Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | November 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: $82,764 base stipend plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Postdoctoral fellowship at NIST to develop reference materials, methods, and chemical fingerprints for improved chemical analysis and quality assurance of dietary supplements.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens with a doctoral degree earned within the last 5 years; requires contacting a NIST Research Adviser prior to application.
Description
This fellowship opportunity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focuses on advancing chemical metrology related to dietary supplements. Dietary supplements, especially botanical products, are widely used globally to promote health but present analytical challenges due to their complex chemical composition. The program aims to develop and improve reference materials, analytical methods, and chemical fingerprints to support accurate, sensitive, and specific analysis of these products.
Research topics include:
- Development of liquid chromatographic (LC) separations of plant constituents with detection methods such as absorbance, fluorescence, electrochemical, and mass spectrometry (MS) for quantitative analysis.
- Application of high-resolution technologies including ultrahigh pressure LC, high-temperature LC, two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight MS, and supercritical fluid chromatography.
- Evaluation and optimization of sample extraction, fractionation/cleanup, derivatization, and hydrolysis processes.
- Use of multidimensional and multiple independent analytical methods to assign values to reference materials.
- Creation of chemical fingerprints to characterize commercial product authenticity and detect adulteration.
The ultimate goal is to provide tools and standards that improve the quality and safety of dietary supplements, thereby reducing potential public health risks.
Due Dates
- February 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- May 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- August 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- November 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
If a deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, it is moved to the next business day.
Funding Amount
- Base stipend: $82,764 per year
- Travel allowance: $3,000 annually
- Appointment duration: Typically 2 years
Eligibility
- Citizenship: Open to U.S. citizens only.
- Education: Applicants must have earned a Ph.D., Sc.D., M.D., D.V.M., or equivalent research doctorate before beginning tenure.
- Experience: Postdoctoral applicants must have held their doctorate for less than five years as of the application deadline.
- Prior affiliation: Applicants with current or recent prior employment or postdoctoral fellowships at NIST may be ineligible. Research collaborations are generally acceptable unless continuing the same project or adviser.
- Security: May require satisfactory completion of a National Agency Check or other clearance processes.
Application Process
Steps to Apply
- Review eligibility criteria on the NRC RAP website.
- Identify this and other Research Opportunities via the NIST RAP Opportunities List.
- Contact one or more of the listed NIST Research Advisers to discuss your research proposal and funding availability. Advisers for this opportunity include:
- Melissa Meaney Phillips (melissa.phillips@nist.gov)
- Karen Williams Phinney (karen.phinney@nist.gov)
- Catherine A. Rimmer (catherine.rimmer@nist.gov)
- Lane C. Sander (lane.sander@nist.gov)
- Walter Brent Wilson (walter.wilson@nist.gov)
- Prepare application materials including:
- Research proposal (max 10 pages)
- Previous and current research description
- List of publications and presentations
- Letters of recommendation (minimum 3, including dissertation adviser)
- Transcripts (for postdoctoral applicants)
- Submit your application through the NRC RAP online system before the deadline.
Application Requirements
- Research proposal must clearly state the problem, background, methodology, expected results, and significance.
- Letters of recommendation must be uploaded by letter writers via the online system by the deadline.
- Applicants must notify letter writers to ensure timely submission.
- Only one application per sponsoring federal agency is allowed per cycle.
- Applications are reviewed by expert panels in relevant scientific disciplines.
Additional Information
- Awards are made directly by NIST.
- Health insurance enrollment is required for the duration of the appointment.
- Relocation assistance is available for awardees moving more than 50 miles.
- Annual travel allowance supports conference attendance and related activities.
- Applicants who do not receive an award may reapply; those recommended but unfunded may reapply without waiting.
- Previous NRC Research Associateship holders must wait two years before applying again.
External Links
Contact Information