Careers

Description:

The Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP), in partnership with NSF International, is offering a paid internship project to students from National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) accredited programs. The NSF International Scholarship Program is a great opportunity for an undergraduate student to gain valuable experience in the environmental health field. The NSF Scholar will be selected by AEHAP and will spend 8-10 weeks (February - June, 2021) working on a research project identified by NSF International. Details on the project are below.
Founded in 1944, NSF International’s mission is to protect and improve global human health. Manufacturers, regulators and consumers look to us to develop public health standards and certifications that help protect food, water, consumer products and the environment. As an independent, accredited organization, we test, audit and certify products and systems as well as provide education and risk management.
To learn more about NSF International and AEHAP, please visit (www.nsf.org) and (www.aehap.org).

More details on this research project can be found here:
https://www.aehap.org/

The applicant shall work with a professor from their degree program who will serve as a mentor/supervisor. The professor will agree to monitor the progress of the internship and to consult with or guide the student in the design and conduct of the research project.
The winning scholar will be announced January 31, 2021 and work for 8-10 weeks on the project between February and June 2021.

Deliverables:
 Obtain institutional permission (i.e. institutional review board approval) to conduct research upon being selected as internship recipient;
 At the end of the internship, the student shall submit an acceptable written report describing the findings of the research project;
 Working with the professor/mentor, the student writes a publishable paper describing the key findings of the research and methodologies. AEHAP will submit the paper for print in various environmental health publications as well as make it available on the aehap.org website;
 The student shall present the results of their research at the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Conference in Spokane, Washington on a date between July 12-15, 2021.

The internship provides:
 An opportunity to understand how codes and standards relate to environmental health and safety.
 An opportunity to interact with environmental health professionals through research.
 An opportunity to work closely with a local health department.

Details on the research project:

This project will focus on examining certain measures that are utilized in the prevention of and response to legionellosis outbreaks. Students can select one of two options for the focus of their work.
Option one relates to water management plans (WMP) for health care facilities that are required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Key items to address are the prevalence of WMPs, the development process, confidence in the development and implementation of WMPs, and realized and/or perceived effectiveness.

Option two is to be centered on legislative and/or regulatory requirements for the registration of cooling towers. Here we would like to better understand the prevalence of cooling tower registration and maintenance programs, the need and support for such programs, and the realized and/or perceived value of these programs in reducing legionella outbreaks and investigation response times.
Prior to beginning the research, the award winner and their sponsoring faculty member should contact the NSF award coordinator (provided by AEHAP) to further discuss the option they would like to pursue and scope of the work.

Funding:
The student will receive a $3,500 stipend split in two installments. The first $1,750 will be awarded after the first month of the internship and the final installment of $1,750 will be sent after the student has submitted their final research paper to the AEHAP office. In addition, the scholar’s travel costs and registration fee to attend the NEHA conference will be reimbursed. The sponsoring faculty member will receive a $500 stipend after the final paper is submitted. This stipend covers overseeing the applicant’s internship, written report, research project and final report.

The student will be asked to sign a letter of agreement to the conduct and complete the internship and the mentor will be asked to sign an agreement to provide support to the scholar. Both the scholar and mentor will also be asked to complete an evaluation of their experiences.

Compensation: yes

Applicant Qualifications:
 Junior or Senior in an EHAC accredited undergraduate program (for list of eligible programs see: http://www.ehacoffice.org/accred-prog/under- prog.php);
 Good written and oral presentation skills;
 Interest in independent research and ability to work independently;
 Desire to work with Environmental Health Practitioners at the state and local levels;
 Excellent academic performance and good organizational skills.

How to Apply: The applicant should submit the following: Cover page:
 Name;
 Current mailing address, phone and e-mail address;
 Name of school, year in school (Junior, Senior); and
 The name/title of the Professor/Advisor agreeing to mentor on the project, their, mailing address, phone and email address.
Attachments:
(1) A cover letter explaining your qualifications and a proposed plan for executing the research project.
(2) At least one letter of reference.
(3) A letter from your Supervisor, Advisor or Professor indicating their agreement to assist in your research and preparation.
(4) A letter from a local health department agreeing to host you for the duration of the research project.
(5) A brief statement on what environmental health and public health courses you will have completed prior to the start of the internship.

For an example of a recent NSF Scholar Final Report and an example of an
Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs
www.aehap.org
859-622-6330
Page 4
application research paper, click on the links below:
NSF Abstract Example
NSF Scholar’s Report

Please email your application in pdf format to Dr. Clint Pinion, RS, AEHAP NSF International Scholar Committee Chair: clint.pinoin@eku.edu