What are the responsibilities and job description for the FDA Postdoctoral Fellowship - Nanotechnology/Polymer Chemistry position at U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)?
*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 a critical role in the missions of FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services to promote and protect public health.
Research Project: This post-doctoral fellowship training opportunity is available at the Nanotechnology Core Facility, Office of Scientific Coordination, National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration at their Jefferson Laboratories in Arkansas.
This fellowship is designed to provide advanced, hands-on regulatory science training for recent doctoral graduates interested in nanotechnology and polymer research relevant to FDA’s public health mission. The Nanotechnology Core Facility supports FDA mission by developing and applying state-of-the-art analytical approaches to understand the characterization, safety, biocompatibility, and performance of nanomaterials used in regulated products.
Learning Objectives: You will engage in structured research training under the mentorship of FDA scientists and will collaborate within a multidisciplinary research environment. The training program focuses on building technical experience, methodological rigor, and an understanding of regulatory science applications. Key training components include:
- Development of novel analytical methods for the physicochemical characterization and detection of microplastics and nanoplastics
- Hands-on training in advanced analytical techniques, including:
- Pyrolysis or Thermogravimetric Analysis coupled to Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
- Various particle size measurement techniques in solution phase, such as Dynamic and static light scattering
- Separation techniques including size exclusion chromatography and asymmetric flow field flow fractionation
- Spectroscopic techniques including UV-Vis, FTIR, Raman, Mass, NMR
- Participation in high-quality, high-impact research projects aimed at standardized method and methodology development leading to publications
Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Anil Patri (anil.patri@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 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.
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.