EPA Multimedia Communications Internship

*Applications may be reviewed on a rolling-basis. Click here for information about the selection process.

EPA Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is available within the Office of Multimedia (OM) in the Office of Public Affairs (OPA), Office of the Administrator (OA) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C.

Research Project: The participant will gain experience in multimedia communications through video, photography, audio and graphics. The participant will learn about project planning and management, strategic and scientific communications, and outreach to promote EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment. The participant will be trained in creating multimedia content to support the agency's and Administrator's priorities including Superfund, brownfields, environmental justice, water sector preparedness, scientific research, etc., that will educate and inform different audiences and stakeholder groups. The selected participant will have the opportunity to interact with OM multimedia staff, public affairs officers and managers, EPA program and regional counterparts, EPA staff and scientists, stakeholders, grant recipients, tribal leaders, and other federal, state and local agencies.

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of the mentor, research activities and learning objectives include:

• Opportunity to apply knowledge of multimedia production and grow skills to create outreach materials using photography, graphics, audio and video to communicate scientific and agency programmatic messages to the general public.
• Opportunity to collaborate with EPA Regions, scientists, researchers, states, tribes, and local stakeholders to improve EPA's communication of complex scientific ideas and mission goals to different audiences and stakeholder groups.
• Learn how to tailor scientific messages for different platforms and media.
• Learn how to plan a video production from start to finish, including project planning, topic research, interviews with experts, collecting footage in the field, collecting archive/stock content, conducting interviews, writing scripts for different media, using graphics to communicate data, etc.
• Learn technical skills like lighting for different types of photography (studio portraits, working portraits), how to use different software programs to create graphics and publication layouts (Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator), how to shoot footage using Canon DSLR cameras, how to light a video interview, how to write a script for different types of videos (PSAs, feature stories, overview features, profile stories, documentary-style features, etc.).

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Jini Ryan (ryan.jini@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 2023.  All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.

Appointment Length: The appointment initially may be for one year and may be renewed up to three 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. At this time the annual stipend for this opportunity is ~$53,100 - ~$64,950.

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