Population Health and Data Science T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellow - PM&R

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine; Richmond (VA); Hybride; USD 57 000 - 70 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Hybrid work arrangement

Benefits eligible

Résumé du poste

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine seeks postdoctoral scholars for an NIH‑funded NRSA T32 training program in translational population health and data science. The program runs two years with hybrid work options, mentorship across disciplines, and access to large CMS/VA datasets for real-world evidence translation.

Applicants must hold a PhD/ScD or MD/DO and have strong data analytics, dataset management, and publication track records.

Qualifications

• Requires PhD/ScD or MD/DO.
• Knowledge of population health and big data analytics.
• Proficiency in developing, navigating and maintaining datasets.
• Excellent initiation, interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication, both oral and written.
• Publication history in health or big data analytics.
• Commitment to improving lives of Veterans and civilians.

Responsabilités

• Participate in two-year training activities.
• Develop competencies in real-world evidence translation for service members, Veterans and civilians.
• Disseminate study findings via peer‑reviewed publications and presentations.
• Contribute to development of translational population health and data science research studies.

Connaissances

Population health

Big data analytics

Data management

Communication skills

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Formation

PhD/ScD or MD/DO

Description du poste

Advertising Summary

At VCU, we take pride in our deep commitment to our postdoctoral community. In 2026, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) named VCU as one of only 12 recipients of its inaugural Institutional Policy Awards, in recognition of our transformative efforts to elevate quality of life and workplace equity for postdocs. VCU postdocs are Virginia state employees, with benefits mirroring 12-month faculty. We adhere closely to the NPA’s guidelines for best practices in postdoc training. We work closely with our local NPA chapter, the VCU Postdoc Association, to make this a welcoming and productive place to complete your training!

Unit

School Of Medicine MBU

Department

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Background

Department Summary: We are recruiting postdoctoral scholars for the NIH-funded T32 Postdoctoral Training Program in Translational Population Health and Data Science Using Service Member, Veteran and Civilian Healthcare Datasets. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the Central Virginia VA Health Care System have partnered to create a unique big data analytics post-doctoral training program that includes didactic and experiential learning and training in use of large Veteran as well as civilian datasets. The program includes development and implementation of advanced analytics methods, not limited to machine learning methods and Artificial Intelligence. As the Commonwealth’s capital, Richmond, Virginia, offers a vibrant mix of history, culture and real-world opportunities. Distinct neighborhoods, cozy restaurants and cafes and quaint local markets give the city an intimate feel, but theaters, galleries, music festivals, sports attractions and a steady stream of annual events bring RVA – as locals call the region – to life.

Description Of The Opportunity

This T32 program will prepare postdoctoral fellows with the skills and competencies in Big Data Analytics (BDA) methods and techniques to support Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM). The datasets that will be available to the new T32 fellows will be among the largest in U.S. health care. The VA Corporate Data Warehouse holds detailed health care records on approximately 25 million veterans spanning the past 25 years, with roughly 4 billion additional data points added each day. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services datasets, housed at VCU through the Center for Rehabilitation Science and Engineering Data Hub, cover more than 65 million Americans enrolled annually in Medicare programs. The training program is co-led by Virginia Commonwealth University and Central Virginia Veterans Affairs Health Care System. The overarching objective of this 5‑year T32 training program is to recruit and train a skilled cohort of postdoctoral fellows (MD, DO, PhD, ScD) who will develop competencies and build capacity in real‑world evidence translation for service members, Veterans and civilians using population health and data science approaches.

Potential Novel Areas Of Focus Include

• Health services utilization and outcomes for beneficiaries on Medicare and Medicaid programs
• Assessing health of service members transitioning from DoD to VA care
• Exploring healthcare utilization and outcomes of dually‑enrolled (CMS/VA) Veterans
• Harmonizing CMS-VA-DOW datasets to understand the complex needs and outcomes of these populations
• Comparing risk and protective factors for healthcare utilization and outcomes between civilians and military veterans
• Informing civilian population and individual‑level interventions, research programs, and policy
• Examining quality of services across military, veteran and civilian healthcare systems

Program Activities

Our program will recruit fellows from both PhD/ScD and MD/DO tracks. Each fellow will participate in two years of training activities.

Upon Training Program Completion, Each Fellow Is Expected To

• understand responsible conduct of research with use of population health datasets, claims, survey data, and data from Electronic Health Records (EHR),
• develop grant writing skills needed to be competitive for external grant funding,
• understand the fundamentals of translational population health and data science research studies in terms of study design, dataset identification, data management and analysis, and dissemination of results,
• perform hypothesis‑driven translational research by developing a multi‑disciplinary team,
• disseminate study findings via scientific peer‑reviewed publications/presentations, and
• complete coursework and training in the design and conduct of rigorous, controlled research studies.

Mentoring Team

Fellows will also work with a combination of mentors from different health domains and those with methodological expertise from the VCU schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Public Health; the College of Engineering; the College of Health Professions; and Central Virginia Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Together, program mentors hold $20 million in active annual research funding. The complete list of available mentors is on the CERSE website at https://pmr.vcu.edu/research/data-hub/.

Program Timeline And Goals

The T32 BDA Fellowship is a two-year fellowship. Applicants will be reviewed as they are received until slots are filled.

Eligibility

Applicants must complete all PhD graduation requirements including dissertation defense prior to their start date. T32 scholars must adhere to the NIH NRSA eligibility requirements, which require candidates to be US citizens or permanent residents.

Required Qualifications/Experience

• Requires completion of a PhD/ScD or MD/DO training
• Knowledge of population health, big data analytics or a health domain that could benefit from big data research
• Proficiency in developing, navigating and maintaining datasets
• Evidence of excellent initiation, interpersonal and organizational skills
• Evidence of excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Publication history in health or big data analytics
• Interest and commitment to improving the lives of Veterans as well as civilians
• Evidence of working well as part of a research project or team
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a supportive faculty, staff, and student environment and a commitment to do so as a Post‑Doctoral Fellow at VCU.

Position Details

As determined by the T32 budget, fellows will be hired as a postdoctoral research fellow with an entry level postdoctoral fellow salary according to the current National Research Service Awards (NRSA) stipend levels https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-26-044.html. A successful candidate for the position is expected to reside in the Richmond, VA area. Hybrid‑remote and flexible work arrangements are available if they do not interfere with the candidate’s research and training.

Benefits

All VCU employee types are eligible for a wide array of benefits to support you during your employment at VCU. Consult the benefits website for information on benefits eligibility according to employee type.

Salary Range

$63,480

FLSA Exemption Status

Exempt

ORP Eligible

Yes

Restricted Position

This is a restricted position with no set end date; continued employment is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance.

Flexible Work Arrangement

Hybrid

Contact Information

Contact Name: Joshua Hahn

Contact Email: [e-mail]