NIWC - Undergraduate III (Senior) - PFAS Ecotoxicity and Bioaccumulation Testing Support (Task No. 71-2824352)

Overview

The hourly rate for this position is $18.90 per hour for Undergraduate III and is non-negotiable.

 

This position is open until filled

 

Under direction, incumbents must have course work in the discipline requested on the task order Statement of Work.

 

This Statement of Work encompasses the need for the student services to provide technical and/or analytical support in the fields of Marine Biology, Oceanography, Biology and Chemistry towards development of toxicity values for PF AS relevant to marine systems. The specific task requires use of both standardized laboratory-based testing procedures to evaluate the toxicity and bioaccumulation of 10 priority PF AS (PFBA, PFBS, PFHxA, PFHxS, PFOA, PFOS, PFDA, PFDS, 6:2 FTS, 8:2 FTS) as part of a DoD funded Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) project #ER22-3214, entitled "Critical Data for Assessing the Marine Toxicity and Bioaccumulation ofPFAS". These tasks will be conducted at NIWC Pacific in San Diego, CA.

 

This work will support the Navy Environmental Sustainability Development to Integration (NESDI) program, under Project #601, "Chronic Toxicity and Bioaccumulation Evaluation of Multiple PFAS for Benthic and Pelagic Species Relevant to Marine Ecological Risk Assessment". There is a critical need to fill data gaps and improve the understanding of the marine ecotoxicity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PF AS) associated with aqueous filmforming foam (AFFF), specifically data to support: 1) the determination of effects thresholds; 2) bioaccumulation in food webs; and 3) a characterization of the toxicity of PF AS relative to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The proposed work responds to these objectives through a series oflaboratory toxicity and bioaccumulation experiments with 10 target PF AS, aiming to provide the following critical data to decisionmakers and ecological risk assessors evaluating the risks of PF AS exposure at marine sites: reliable and robust toxicitybenchmarks for marine aquatic life (pelagic fish, pelagic and benthic invertebrates) and a quantitative approach for evaluating the adverse effects of PFAS mixtures to aquatic life. The data gaps filled by our project will enable marine AFFF sites to move forward with ecological risk assessments (ERAs) within the site investigation process using sound, scientifically supported information.

 

These tasks will be conducted in a laboratory at NIWC Pacific in San Diego, CA. The student shall be involved in the preparation, performance and data analysis of laboratory-based toxicity testing, and with general laboratory maintenance.

Responsibilities

The student contractor shall provide analytical and technical support in the following areas as specified under individual task orders, to the work sponsor.

• Conducting standardized and experimental laboratory testing to evaluate PF AS toxicity and bioaccumulation, singly and in mixtures.
• Performing data analysis using Microsoft Excel and appropriate statistical software.
• Assisting with the development of lab exposure chambers using basic tools and parts/equipment that will be provided by the Government
• Maintaining laboratory facilities (e.g. washing glassware, calibration and maintenance of water quality meters and seawater system) and test organisms/cultures.
• Conducting relevant literature searches pertaining to the studies and participating in report preparation.
• Submit Monthly Status Reports and Bi-Weekly Time Reports in accordance with the base contract.

Qualifications

Undergraduate Student 3: Must have course work in the discipline requested on the task order Statement of Work. The student must be at the Senior level and have experience in 100% of the task requirements and be able to accomplish 90% of the work independently.

Minimum Qualifications Requirements:

• Area of Study: Majoring in Marine Biology, Biology and/or Chemistry (Sophomore or higher).
• Course Work:• Biological Research• Cellular Biology• Chemistry• Statistics

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Expertise with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and common statistical software.
• Interest and/or experience in engineering practices as well as software and hardware development.
• Desire person with strong work ethic, detail oriented, and good communication skills.
• Student available to work 10-20 hours per week during semester, and 15-40 hours per week during breaks preferred.

ADDITIONAL APPLICANT INFORMATION:

• This position will require the employee to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance
• Due to the reg