NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship Clinical Standards and Informatics

Clinical Informatics STEM Learning Fellowship at NIH ODSS

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Data Science Strategy (ODSS) is seeking recent Postdocs to apply for a STEM learning fellowship focused on developing expertise in clinical informatics under the guidance of dedicated mentors. This fellowship provides an opportunity to explore clinical standards such as Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources® (FHIR®), Common Data Elements (CDE), and common data models, while engaging in real-world STEM projects involving clinical study data, electronic health records (EHR), and real-world data. Applicants with advanced degrees in medicine, nursing, clinical/biomedical informatics, computer science, public health, or related fields (MD, PhD, DNP, DNS, or equivalent) are encouraged to apply.  Ideal candidates will have some background clinical data operations or EHR is preferred, but not required.

What Will I Be Doing?

Through this fellowship, participants will engage in mentored learning experiences designed to:

• Apply clinical informatics principles to explore NIH initiatives related to the use and development of clinical standards, such as FHIR and CDE.
• Evaluate the current landscape of clinical standards to identify opportunities for enhancing interoperability.
• Develop strategies for research utilizing clinical standards across the clinical research continuum and in translational science settings.
• Explore approaches for applying semantic and structural interoperability, assessing data quality, and ensuring fitness for use in standards-based clinical research.
• Participate in strategic initiatives and engage with communities including NIH institutes, centers, federal partners, professional organizations, and patient advocacy groups.

By the end of the fellowship, participants will have gained a STEM hands-on experience in applying informatics principles to real-world challenges, contributing to the advancement of clinical research and interoperability.

Why Should I Apply?

This STEM learning fellowship offers a unique opportunity to deepen your expertise in clinical informatics and standards-based research. Participants will gain exposure to NIH-wide initiatives, refine their analytical and strategic skills, and engage in interdisciplinary collaboration with experts in the field. Guided by experienced mentors, participants will contribute to impactful projects while gaining insights into how clinical informatics can advance translational science and biomedical research.

Where will I be located?

Fellows are expected to be fully engaged, either in-person or remote. In-person location is Bethesda, MD.

What financial provisions will I receive?

The selected candidates will receive a monthly stipend to help offset living and other expenses during this appointment. Stipend rates are determined by NIH officials and are based on the candidate’s academic and professional background. In addition, NIH may provide a health insurance supplement to cover the monthly premium costs if you elect the ORAU/ORISE health insurance plan, as necessary.

What is the length of the appointment?

The appointment will initially be for one year and may be renewed annually for up to an additional four years upon recommendation of NIH and is contingent on the availability of funds. 

When are selections made?

An initial review of applications will occur on July 1, 2026. Thereafter, applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis throughout the 2026 calendar year, and selections made as projects for participation become available.

What is the Nature of the Appointment?

This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Participants do not become employees of NIH, DOE, ORISE, nor ORAU, and there are no employment-related benefits.