Postdoctoral Fellowship for “Healthy Kids, Healthy Nation”

Organization
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Reference Code
NIH-ODS-2024
How to Apply

Click on Apply below to begin your application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis, and mentors will select candidates as projects become available. 

Description

Located within the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) serves as the lead program office focused on advancing and disseminating research on dietary supplements to foster knowledge and optimize health across the lifespan. 

This project, entitled, “Healthy Kids, Healthy Force, Healthy Nation,” centers on the role of exercise, dietary supplements, behavioral health, and underlying dietary habits on obesity, musculoskeletal health, and resilience in youth populations, including and especially those who are underserved and experiencing health disparities.

What will I be doing?

In this program the fellow will participate in trans-NIH and trans-agency (NIH, DoD, CDC HHS/OASH and others) collaborative discussions to improve nutrition, physical activity, as well as physical and mental health of US children from a multi-agency perspective. They will also have an opportunity to participate in NIH and trans-agency groups in the space of childhood obesity research, nutrition, physical activity, and others based on the fellow’s scientific expertise and interests.

Under the direction of a mentor, the fellow will learn how to design, contribute to, and perform timely literature reviews of efficacious well-designed interventions and programs, commentaries or position papers, and novel epidemiological analyses. The goal of these collective research efforts is to draw attention to the pressing need to prioritize prevention health behaviors (physical activity, nutrition, dietary supplement use, and healthy weight), with a frame of whole person health throughout the life course to promote workforce readiness.

Why should I apply?

The fellow would grow professionally by learning how NIH stimulates research while also making connections with the leading experts in this field. The experiences gained by participating in this program will enhance career opportunities in government and research.

Location

This program is on-site in Bethesda, MD with the potential opportunity to telework.

What are the benefits?

Participants will receive a competitive stipend. Participants may also be eligible to receive a health insurance allowance and/or reimbursement for professional travel expenses.

Appointment dates

Estimated appointment start is October 2024 additional selections may be made at a later time. Appointments are one year with a possibility for extension.

Nature of the Appointment

This program, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (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, ODS, ORAU, ORISE, DOE, or any other agency, and there are no employment-related benefits. Instead, the participant will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE appointment letter and Terms of Appointment.

While participants will not enter into an employment relationship, this opportunity will require a suitability/background investigation by NIH. Any offer made is considered tentative, pending favorable outcome of the investigation.

Qualifications

Candidate should have recently earned a doctoral degree in the nutritional sciences, exercise physiology, epidemiology, public health, psychology, or a closely related field. Demonstrated proficiency with written and oral communication required.

A complete application consists of:

  • Complete Zintellect profile

  • Complete Application questions 

  • Current Resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, and relevant experiences

  • Transcripts/Academic Records - Recent unofficial transcripts or copies of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institutional systems may be submitted to complete the application, if a copy of the official transcript is not available at the time of application. Transcripts/Academic Records must include the name of the academic institution, name of the student, completed/in progress coursework and grades.  If you are selected, you will be required to provide a copy of your official transcript before the appointment can start.
  • One (1) Academic or Professional Recommendation - Applicants are required to provide contact information for at least one recommendation in order to submit the application.  Recommenders will be asked to complete a recommendation through the Zintellect system, and must complete it before the application is considered complete.  Applications without a completed recommendation will not be reviewed.  The recommendation should address a candidate's academic record, scientific capabilities, personal characteristics, and potential for success.  The recommendation must be submitted through the Zintellect application system. Recommendations submitted via email will not be accepted.    

All documents must be submitted via Zintellect, and must be in English or include an official English translation. All application components must be received in the system in order to be considered. Documents must have all social security numbers, student identification numbers, and/or dates of birth removed (blanked out, blackened out, made illegible, etc.) prior to uploading into the application system.  Incomplete applications will not be considered. Supporting materials must be uploaded as PDF files to ensure the document can be searched by Zintellect’s search engine. Documents sent by email, postal mail, or fax will not be considered.  

If you have questions, send an email to NIHprograms@orau.org. Please include the reference code (NIH-ODS-2024) for this opportunity in the subject or body of your email. 

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Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
  • Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
  • Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 12 month(s).
  • Minimum Overall GPA: 3.60
  • Discipline(s):
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (6 )
    • Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 )
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