FDA Postdoctoral Fellowship in New Approach Methodologies (NAMs)

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

FDA Office and Location: A research opportunity is available immediately with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), The National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) located in Jefferson, Arkansas.

The National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), is the only FDA Center located outside the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The one-million square foot research campus in Jefferson, Arkansas plays an important role in the missions of FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services to promote and protect public health.

Research Project: You will join a project with the aim to conduct research investigating donor variability in human respiratory toxicity responses to chemical irritants using air–liquid interface (ALI) airway epithelial cultures. This project supports the FDA’s goal of advancing predictive, human-relevant alternative testing methods to improve chemical risk assessment and reduce reliance on animal testing.

You will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of scientists, including biostatisticians, computational toxicologists, and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelers, who will analyze experimental data to develop dose–response models, perform in vitro–to–in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) analyses, and establish predictive toxicological frameworks. You will contribute to experimental design discussions and assist in generating high-quality datasets suitable for downstream computational and statistical analyses.

Learning Objectives: You will receive training in designing, planning, conducting, analyzing, and reporting highly specialized research in respiratory toxicology, in vitro models, and alternative toxicological testing approaches. In this opportunity, You will learn to:

• Participate in the design, analysis, and reporting of laboratory research while developing skills in advanced cell culture techniques, Air-Liquid Interface (ALI) airway epithelial culture systems, aerosol exposure technologies, toxicological assays, next-generation sequencing, and data analysis approaches.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary scientists, including biostatisticians, computational toxicologists, and PBPK modelers, to support dose-response modeling, IVIVE analyses, and predictive toxicology framework development.
• Analyze and communicate research findings through scientific reports, manuscripts, publishable papers, and oral presentations.

Through the program, you will also strengthen scientific writing, data presentation, communication, and critical-thinking skills within a regulatory science research environment.

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Yiying Wang (yiying.wang@fda.hhs.gov). 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 two years, 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.

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.

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 Ethics Requirements

If an ORISE Fellow, to include their spouse and minor children, reports what is identified as a Significantly Regulated Organization (SRO) or prohibited investment fund financial interest in any amount, or a relationship with an SRO, except for spousal employment with an SRO, and the individual will not voluntarily divest the financial interest or terminate the relationship, then the individual is not placed at FDA. For additional requirements, see FDA Ethics for Nonemployee Scientists. 

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.