FDA Data Science Fellowship - Bioinformatics and AI/Machine Learning

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; Silver Spring (MD); On-site; USD 28,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

FDA's OBPV program in Silver Spring, Maryland, is hosted through ORISE under an ORAU contract. A research opportunity focuses on developing AI/ML and bioinformatics tools within HPC frameworks and large omics datasets.

Master's or PhD in relevant fields is required or in-progress; the appointment is typically for one year with possible renewal. Stipend is provided commensurate with education and experience.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in a relevant field or near completion with degree within 5 years.
• Strong programming in Python and AI/ML libraries.
• Experience with Linux and bioinformatics concepts.

Responsibilities

• Develop scientific, structural biology, bioinformatics, and AI/ML algorithms.
• Adapt and optimize existing analytical tools for performance and scalability.
• Maintain and test applications for bugs, security, and reliability.
• Contribute to HPC environment maintenance and automation.
• Work with large-scale omics datasets (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics).

Skills

Python

AI/ML

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Pandas

NumPy

R

Linux

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Master's or PhD in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology/AI/ML/CS

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Pandas

NumPy

AlphaFold

Job description

Organization

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Reference Code

FDA-CBER-2026-0090

Application Deadline

1/4/2027 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Application Requirements

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

If you have questions, send an email to [e-mail]. Please include the reference code for this opportunity in your email.

Description

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

FDA Office and Location

A research opportunity is currently available in the Office of Biostatistics and Pharmacovigilance (OBPV) at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Food and 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

You will contribute to the development of novel scientific, structural biology, bioinformatics, and AI/machine learning algorithms, as well as the adaptation and optimization of existing tools. This research aligns with CBER’s efforts to enhance the development, operations, and management of FDA’s High-performance Integrated Virtual Environment (HIVE) infrastructure and scientific computing environment.

The opportunity involves building and improving applications that compute, analyze, and interpret biological and scientific data, including large-scale omics datasets, within high-performance computing (HPC) environments.

Learning Objectives

• Develop and implement novel scientific, structural biology, bioinformatics, and AI/ML algorithms
• Optimize and adapt existing analytical tools for performance and scalability
• Suggest and implement new software solutions and computational tools
• Maintain, support, and test applications for bugs, redundancies, and security issues
• Standardize and automate application-level processes
• Maintain and improve components of the bioinformatics, structural biology, and AI-focused HPC environment
• Gain experience working with large-scale biological datasets, including genomics, transcriptomics (bulk and single cell), and proteomics data

Mentor

The mentor for this opportunity is Luis Santana-Quintero ([e-mail]). 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, 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.

Program Administration

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.

Background Investigation

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.

Qualifications

Applicants should have received a master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant disciplines (e.g. Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, AI/ML, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related field), or be currently pursuing one of the degrees with completion before the appointment start date. The degree must have been received within 5 years of the appointment start date.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with Python and relevant scientific/AI libraries (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Pandas, NumPy)
• Experience with R or other object-oriented programming languages
• Experience with Linux environments and shell scripting
• Knowledge of bioinformatics concepts such as sequence alignment, clustering, and omics data analysis
• Knowledge of structural biology concepts, including protein structure, macromolecular interactions, and structure-function relationships
• Familiarity with protein structure prediction and analysis tools (e.g., AlphaFold or related methods) and/or molecular visualization and structural analysis tools
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication skills

Point of Contact

Richard

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
• Discipline(s):
• Communications and Graphics Design
  • Science Writing
• Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (17)
• Engineering (27)
• Life Health and Medical Sciences (48)
• Mathematics and Statistics (11)
• Physics (16)

Affirmation

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.)