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Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)

The ORISE Research Participation Program has announced new fellowship opportunities at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

BARDA provides an integrated, systematic approach to the advanced research and development of medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear agents, pandemic influenza, and emerging infectious diseases, like COVID-19, that threaten the U.S. civilian population.  This is an exciting opportunity for fellows to be involved with such critical activities to help protect our Nation. Fellows will conduct research on projects related to Medical Countermeasure (MCMs) development, including preclinical model development, non-clinical testing and evaluation, and clinical trials. Opportunities exist to present the results of these projects at national conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals.  Other opportunities may include providing support to inter-agency working groups, assisting in the development of relevant policy documents, interacting with academic and industry partners, and participation in team communications with FDA, drug developers, Contract Research Organizations (CROs), and National Institute of Health (NIH) all to ensure progress on the mission of BARDA. 

BARDA is engaged in program management; there will be no bench or wet lab research associated with this position.  Virtual presentations or travel for presentations at conferences/meetings may be required pending pandemic related travel restrictions. BARDA anticipates maintaining a largely virtual research environment. The appointment is full-time and given our current remote telework posture, 100% telework from remote sites outside of the Washington, D.C. area can be considered.  Participants do not become employees of HHS or the program administrator, and there are no fringe benefits paid including an allowance for commuting to the office.

Post Graduate Appointments

Graduates: Full-time, year-long appointment may be renewed, for a maximum of five years, upon recommendation of BARDA and is contingent on the availability of funds. Participants must have received a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields within the last five years.

Below are specific opportunities for Graduates available at BARDA.

Division of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Countermeasures Vaccine Branch

With the recent outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola, Zika, and now COVID-19, BARDA is playing more of a role as a response agency, helping to address public health needs by advancing the development of MCMs.  Leveraging BARDA’s recent experience in helping to push the Ebola vaccine, ERVEBO®, to licensure, we are working hard to help address the current COVID-19 pandemic.  However, there are still CBRN threats for which we do not have licensed vaccines. The fellowship within the Vaccine Branch will primarily support vaccine development efforts within the CBRN Vaccine Branch by coordinating activities related to market research into vaccine candidate pipelines for emerging viral threats. The fellow will conduct literature searches and market research, as well as participate in communications with interagency partners.  Other opportunities will include providing technical support for current CBRN Vaccine programs for smallpox, anthrax, and viral hemorrhagic fever viruses. This will include technical assessments to support the CBRN Vaccine program mission.

Antivirals and Antitoxins Branch

The Antivirals and Antitoxins Branch is focused on the development of therapeutic medical countermeasures that can be used to respond to public health emergencies caused by Anthrax, Botulinum, Smallpox, and selected filoviruses, including Ebola, Marburg, and Sudan viruses.  The selected fellow will join a group of experienced scientists tasked with managing a portfolio of complex advanced research and development initiatives to augment and improve on existing capabilities and fulfill unmet needs across the Branch’s threat space. Current active areas of interest in the Branch include small molecule antivirals with efficacy against filoviruses and, ideally, other RNA viruses.

A selected fellow’s activities will align closely with those of existing government personnel to provide the fellow with a clear understanding of AVAT efforts. The fellow will gain experience in medical countermeasure development, including manufacturing, nonclinical, clinical, and regulatory components.  Primary activities will include literature reviews, meeting or workshop coordination, market research, portfolio evaluation, communication with interagency and industry partners, manuscript development, and program management, each of which will be tailored to the selected fellow’s experience level while remaining true to the intent of the opportunity and allowing for growth.

Radiological/Nuclear Countermeasures Branch

The Radiological/Nuclear Medical Countermeasure (MCM) program at BARDA is focused on identifying MCMs that can be used in radiological/nuclear mass casualty events and the development of nonclinical models to support the advanced development of MCMs. Areas of interest include the impact of radiation on vascular injury, coagulopathy, multi-organ failure, and dysregulation of the hematopoietic system as well as sex differences to radiation exposure.  The Radiological/Nuclear MCM program has supported natural history studies of radiation injury in novel nonclinical models and evaluating MCMs. This fellowship will focus on collaborating with the nonclinical model team to refine the model, analyze data, and use the information to identify new MCM targets. Additionally, there is ample market research that needs to be completed for the numerous pathophysiologies associated with acute radiation injury.  Another area of interest for fellowship activity would be in our blood products portfolio and assisting the project officers of those programs.

The fellow will team with project officers on the nonclinical model development team and some acute radiation syndrome MCM projects. Main activities will include contributing to discussions on study design for animal model development of acute radiation syndrome, assisting in data analyses, and participating in drafting manuscripts to report findings from various models. This will require comprehensive literature searches on a variety of topics including but not limited to vascular injury, prospective medical countermeasure targets, market research for certain prospective product classes, and radiation biology. The fellow will be required to report and share their findings with nonclinical model team and assist in development of a spreadsheet for prospective MCMs targets to screen. Other opportunities may include providing support for the inter-agency integrated program team for Radiological Nuclear Countermeasures, assisting in the development of relevant policy documents, taking relevant training, interacting with animal model developers, participation in team communications with FDA, drug developers, CROs, and NIH all to ensure progress on the mission of the Radiological/Nuclear Medical Countermeasure (MCM) program.

Division of Clinical Development

BARDA’s Division of Clinical Development (DCD) supports BARDA Medical Countermeasure (MCM) Divisions and MCM developers by providing expertise to conduct appropriate clinical studies to support FDA approval for products that can be used under EUA and/or licensure.  These clinical studies and trials will support BARDA investment decisions in devices, therapeutics, diagnostics, and vaccines. Clinical efforts include proof of concept studies, regulated phase 1, 2, 3, and 4 studies, and product repurposing studies all of which support efforts to continue MCM development.  The overall objective of the clinical fellowship program is for the fellow to become proficient in the methodological aspects of conducting clinical studies and trials.  The fellow’s mentored activities will include assessment of preclinical work, statistical design, human participant protection, risk/benefit assessment, operational considerations, regulatory considerations, protocol design, pharmacovigilance, and dissemination of results. The fellow will gain experience developing the technical, scientific and program management skills necessary to successfully execute a clinical trial in today’s complex environment.  During the clinical fellowship, the fellow will have exposure to all BARDA MCM Division core areas of research.  At completion of the fellowship period, the clinical fellow will have a fundamental understanding of multiple facets of clinical development in support of MCM advanced research and development.  Come learn how to take the final steps to take scientific ideas and concepts and transform them into products that protect the public’s health.

Division of Research, Innovation and Ventures (DRIVe)

Frontiers Office / ENACT Team

The selected Fellow will join a group of experienced scientists tasked with managing a portfolio of complex advanced research and development initiatives to augment and improve on existing capabilities and fulfill unmet needs across the Branch’s threat space.  Activities will align closely with those of existing personnel to provide the Fellow with an in-depth understanding of aspects of medical countermeasure development, primarily in digital health and diagnostic tools.  Primary activities will include literature reviews, market research, portfolio evaluation, communication with interagency and industry partners, and program management, each of which will be tailored to the selected Fellow’s experience level while remaining true to the intent of the opportunity and allowing for growth. The ENACT team is especially interested in hosting a Fellow with expertise in data analytics, biomedical imaging and image analysis, or sensor development, but other areas of expertise will also be considered. 

Launch Office/Infection Severity and Solving Sepsis Team

An ORISE Fellow supporting this team would have an opportunity to build and de-risk new strategies for DRIVe.  This would be accomplished through identifying gaps in current portfolios, talking with Industry and reviewing novel approaches in late stage development that could be addressed in the program.  The fellow would also assist with evaluation of technologies and proposed approaches for medical countermeasure development and pandemic preparedness as well as assist with program management of ongoing contacts.   A fellow with expertise in immunology, cell and molecular biology, sensor/diagnostic development, health data analytics, or clinical implementation would be desired.

Catalyst Office

The Ecosystem Development office seeks ORISE Fellows who want opportunities in the business components of life science and technology development, particularly around venture capital practices and methods as well as product acceleration and providing technical, scientific, and business acumen to scientific problems.

Alliance Office/Beyond the Needle & ReDirect Team

An ORISE Fellow supporting this office will have the opportunity to assist several different efforts led by the DRIVe Alliance team as we collaborate with BARDA divisions, supporting technical and programmatic oversight of programs, as well as participate in the development of CBRN strategic initiatives supporting diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics. Programs range from needle free technology development to repurposing existing therapeutics for other indications. ORISE fellows will research new technologies, assist with writing funding requests, reviewing abstracts, managing programs, creating briefings, web announcements, white papers and scientific journal articles. Fellows may also attend conferences, summits, events and performer site visits. Working with the Alliance office is an opportunity to learn about health security activities going on throughout BARDA and other U.S. Government agencies and assist with creating novel technologies to address technology gaps.

Current Student Appointments

Current Students: Part-time, short-term appointments (May – August 2022), with an option for part-time participation (from their University) during the academic year and is contingent on the availability of funds. Students must be enrolled in a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree program.

Below are specific programs with opportunities for Current Students available at BARDA.

  • Office of the Director
  • Division of Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) Countermeasures
  • Division of Research, Innovation and Ventures (DRIVe)
  • Division of Nonclinical Development (DNCD)
  • Influenza and Emerging Infectious Diseases Division (IEIDD)
  • Division of Clinical Development (DCD)
  • Division of Pharmaceutical Countermeasures Infrastructure (PCI)
  • Detection, Diagnostics, & Devices Infrastructure Division (DDDI)
  • Regulatory & Quality Affairs (RQA)

Applicants are encouraged to visit www.medicalcountermeasures.gov to learn more about BARDA.

Appointment packages include:

  • Monthly stipend
  • Health Insurance Allowance
  • Paid Absences (including maternity)
  • Paid travel and attendance at conferences/meetings

Anticipated start dates: 2022; start dates are flexible

How To Apply