citizens. However, ORISE does have many other opportunities which are open to LPRs and Foreign Nationals. Please check our opportunity catalog on Zintellect, you can filter under “Citizenship.”
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Prior to Starting the Appointment
Although the mentor may have selected the candidate for a project, there are additional steps to follow before the candidate can be cleared to begin the appointment.
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Required Application Materials
- ORISE application through Zintellect
- Current résumé or CV
- Unofficial transcript is required for an application. If selected for a fellowship, an official transcript will be required.
- Two references from persons who are familiar with the candidate’s educational qualifications (including a reference from a current or past faculty member if possible)
The general steps are outlined below:
- EPA mentor submits the selection form to ORISE in Zintellect.
- Once ORISE receives and reviews the authorized selection form and confirms the funding availability, ORISE initiates the official appointment letter.
- All candidates must accept the appointment offer from ORISE prior to reporting to the facility to ensure that they will be eligible to receive a stipend. The appointment letter addendum will outline any contingencies that must be met prior to starting their appointment.
- All participants are required to have health insurance in place no later than the first day of the appointment and maintain health insurance throughout the duration of the appointment.
- Selected candidates who are U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents must verify their citizenship before starting the appointment.
- On the date the participant begins, the EPA mentor must certify that the candidate reported to the facility. Once all of these steps are complete, ORISE will begin stipend payments.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions most commonly asked by applicants.
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Current undergraduate and graduate students may hold appointments during the summer or during the semester on a schedule defined by the mentor. Please visit current opportunities to find projects that are currently accepting applications from students.
If you anticipate receiving your degree shortly, then you may apply. If you are selected, you will be required to show proof of degree completion before beginning the appointment. Most opportunities have a degree received by date.Two recommendations must be received before you begin your appointment. Selection officials will not be able to see your application until at least one reference has been received. You may submit more than two names, however, only the first two recommendations received can be viewed by the committee. In fairness to all applicants, we cannot manually provide the committee with the additional recommendations.
When filling out your application in Zintellect you will be prompted to enter two names and email addresses for references. Zintellect then sends your reference an email with two open answer questions and 12 questions for them to rate you on a scale. Your reference has an option to attach a recommendation letter. Recommendations cannot come from the EPA mentor or coordinator of the opportunity you are applying for.
You should obtain references from people familiar with your educational and professional qualifications. At least one reference should be from a professor or other similar individual who can comment on your educational experience.
Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts. Unofficial transcripts are okay for the application but if selected you will need to attach an official transcript or letter from your academic institution stating that you met the degree requirements.
Please ensure that your application is submitted and your recommendations have been received.
The EPA selection committee reviews applications of anyone with a completed application. If there is interest in your application they will contact you to arrange for an interview. If you submitted an application and have not heard back from the EPA, it means that they have not yet started the interview process, not yet made a selection, or that you have not been selected. If you have interviewed with the EPA and want to know the status, please contact the person that interviewed you. You may also contact the mentor if they are listed in the opportunity. ORISE is only notified after a participant is selected so we cannot provide any updates on the selection timeline.
All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors including:
- How long the interview process takes
- Date the applicant is selected
- EPA’s desired start date
- The chosen applicant’s desired start date
- Completing the EPA security process (~4-6 weeks)
The appointment end date will change based on your actual start date to reflect a one year appointment.
Appointments are made for a maximum of one year at a time and may be renewed in one-year increments. The total duration of a participant’s appointments at EPA may not exceed four years, except for post-doctorate students where the total duration may extend up to five years.
Stipend rates vary on numerous factors including the opportunity, location, education, and experience. If you are interviewed for the opportunity you will be able to inquire about the exact stipend at that time.
How to Apply to the ORISE Research Participation Programs at EPA
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