Chemistry Scientist – Cancer-Safe Firefighter Equipment Innovation Project (Volunteer)

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP) and Thread & Promise (Innovation and Design Division)

Location: Remote and/or New York City (depending on project needs)

Type: Volunteer (Unpaid)

Commitment: 5–10 hours per week

Recurrence: Recurring

Minimum Commitment: 6 months preferred

Volunteers Needed: 1

Eligibility: Must be based in the United States

About Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering children and

youth experiencing housing instability in New York City through mentorship, education, creative

expression, and community engagement.

Through its social-impact innovation and design division, Thread & Promise, MAP is expanding

its community-focused work into research and development initiatives addressing critical

public-health and safety challenges.

Project Overview

Cancer-Safe Firefighter Equipment Innovation Initiative

Firefighters are routinely exposed to complex mixtures of combustion products, smoke

particulates, hazardous chemicals, and contaminants that can accumulate on and within

protective equipment. Certain chemicals associated with firefighting PPE and its manufacturing,

treatment, cleaning, and degradation processes may also present occupational-health

concerns.

MAP and Thread & Promise are developing a research initiative focused on exploring safer

chemical formulations, treatments, coatings, polymers, and material systems for next-generation firefighter equipment.

The goal is to investigate alternatives that can reduce potentially hazardous chemical exposures

without compromising the thermal protection, durability, chemical resistance, flexibility, and

other performance requirements essential to firefighter safety.

This project brings together chemistry, materials science, occupational health, engineering, and

human-centered design to explore practical solutions for frontline responders.

About the Role

We are seeking a Chemistry Scientist to support the scientific research and development

components of the Cancer-Safe Firefighter Equipment Innovation Initiative.

The successful volunteer will help investigate the chemical composition and behavior of

materials and treatments used in firefighter PPE, identify chemicals of potential concern,

research safer alternatives, and help develop scientifically rigorous approaches for evaluating

candidate formulations.

This role is particularly well suited to a chemist interested in applied research, occupational

exposure reduction, safer chemistry, polymer chemistry, analytical chemistry, environmental

chemistry, or public-health innovation.

The Chemistry Scientist will collaborate with materials scientists, engineers, designers,

researchers, and community partners to translate chemical research into practical

recommendations for safer firefighter equipment.

Key Responsibilities

• Research the chemical composition of firefighter protective equipment, including

fabrics, coatings, membranes, adhesives, finishes, liners, foams, and other components.

• Investigate chemicals of potential occupational-health concern associated with

firefighter PPE and related manufacturing or treatment processes.

• Research PFAS-free, lower-toxicity, and safer-chemistry alternatives for protective

coatings, finishes, treatments, and functional materials.

• Evaluate the chemical properties and potential hazards of candidate materials and

formulations.

• Review scientific literature, toxicological data, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), regulatory

information, and relevant technical standards.

• Investigate chemical behavior under conditions relevant to firefighting, including high

temperatures, combustion, thermal degradation, smoke exposure, moisture, and

contamination.

• Assess potential chemical degradation products and identify areas requiring additional

laboratory or third-party testing.

• Support development of laboratory testing plans for chemical composition, migration,

degradation, emissions, and potential exposure pathways.

• Collaborate with the Materials Scientist and design team to evaluate how chemical

modifications may affect equipment performance.

• Help identify safer alternatives that balance toxicity reduction with thermal stability,

durability, chemical resistance, flexibility, and other PPE requirements.

• Research cleaning, decontamination, and maintenance chemistry relevant to firefighter

gear.

• Investigate whether cleaning agents, detergents, solvents, or treatments could

contribute to chemical exposure or material degradation.

• Help develop research protocols, comparison matrices, technical specifications, and

evidence-based material recommendation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Environmental

Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.

• Strong understanding of chemical properties, reactions, degradation mechanisms, and

material–chemical interactions.

• Ability to independently review and interpret peer-reviewed scientific literature and

technical documentation.

• Familiarity with chemical hazard assessment, toxicological information, or occupational

exposure concepts.

• Ability to evaluate chemical alternatives based on both hazard considerations and

functional performance.

• Strong analytical, research, writing, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to communicate technical chemistry concepts clearly to interdisciplinary

collaborators.

• Commitment to scientific integrity, public safety, occupational health, and community-

centered innovation.

Preferred Qualifications

The following experience is preferred but not required:

• Experience researching PFAS or fluorine-free alternatives.
• Experience with firefighter PPE, industrial PPE, textiles, coatings, or protective

equipment.

• Experience with chemical risk assessment or exposure science.
• Knowledge of thermal degradation, pyrolysis, combustion chemistry, or fire science.
• Experience with polymer additives, flame retardants, plasticizers, surfactants, or surface

treatments.

• Knowledge of green chemistry or safer-by-design principles.
• Experience interpreting SDS, chemical inventories, regulatory databases, or

occupational exposure information.

• Experience designing laboratory experiments or testing protocols.
• Experience collaborating with engineers, materials scientists, product designers, or

public-health researchers.

• Experience preparing scientific publications, technical reports, research proposals, or

white papers.

Commitment

• Volunteer, unpaid position.
• Approximately 5–10 hours per week, depending on project phase.
• Remote participation available.
• Hybrid participation in New York City may be possible depending on project needs.
• Flexible scheduling with weekly or bi-weekly virtual meetings.
• Minimum 6-month commitment preferred because of the technical and research depth

of the initiative.

• Volunteers should be able to respond to project communications within approximately

48 hours.

What You’ll Gain

• Opportunity to apply chemistry expertise to an emerging public-health and firefighter-

safety challenge.

• Experience contributing to a multidisciplinary social-impact R&D initiative.
• Opportunity to investigate safer chemical and material technologies with real-world

applications.

• Collaboration with scientists, engineers, designers, and community stakeholders.
• Potential opportunities for professional references and letters of recommendation

based on demonstrated contribution.

• Potential authorship or acknowledgment on research outputs, where appropriate and

consistent with contribution.

• A portfolio-ready research project addressing occupational health and public safety.
• Exposure to interdisciplinary research connecting chemistry, materials science, product

design, and public-health innovation.

Application Process

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist.

For additional questions or concerns, please contact:

hr@mentorapromise.org

We are looking for a scientist who believes chemistry can play a meaningful role in creating

safer technologies for the people who protect our communities.

Join us in exploring a future where firefighters can protect others without unnecessarily

compromising their own long-term health. Your chemistry expertise can help us identify safer

solutions—today and for generations to come.

Eligibility

At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals who are based in the United

States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements associated

with our work.

We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding