WOC - Research Health Science Specialist
What you'd do
Please note: There is no pay associated with this position. This position serves as Without Compensation (WOC) Research Health Science Specialist within the Office of Research and Development (ORD). The VA Research Program strives to promote Veteran-centered care to improve patient experiences and outcomes across VA healthcare and community settings, and to advance value-driven care by providing Veterans the highest quality care at the lowest financial burden.
Major duties
The Research Health Science Specialist serves as a key contributor to VA-supported research by providing high-level technical expertise, operational support, and coordination for the implementation of VA research projects as directed. There is no pay associated with this position. Major Duties: Participate in collaborative research activities related to neurodegeneration (Alzheimer's Disease), neuroinflammation, and microbiome research Collaborating with VA investigators on research projects of mutual scientific interest. Accessing approved VA research resources and datasets as necessary for IRB and VA approved research activities. Participating in research meetings, seminars, and scientific discussions. Contributing to study design, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and dissemination of research findings. Assisting in the preparation and submission of collaborative grant applications and research proposals involving VA investigators. Supporting the development of future research initiatives that align with the mission of VA research programs. Work Schedule: Intermittent (Without Compensation)
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/11/2026.You may qualify based on your education and experience as described below: Education: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. AND Experience: (1) experience conducting or collaborating on biomedical or basic science research related to neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, Alzheimer's Disease, and/or microbiome science, including contributing to study design and applying scientific methods to formulate research questions and interpret results; (2) experience analyzing and interpreting scientific or biomedical data, including accessing and working with research datasets, applying appropriate methodological approaches, and contributing to manuscript preparation and dissemination of research findings; and (3) experience collaborating on multidisciplinary research projects, including participating in research meetings and scientific discussions, and assisting in the preparation of grant applications or collaborative research proposals involving external research partners. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is predominantly sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there will be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of items of moderate weight such as large binders, banker style file boxes, meeting materials, papers, books or small parts. Hand and eye coordination for delicate testing procedures may be the only special physical demand required to perform the work.
Before you apply
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