FracTracker Alliance Environmental Health Fellowship

June – August 2023

This paid, remote fellowship will provide a graduate student with the opportunity to deepen their academic understanding of environmental issues affecting the heavily-fracked region of Southwestern Pennsylvania. The fellow will work in close collaboration with their FracTracker supervisor and their academic advisor (if applicable).

Fellowship Details

Title: FracTracker Alliance Environmental Health Fellow
Eligibility: Current graduate students
Fellowship Period: 12 weeks (6/5/23 – 8/25/23)

Additionally, the Fellow will receive a stipend to attend the American Public Health Association annual meeting, which will be in Atlanta, GA from Nov. 12-15, 2023.

Application Deadline:  February 20, 2023, at 5 p.m. EST
Compensation: $20/hour, 37.5 hours per week
Location: Remote, reporting to the Pittsburgh FracTracker office

Fellowship Description

FracTracker Alliance is an environmental nonprofit organization that provides visual and technical tools to protect communities from the impacts of unconventional oil and gas development. FracTracker is a premier resource on unconventional oil and gas issues in the United States, and has appeared in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, the LA Times, The Guardian, USA Today, and more. The organization has received over 1.5 million visitors on www.fractracker.org, where FracTracker staff regularly contribute maps and articles on the holistic impacts of oil, gas, and petrochemical development.  

Fellows will perform research and geo-spatial data collection, processing, and analysis with a focus on environmental health issues associated with oil, gas, and petrochemical development. Specific projects and research interests will be identified by the Fellow in consultation with FracTracker staff and the Fellow’s graduate program advisor. While multiple projects might be undertaken, a signature capstone project and blog post on the FracTracker website will be the primary foci of the experience. The Fellow will also have the opportunity to present their work to various audiences in the format of their choice.

This position is not eligible for health benefits, but approved travel expenses for relevant research, meetings, and fieldwork will be reimbursed. This remote position reports to the Pittsburgh FracTracker office. The Fellow must be willing to travel to Pittsburgh for periodic in-person meetings, as well as to Atlanta, GA from Nov. 12-15, 2023 to attend the American Public Health Association annual meeting, which will be in Atlanta, GA.

This position was developed in partnership with the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies and The Heinz Endowments with the goal to bring high quality environmental and public health students to the region; to strengthen the region’s public health capacity to address issues impacting environmental, health, equity and sustainability outcomes; and to provide highly meaningful experience for students with strong academic backgrounds and in consultation with academic advisement.

Apply today to:

• Conduct independent study relevant to your coursework
• Deepen your understanding of environmental health issues and solutions
• Learn and Apply GIS skills
• Obtain valuable resume-building experience
• Make new connections in the field of environmental health through participation in a cohort of Environmental Health Fellows from partnering organizations
• Reunite with the Fellowship cohort at the American Public Health Association annual meeting in Atlanta, GA (Nov. 12-15, 2023)

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Fellow will revolve around their capstone project. They may also be asked to assist with daily work and time sensitive projects of the organization. Responsibilities will vary, but may include:

• Spatial analyses and mapping using GIS software
• Data mining, cleaning, and management
• Field research (e.g. mobile app documentation, interviews, air or water monitoring, etc.)
• Meetings with staff, partners, and/or experts
• Written contributions to the FracTracker blog at www.fractracker.org
• Translation of data into information and stories for the blog
• Developing educational outreach materials

Qualifications

This Fellowship is dedicated to current graduate students only. The candidate should possess the following qualifications:

• Interest in protecting public health from risks associated with unconventional oil and gas and/or petrochemical development
• Working knowledge of geographic information systems (GIS) and Microsoft Office products (especially Word and Excel)
• Ability to assist with researching spatial data availability from internal and external sources; collect, assimilate, analyze, and interpret data and draw sound conclusions; prepare oral and written reports
• Attention to detail
• Excellent written and oral English communication and research skills
• Ability to tackle challenging problems with minimal guidance
• Experience presenting data and information in creative, visually compelling ways is a plus

Completed studies in environmental or public health, environmental science, environmental policy or environmental law, environmental engineering, chemistry, biology, economics, marketing, or nonprofit management are desired, but not mandatory.

To Apply 

To apply, please fill out the form below. The application deadline is Monday, February 20, 2023 at 5 p.m. EST. 

Selected candidates will be contacted for an interview with FracTracker staff members. Interviews will take place between February 27– March 8, 2023.

All candidates will be notified regarding the result of their application by March 13, 2023.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Erika Ninos at ninos@fractracker.org.

FracTracker is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, citizenship status, age, veteran status, or disability.