FDA Office and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) is one Center within the Food and Drug Administration, an Agency within the United States Government's Department of Health and Human Services. CBER's mission is to protect and enhance the public health through the regulation of biological and related products including blood, vaccines, allergenics, tissues, and cellular and gene therapies.

Research Project: The extensive diversity and rapid evolution of RNA viruses pose significant challenges to the development and implementation of effective vaccines and therapeutics. High mutation rates enable these viruses to evade immunity acquired through prior infection or vaccination, underscoring the importance of identifying conserved viral regions capable of eliciting broadly protective antibody responses. However, such conserved epitopes are often immunologically subdominant, complicating universal vaccine design. Influenza A virus provides a well-established example, where immune responses preferentially target variable regions of the hemagglutinin (HA) head rather than conserved stem epitopes. Similarly, noroviruses exhibit substantial genetic diversity and immunodominance patterns skewed toward variable capsid regions.

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, you will engage in learning research focused on understanding antibody responses to conserved and variable epitopes in rapidly evolving RNA viruses, with an emphasis on norovirus and influenza. You will gain experience and training by collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to analyze archival human serum samples and animal model specimens in order to characterize cross-reactive, neutralizing antibody responses. Through hands-on experience with advanced single-cell technologies and next-generation sequencing platforms, including LIBRA-seq, you will gain expertise in investigating B cell repertoires and identify broadly reactive antibodies.

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Gabriel Parra (Gabriel.Parra@FDA.hhs.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of FDA and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is full time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. 

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) only.

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 participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. 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 Ethics Requirements

If an ORISE Fellow, to include their spouse and minor children, reports what is identified as a Significantly Regulated Organization (SRO) or prohibited investment fund financial interest in any amount, or a relationship with an SRO, except for spousal employment with an SRO, and the individual will not voluntarily divest the financial interest or terminate the relationship, then the individual is not placed at FDA. For additional requirements, see FDA Ethics for Nonemployee Scientists. 

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.