FDA Postgraduate Research Opportunity in Foodborne Microbial Pathogens

A research opportunity is currently available at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Office of Food Safety (OFS) located in Bedford Park, Illinois.

The participant will be part of a multidisciplinary team involved in studying the survival of foodborne microbial pathogens in ready-to-eat foods such as fresh produce and refrigerated prepared foods to assess potential food safety risks. Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will receive further training and experience in diverse areas of food microbiology, including:

Projects could investigate post-processing practices that will help to improve the safety of ready-to-eat foods in different food commodity categories, for example: fresh produce, dairy foods, multi-commodity foods. The participant will be part of a team that will investigate different approaches to improving food safety, such as: detection, behavior, and survival of bacterial and viral pathogens in ready-to-eat foods, physical and/or chemical interventions to improve food safety, and post-processing controls to mitigate hazards in ready-to-eat foods. The microbial hazards may include: Listeria monocytogenes, pathogenic Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica.

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 initial appointment is until the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2022, but may be renewed annually upon recommendation of FDA contingent on the availability of funds. The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. The appointment is full-time at FDA in the Bedford Park, Illinois, area. 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 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:

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a bachelor's or master's degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred skills: