ASPPH/EPA Environmental Health Fellowship 2027
The ASPPH/EPA Environmental Health Fellowship Program is the pipeline ASPPH runs with the US Environmental Protection Agency for early-career public health professionals who want a year inside federal environmental policy. Fellows work full time at EPA headquarters in the Washington, DC area or at EPA laboratories and regional offices nationwide, mentored by staff working on rulemaking, research, and environmental health protection. The 2025 cycle paid a $62,285 training stipend for master''s-level fellows and $75,835 for fellows with advanced graduate degrees such as a PhD, MD, or DrPH, plus a $10,000 general fellowship allowance for health insurance premiums and approved project travel. Applications typically open in December and close in late January, with October starts. For the 2027 cohort, expect a late-January 2027 deadline unless ASPPH posts different dates.
What is the ASPPH/EPA Environmental Health Fellowship?
The ASPPH/EPA Environmental Health Fellowship Program is how ASPPH member schools feed fresh MPH and DrPH talent into the Environmental Protection Agency for a year of real federal training. EPA needs analysts who understand exposure science, health communication, and the regulatory mechanics behind clean air and water rules; ASPPH runs the application portal and pays the training stipend while agency staff host the day-to-day work.
Money matters when you are comparing this to a postdoc or a state health department job. Master''s-level fellows have seen a $62,285 training stipend in recent cycles, while fellows with doctorates or other advanced degrees such as an MD or DrPH have seen $75,835, plus a $10,000 general fellowship allowance aimed at health insurance premiums and approved travel. The appointment is full time, usually starting around October, and most desks sit in the Washington, DC area even though EPA can place you at a laboratory or regional office elsewhere.
Eligibility is tighter than a generic "public health grad" filter. You need a degree within the past five years from a CEPH-accredited program that is also an ASPPH member, and you apply when ASPPH opens the portal in December. The 2025 competition closed 29 January at 11:59 p.m. ET, so plan on a similar late-January 2027 deadline until the association posts official dates.
If you want another federal-adjacent environmental training path, skim the Harvard Environmental Fellows Program guide for a university postdoc model, or the IEEE-USA Government Fellowship guide if you are an engineer eyeing Capitol Hill instead of EPA headquarters.
Eligibility
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✓Graduate of an ASPPH member school within five yearsEPA and ASPPH limit the program to professionals who earned a public health degree within the past five years from a Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)-accredited school or program that is an ASPPH member.
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✓Interest in environmental public health at EPAFellowships target early-career training on current and emerging environmental health needs at EPA, from toxicology and exposure science to policy development.
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✓Availability for a full-time one-year appointmentPositions are full-time training fellowships, usually starting around October, based primarily in the Washington, DC area but sometimes at EPA labs or regional offices.
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✓US work authorizationConfirm citizenship or work authorization requirements in the active ASPPH application instructions each cycle before you invest in references and essays.
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✓Willingness to relocate to the duty stationMost placements sit in the DC metro area, though EPA may assign fellows to laboratories or regional offices elsewhere in the country.
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✓Commitment to complete the fellowship yearASPPH describes the appointment as a one-year training period with a possible one-year extension in some cases, subject to EPA need and funding.
Benefits
- Training stipend (master's) $62,285 annually
- Training stipend (advanced degree) $75,835 annually
- General fellowship allowance $10,000 for insurance and travel
- EPA mentorship National experts in environmental health
- Possible second year Extension in some cases
- Federal employee salary scale Fellows are trainees, not permanent EPA staff
- Health insurance premiums Primary intended use
- Approved project travel Allowed from allowance
- Training and professional dues May be approved
- Relocation to DC Not a separate paid benefit
Document checklist
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✓ASPPH online applicationApply through the portal ASPPH opens each December. Follow the checklist for essays, CV uploads, and program-specific questions.
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✓Curriculum vitae or resumeHighlight public health coursework, environmental health experience, data skills, and any prior federal or policy internships.
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✓Official transcriptsSubmit records from your CEPH-accredited public health program as required in the active cycle instructions.
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✓Personal statement or essay promptsAddress why EPA environmental health work fits your training and career goals. Tie examples to EPA mission areas such as air, water, or chemical safety.
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✓Letters of recommendationSecure references from faculty or supervisors who can speak to your readiness for a federal training fellowship.
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✓Placement preferences if requestedSome cycles ask about EPA office or topic interests. Research EPA centers and regional labs before you rank choices.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the ASPPH/EPA Environmental Health Fellowship?
A one-year, full-time training fellowship co-sponsored by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Recent public health graduates work at EPA on environmental health policy and science under staff mentors.
How much does the ASPPH/EPA fellowship pay?
Published ASPPH materials list a $62,285 annual training stipend for master's-level fellows and $75,835 for fellows with advanced graduate degrees such as a PhD, MD, or DrPH. Fellows also receive a $10,000 general fellowship allowance for health insurance and approved expenses.
Who is eligible for the ASPPH/EPA Environmental Health Fellowship?
Graduates within the past five years from CEPH-accredited schools and programs of public health that belong to ASPPH. Placements focus on early-career professionals ready for EPA training assignments.
When is the ASPPH/EPA fellowship application deadline?
ASPPH opens applications in December each year. The 2025 cycle closed 29 January at 11:59 p.m. ET. Expect a similar late-January deadline for the 2027 cohort and confirm on aspph.org.
Where do ASPPH/EPA fellows work?
Most fellows sit in EPA offices in the Washington, DC area, but assignments can also land at EPA laboratories or regional offices across the country depending on host need.
Can the ASPPH/EPA fellowship be extended?
EPA and ASPPH describe the core appointment as one year with a possible one-year extension in some cases, subject to funding and office need. Treat the first year as the guaranteed term.
Is the ASPPH/EPA fellowship the same as an EPA job?
No. It is a structured training fellowship administered by ASPPH with EPA hosts. Fellows train under EPA staff but are not permanent federal employees in the usual civil-service sense.
What can I use the $10,000 fellowship allowance for?
ASPPH designates the allowance primarily for health insurance premium costs during the fellowship year. It may also cover approved project-related travel, training, journal subscriptions, or association dues per program rules.
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