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• 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. Your application will be considered incomplete, and will not be reviewed until one recommendation is submitted.

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

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

HHS Office and Location: A fellowship opportunity is currently available in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) located in Washington, DC. 

The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services.

Research Project:  Calling all Innovators: The Innovation X Team at HHS is looking for an ORISE participant to contribute to our portfolio in Kidney Innovation. The ideal candidate will be involved in the highly successful Kidney X Public-Private Partnership between the US Department of Health and Human Services and the American Society for Nephrology, with a passion for disrupting change related to kidney health, prevention, and treatment.

Kidney failure is unique in American healthcare as the only major health condition that qualifies for Medicare absent age. The human cost of kidney disease is tremendous, affecting 37 million Americans, disproportionately people of color. The fiscal cost is also enormous, with $36 billion taxpayer dollars each year spent on dialysis – a form of treatment that has not progressed significantly in decades. The Fellow will be involved in representing the Innovation X Team’s interests in a key public private partnership that has the potential to transform what is possible for these patients.

Learning Objectives: 

• Helping develop and deliver a scientifically-grounded strategy to usher in a step-change in lifesaving technologies and treatments, pulling expertise from multiple federal agencies and collaborating across the private, philanthropic, and academic sectors
• Collaborating with federal, private, philanthropic, and academic partners to deploy successful novel open innovation approaches to advance kidney care
• Using excellent communication skills to brief both technical and non-technical audiences, including executive-level briefings, advancing the objectives of KidneyX both inside and outside government
• Applying strategic thinking and leadership skills to execute on high-level policy decisions, ensuring program execution and momentum

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Alexander Wilson (alexander.wilson@hhs.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 2021. 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 HHS 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. A health insurance allowance will be provided. A training allowance will also be provided with sufficient justification. No relocation allowance will be provided.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and HHS. Participants do not become employees of HHS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email HHSrpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years. 

Preferred skills: 

• Demonstrated leadership skills and experience leading diverse, interdisciplinary groups in a way that yields transformative results
• Excellent strategic planning with critical thinking and problem solving skills
• Demonstrated project management skills with ability to develop and execute multi-pronged strategies with concurrent, interdependent activities
• Excellent writing communication skills to brief both technical and non-technical audiences, including executive-level briefings
• Demonstrated ability to transform policy, science, and data into real-world impact
• Experience working with public health challenges and/or interdisciplinary systems transformation

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 month(s).
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (1 )
  • Communications and Graphics Design (1 )
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (2 )
  • Engineering (4 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (18 )
  • Mathematics and Statistics (1 )
  • Physics (1 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (5 )