*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling- basis.
HHS Office and Location: A fellowship is available within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), with the InnovationX Team, at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) located in Washington, D.C.
The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services.
Within HHS, the mission of OASH InnovationX is to build a healthier, more equitable nation using the power of open innovation, partnerships, and technology for exponential impact. OASH InnovationX is a small and diverse team of scientists, technologists, and out-of-the-box innovators working to drive partnerships and innovation in public health, including crowdsourcing, citizen science, prizes, and challenges. InnovationX also scales internal innovations through interagency collaborations, including partnerships with DARPA and NASA. Current portfolios include Lyme Innovation and LymeX, KidneyX, and Human-Centered Innovation.
Research Project: InnovationX applies the tools of open science, human-centered design, and data- driven innovation to accelerate progress in treating complex, multi-systemic, often invisible conditions. Opportunities include coordinating design and development of sprints, prize challenges, hackathons, and other public-private innovation initiatives.
Lyme disease is the fastest-growing vector-borne disease in the United States, accounting for over 70% of all vector-borne disease domestically. Lyme disease is the most common tickborne disease, yet there are at least 20 different infections that are transmitted by ticks in the United States. The CDC estimates that approximately 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year. Due to climate change, habitat loss, and other land-use changes, humans face greater risk today than historically because of increased exposure risks to tick bites that transmit vector-borne diseases. Our team’s recent accomplishments in this portfolio include completing Phase I of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize, which awarded $1M to inventors of innovative detection methods.
Under the guidance of a mentor, the fellow would collaborate and communicate with cross-cutting, multidisciplinary teams of public health professionals, private sector technologists, medical practitioners, and federal employees to identify and explore new treatment possibilities for millions of Americans suffering from Lyme disease.
Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will be trained in the following activities:
- New skills and techniques from federal, private, and academic partners on applying novel open innovation approaches to addressing American health challenges - Techniques for successful public-private collaboration - How to apply scientific/technical communication skills to brief non-technical audiences, including executive-level briefings - How to interpret and apply policy decisions to day-to-day program execution - How to apply strategic thinking and leadership skills to diverse, interdisciplinary working groups
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Kristen Honey (Kristen.Honey@hhs.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: May 1, 2023. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of HHS and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full- time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by 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 HHS. Participants do not become employees of HHS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment- related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).
Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email HHSrpp@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
