FDA Health Communications Research Fellowship

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 recommendation from whom you have worked on a health communication-related research project with. Your application will be considered incomplete, and will not be reviewed until one recommendation is submitted.
• Copies of submitted health communication-related research articles to peer-reviewed publications (Writing Sample)

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

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

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

A research opportunity is currently available in the Office of Communications/Immediate Office, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Silver Spring, Maryland.

This project located in The Office of Communications (OCOMM) Immediate Office (IO) will incorporate qualitative and quantitative research studies to provide scientific foundations for health and medical risk communication materials targeted for diverse stakeholders, including the general public, patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, the media, and Congress. The Drug Safety Communications is CDER's primary non-regulatory tool for communicating with patients and Health Care Professionals (HCP) about emerging safety issues that arise with drugs after they've been approved and are on the market. 

Under the guidance of a mentor the participant will learn about health knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors related to drugs via collection, synthesis, and analysis of primary and secondary data; learn how to design, develop, implement, and participate in new and existing qualitative and quantitative research studies; and train on conducting primary data collection from online and social media sites, and qualitative data and trend analysis and reporting of these data. The individual will gain experience in conducting mixed-method social/behavioral science health care and risk communication research projects, translating findings from these research studies into practical applications both for FDA and for external health and risk communicators, and learn how to systematically collect and analyze unstructured data from online and social media sites.

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 part-time (20 hours per week) 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 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:

• Interest in conducting online and social media research, analyzing quantitative data, including complex statistics, and using statistical software programs such as SPSS/SAS
• Familiarity with conducting both qualitative and quantitative social science health communication research, including focus group interviews, and surveys with experimental components
• Experience writing and submitting health communication-related research articles to peer-reviewed publications

• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
• Discipline(s):
  • Communications and Graphics Design (2 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (1 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (45 )