Application Period Open for Department of State and Environmental Protection Agency Virtual Air Quality Fellowship

12/19/2022 01:15 PM EST

 

Office of the Spokesperson

Applications are now being accepted for the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Virtual Air Quality Fellowship program through January 11, 2023. This fellowship is a vital component of DOS and EPA’s collaborative efforts to improve access to, and application of, continuous air quality data worldwide. The fellowship is open to air quality experts from universities, government agencies, or non-profit institutions. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. For more information, see https://www.state.gov/global-air-quality-fellowship/.

The Fellows will volunteer 10-20 hours each month for one year to provide technical and/or policy support for a U.S. embassy or consulate. While the fellowship is virtual, some posts have sponsored visits by their Fellows to their country to help advance management and diplomatic objectives.

In the first six years of the program,  over 100 Fellows matched with U.S. embassies and consulates have performed a wide variety of activities, including: using models to estimate concentrations of fine particles, or PM2.5; using satellite data in areas where monitoring data is unavailable to identify pollution trends; meeting with local government officials to discuss air quality reporting best practices; developing local air quality forecasting tools; helping U.S. diplomatic posts conduct maintenance on reference-grade air quality monitors; and assisting posts in understanding how to leverage data for decision-making.

Air quality data helps U.S. citizens and government personnel overseas make informed decisions to mitigate health risks from air pollution, advance air quality policy-making, as well as enhance scientific capacity around the world. For further information, please contact [email protected] and visit https://www.state.gov/environmental-innovation/#airquality.