Student Volunteer

Summary

This position is located in the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Duties

• WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY As a Student Volunteer, you will use your knowledge of and experience with Pharmacokinetic (PK) Tools Modeling Developer to optimize business results and customer experience by: Translate pharmacokinetic (PK) models from proprietary software platforms into open-source programming languages, including R and Python. Develop, test, and maintain scientifically accurate code using standardized software development and coding practices. Verify and validate translated models through cross-platform comparisons, simulation testing, sensitivity analyses, and other quality assurance methods. Integrate validated PK models into an open-source software toolkit for environmental and human health applications. Support development of user-friendly software features, including command-line and graphical user interfaces, as appropriate. Prepare technical documentation, user guides, tutorials, and code documentation to support software implementation and reproducibility. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure scientific accuracy, software functionality, and usability. Assist with evaluating and prioritizing PK models relevant to environmental exposure assessment, chemical safety evaluation, and risk assessment. Apply software engineering best practices, including testing, debugging, version control, and code review. Contribute to open-source software development efforts that improve transparency, reproducibility, and accessibility of computational models for environmental and public health. Characterizing the current state of knowledge on the physicochemical properties of microplastics and nanoplastics that influence toxicity. Identifying how computational and alternative methods are being applied to model their behavior, fate, and biological interactions. Evaluating the strengths, limitations, and data gaps associated with these approaches. Highlighting opportunities for integrating computational models with experimental NAM data to improve risk assessment

Qualifications

Applicants must have: Experience programming in R and/or Python. Experience applying numerical methods in scientific or computational modeling. Experience conducting model verification and validation. Experience with software development, including testing, debugging, and maintaining scientific code. Familiarity with environmental health, environmental exposure assessment, or related scientific disciplines. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and technical communication skills. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary scientific environment. Preference may be given to applicants with: Knowledge of pharmacokinetics (PK) physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling, toxicology, or environmental risk assessment. Experience developing open-source scientific software or computational tools. Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git/GitHub). Experience designing command-line or graphical user interfaces (GUI) for scientific applications. Experience in preparing technical documentation, user manuals, or training materials. Familiarity with environmental monitoring data, public health data systems, or scientific database integration. Volunteers must meet the definition of a student defined as "an individual enrolled not less than half-time in a high school, trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution (5 U.S.C. §3111(a) and 5 CFR §308.101)" throughout the duration of their volunteer service, except during acceptable breaks in education as described in 5 CFR §308.101.

Evaluations

Qualification determinations will be made based solely on the information submitted in the application package. Selection for this unpaid volunteer internship does not constitute employment with the Department of Health and Human Services and confers no entitlement to compensation, future employment, or non-competitive conversions.

How to apply

Interested students are encouraged to submit a statement of interest, resume, proof of enrollment and unofficial transcript(s) for consideration. Selected applicants may be contacted for additional information or an interview based on program needs. The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

What to expect next

If a volunteer opportunity matches your skill set, agency will contact you to provide additional information and selection. Individuals not immediately selected will be kept in the volunteer pool for additional opportunities as they arise. Please note that, as a volunteer opportunity, the information contained in the "Fair and Transparent" section of this announcement may not be applicable.

Required documents

Submit the following documents: Resume (2 pages) Statement of Interest - (include preferred term and availability) Proof of Enrollment Unofficial college, graduate school, or law school transcript(s)

Benefits

This is an unpaid volunteer internship. Participants are not eligible for salary, stipends, benefits, or other forms of compensation. Participation does not confer eligibility for federal employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement, leave accrual, or any other employment related benefits.

Other information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.