FDA Fellowship in Malaria Parasite Gene Regulation

Organization
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Reference Code
FDA-CBER-2021-0015
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.CBER@orau.org. Please include the reference code for this opportunity in your email.

Description

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis, and this opportunity will remain open until filled.

Two research opportunities are currently available with the Office of Vaccines Research and Review (OVRR), at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) located in Silver Spring, Maryland.

One selected fellow will perform experiments on the molecular characterization of the proteins involved in post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms during various stages of parasite development. This is a pioneering project that seeks to define the global post-transcriptional regulatory processes involved in parasite transmission. The results of these studies will help establish the essential RNA-binding proteins that promote parasite development and lay the groundwork to identify novel targets for both chemotherapeutic or vaccine interventions.

One selected fellow will contribute to the bioinformatic design and implementation of computational pipelines for the analysis of bulk, targeted and and single cell RNAseq datasets. These datasets will be generated from the human malaria parasite at various stages of development, under different environmental conditions, and/or bound to proteins of interest.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: As soon as a qualified candidate is identified

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 Silver Spring, Maryland, 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 be currently pursuing or have received a master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills:

  • Tissue culturing
  • RNA-sequencing
  • Proteomics
  • Bioinformatics (Python, R)
  • Strong written and oral communication skills
Eligibility Requirements
  • Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
  • Discipline(s):
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (46 )
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