Graduate (3-month) Intern - Escaped Waste (New Orleans Based)

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

6d • Remote

About The Position

We are partnering with a municipal Sewage and Water Board to understand and quantify the costs of escaped waste at the city level. This case study will examine the broader financial impacts of escaped waste while also developing an economic baseline of direct city expenditures for managing plastic debris. By revealing costs beyond what appears in municipal budgets, including impacts on outcomes, and infrastructure systems, this research will inform what solutions and technologies may need to be developed to mitigate these issues. The intern will implement EPA's Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol, conducting systematic walking surveys across neighborhoods to collect ground-truth data on escaped waste, and facilitate stakeholder engagement sessions with city departments, local businesses and residents to understand the full breadth of escaped waste’s influence on operating budgets and city systems. The intern will help translate findings into reports, presentations, and one-pagers that communicate results to diverse audiences from city officials to community members. This role offers opportunities to conduct dissertation-level research examining how escaped waste affects municipal operating budgets in previously unconsidered ways; pioneer methodologies for quantifying economic costs often excluded from traditional analyses; build expertise in cost assessment and community-engaged research; and develop stakeholder facilitation skills valuable for academic and applied careers. The intern will create portfolio-worthy deliverables that could inform publications while contributing data to a national-scale EPA initiative. Our team fosters collaboration across disciplines and sectors and provides mentorship supporting both the research and professional development goals of a graduate student intern. In-person presence in New Orleans is imperative for conducting field surveys and stakeholder engagement sessions.

Requirements

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
• Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
• Graduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Graduate: Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
• Graduate + PhD: Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution.
• Please Note: • Applicants are responsible for uploading official or unofficial school transcripts, as part of the application process. • If selected for position, a letter of recommendation will be required as part of the hiring process. • Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date. Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
• Currently enrolled in PhD program in Environmental Studies, Environmental Policy, Environmental Science, or related field
• Demonstrated experience with waste management, manufacturing, and/or recycling initiatives (through coursework, research, or professional work)
• Field research experience with data collection protocols and methodologies
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills with ability to facilitate conversations across diverse groups
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to translate technical information for non-technical audiences
• Self-directed work style with ability to manage field work independently
• Physical ability to conduct surveys in varied urban environments
• Must be available to conduct monthly in person surveys within city limits

Nice To Haves

• PhD research focus on waste systems, environmental policy, environmental studies
• Direct experience with EPA programs, protocols, or tools (particularly Trash Free Waters, ETAP, or Escaped Trash Risk Map)
• Previous experience working in New Orleans or deep familiarity with the city's neighborhoods, challenges, and community landscape
• Previous municipal government experience
• Experience with waste characterization studies or litter assessment methodologies
• Experience developing public-facing educational materials, one-pagers, or presentations
• Familiarity with GIS/mapping tools (ArcGIS) for spatial data visualization
• Experience with community-based participatory research or citizen science
• Background in cost assessment, economics, or cost-benefit analysis
• Network of established relationships with New Orleans community and municipal stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Conducting systematic walking surveys across neighborhoods to collect ground-truth data on escaped waste
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement sessions with city departments, local businesses and residents to understand the full breadth of escaped waste’s influence on operating budgets and city systems
• Translate findings into reports, presentations, and one-pagers that communicate results to diverse audiences from city officials to community members

Benefits

• Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match
• sick leave (where required by law).
• NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component.
• Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree