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A complete application consists of:      

• An application
• Transcripts – Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• One educational or professional recommendation

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

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

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

FDA Office and Location: Ther are up to 14 fellowship opportunities currently available with the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), located in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Research Project: Selected participants will join research projects focused on the development of methods and tools in support of our regulatory science efforts in evaluating computational pathology (CPATH) devices. As a fellow, you will have the opportunity to learn about the assessment of artificial intelligence models applied to whole slide images, with a focus on CPATH imaging AI pipeline and cutting-edge technologies such as vision and language foundation models in segmentation/classification/quantification/chatbot tasks.

Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of an FDA mentor, you will:

• Develop comprehensive expertise in evaluating artificial intelligence algorithms applied to whole slide images, including understanding performance metrics and validation framework
• Gain Proficiency in imaging AI pipeline development and optimization
• Acquire hands-on experience in designing, implementing, and optimizing computational pathology workflows from image acquisition through analysis output with understanding pre-processing techniques
• Learn about cutting-edge vision and language foundation models for pathology applications, including their implementation in segmentation, classification, quantification, and conversational AI tasks

Mentor: The mentor(s) for this opportunity are Aldo Badano (aldo.badano@fda.hhs.gov) and Weijie Chen (weijie.chen@fda.hhs.gov) . If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Spring 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, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.

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.

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

The qualified candidate should have received a master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g., Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science) with preferred research experience in artificial intelligence and digital pathology whole slide image analysis. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Candidates with research experience in artificial intelligence and digital pathology whole slide image analysis are encouraged to apply.

Additional preferred skills:

• Python programming
• Pathology whole slide image analysis
• Machine learning, especially generative adversarial networks
• Oral presentations and writing research papers 

• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 5/31/2026 11:59:00 PM.
• Discipline(s):
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (17 )
  • Engineering (29 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (3 )
  • Mathematics and Statistics (11 )
  • Physics (16 )

I am a U.S. citizen, or I have lived in the United States for at least 36 out of the past 60 months. (36 months do not have to be consecutive.)
and
I have read the FDA Ethics Requirements.