Click on Apply below to begin your application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis, and mentors will select candidates as projects become available. 

Located within the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) serves as the lead program office for advancing the study of dietary supplements. The mission of ODS is to coordinate cutting-edge dietary supplement research across NIH and the federal government to foster knowledge and optimize health across the lifespan. 

What will I be doing?

As an ORISE fellow, the participant will study closely with the Director of ODS, Dr. Stefan Pasiakos. The participant will learn from Dr. Pasiakos as he leads the development and conduct of new research activities that expand upon the office’s existing long-standing partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD), including collaborations with the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) at Uniformed Services University, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), and related academic institutions.
The fellow will also: 

• Learn how to develop an NIH or National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine workshop-type activity to identify critical research gaps and opportunities for action that address the role of dietary supplements in the health and performance of U.S. military personnel.

• Learn how to conduct systematic reviews, meta-analyses, population-level analyses, and drafting of related manuscripts for peer-review publication that explore the current state of the science pertaining to dietary supplements and one of the following: musculoskeletal adaptations to physical activity, diet, and sleep in military-aged individuals, also musculoskeletal injuries, modern weight loss drugs, and other possible topics.

• Learn how the NIH can develop a new cross-agency programmatic effort to identify nutrient deficiencies, suboptimal nutrient intake, and dietary supplement usage patterns, efficacy, or risks associated with their use in youth populations who may be eligible or ineligible for military service, especially those who are underserved and experiencing health disparities.  

• Observe dietary supplement related program activities and summarize key points for ODS staff when possible and appropriate. 

Why should I apply?

The fellow would grow professionally by learning how NIH stimulates research while also making connections with the leading experts in this field. The experiences gained by participating in this program will enhance career opportunities in government and research. This is a unique opportunity that will provide the fellow an unmatched opportunity to gain experience and a depth of knowledge pertaining to the federal dietary supplement and related nutrition landscape, build expansive networks, and learn from subject matter experts across the field.

Location

This program is on-site in Bethesda, Maryland. Fellows may be granted permission for hybrid and remote participation.

What are the provisions?

Participants will receive a competitive stipend. Participants may also be eligible to receive a health insurance allowance and/or reimbursement for professional travel expenses.

Appointment dates

The Office of Dietary Supplements is ready to make appointments immediately. Exact start dates will be determined at the time of selection and in coordination with the selected applicant. Applications are reviewed on an on-going basis and appointments will be offered as qualified candidates are identified. Appointments are one year with a possibility for extension.

Nature of the Appointment

This program, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (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 the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Participants do not become employees of NIH, ODS, ORAU, ORISE, DOE, or any other agency, and there are no employment-related benefits. Instead, the participant will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE appointment letter and Terms of Appointment.

While participants will not enter into an employment relationship, this opportunity will require a suitability/background investigation by NIH. Any offer made is considered tentative, pending favorable outcome of the investigation.

Candidate should have:

• Recently earned or will have earned by the appointment start, a doctoral degree in the nutritional sciences, exercise physiology, epidemiology, public health, psychology, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated proficiency with written and oral communication required.
• Ability to participate independently and in collaborative team environments.

A complete application consists of:

• Complete Zintellect profile

• Complete Application questions 

• Current Resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, and relevant experiences

• Transcripts/Academic Records - Recent unofficial transcripts or copies of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institutional systems may be submitted to complete the application, if a copy of the official transcript is not available at the time of application. Transcripts/Academic Records must include the name of the academic institution, name of the student, completed/in progress coursework and grades.  If you are selected, you will be required to provide a copy of your official transcript before the appointment can start.

• One (1) Academic or Professional Recommendation - Applicants are required to provide contact information for at least one recommendation in order to submit the application.  Recommenders will be asked to complete a recommendation through the Zintellect system, and must complete it before the application is considered complete.  Applications without a completed recommendation will not be reviewed.  The recommendation should address a candidate's academic record, scientific capabilities, personal characteristics, and potential for success.  The recommendation must be submitted through the Zintellect application system. Recommendations submitted via email will not be accepted.    

All documents must be submitted via Zintellect, and must be in English or include an official English translation. All application components must be received in the system in order to be considered. Documents must have all social security numbers, student identification numbers, and/or dates of birth removed (blanked out, blackened out, made illegible, etc.) prior to uploading into the application system.  Incomplete applications will not be considered. Supporting materials must be uploaded as PDF files to ensure the document can be searched by Zintellect’s search engine. Documents sent by email, postal mail, or fax will not be considered.  

If you have questions, send an email to NIHprograms@orau.org. Please include the reference code (NIH-ODS-2024-0001) for this opportunity in the subject or body of your email. 

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• Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
• Discipline(s):
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (6 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 )
• Age: Must be 18 years of age

I affirm that if I am selected and I have not received my Doctoral degree at the time of selection that I will receive my degree within 3 months of that date.