FDA Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genetic & Molecular Toxicology

Organization
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Reference Code
FDA-NCTR-2021-0011
How to Apply

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A complete application consists of:

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

If you have questions, send an email to ORISE.FDA.NCTR@orau.org. Please include the reference code for this opportunity in your email.

Application Deadline
8/26/2021 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

A postdoctoral fellowship opportunity is currently available with the Division of Genetic and Molecular Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Jefferson Laboratories Campus located in Jefferson, Arkansas.

Research efforts will include participation in multi-disciplinary efforts in a nationally recognized training program in support of the FDA’s mission and be trained to conduct fundamental and applied research designed to elucidate mechanisms of toxicity and support risk-assessment for chemicals of interest to the FDA. Through these fellowships, the selected participants will have the opportunity to learn and apply different molecular tools, and genotoxicity and mutagenicity assays to address public health-related issues and gain experience in their use geared towards the advancement of regulatory science. While participating in the projects, the participants will be actively encouraged to present the research at internal and external conferences and publish the findings in peer-reviewed journals.

The selected participant will be trained under Dr. Tao Chen and his team to perform a genotoxicity evaluation of nitrosamines, possible human carcinogens existing in medicines as drug impurities, using different mutation assays, such as transgenic rodent mutation assays, duplex sequencing, and whole genome sequencing. In addition, the fellow will have an opportunity to work on gene expression data generated via RNA sequencing and microRNA sequencing of rat tissues treated with genotoxic and epigenetic carcinogens.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 1, 2021; start date is flexible

This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and FDA. The initial appointment is for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of FDA contingent on the availability of funds. The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. The appointment is full-time at FDA in the Jefferson, Arkansas, area. Participants do not become employees of FDA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.

Completion of a successful background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management is required for an applicant to be on-boarded at FDA.  OPM can complete a background investigation only for individuals, including non-US Citizens, who have resided in the US for a total of three of the past five years.

FDA requires ORISE participants to read and sign their FDA Education and Training Agreement within 30 days of his/her start date, setting forth the conditions and expectations for his/her educational appointment at the agency.  This agreement covers such topics as the following:

  • Non-employee nature of the ORISE appointment;
  • Prohibition on ORISE Fellows performing inherently governmental functions;
  • Obligation of ORISE Fellows to convey all necessary rights to the FDA regarding intellectual property conceived or first reduced to practice during their fellowship;
  • The fact that research materials and laboratory notebooks are the property of the FDA;
  • ORISE fellow’s obligation to protect and not to further disclose or use non-public information.
Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing the degree with completion by November 1, 2021. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred skills:

  • Previous experience with next generation sequencing
  • Basic knowledge of biology such as cell biology and molecular biology and toxicology
  • Basic laboratory skills and molecular biological techniques such as cell culture, DNA and RNA isolation, PCR, real-time PCR
  • Demonstrated written and oral communication skills, able to interpret and analyze research results in publication formats
  • Interpersonal skills in collaborative projects and interacting with diverse personnel both internally and externally
  • Proficiency in both spoken and written English
Eligibility Requirements
  • Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 11/1/2021 11:59:00 PM.
  • Discipline(s):
    • Environmental and Marine Sciences (2 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (46 )