The U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), located in Natick, Massachusetts, is an internationally recognized center of excellence for Warfighter health and performance science and its applications. The Institute functions as a world-class laboratory for environmental medicine, physiology, and nutrition research. USARIEM’s highly skilled scientists conduct research in Biophysics & Biomedical Modeling (BBMD), Military Nutrition (MND), Military Performance (MPD), and Thermal & Mountain Medicine (TMMD). The Military Nutrition Division conducts research on nutritional issues affecting the health and mission-readiness of military personnel, and supports the US Army Surgeon General’s responsibilities as the Department of Defense’s executive agent for nutrition research.
The Military Nutrition Division of the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine is offering an ORISE learning opportunity. This opportunity will support an existing resiliency research program. There are a number of projects under this program. Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will support research exploring inter-individual variation in metabolomic profiles that predict performance and career success as well as global changes in metabolic profiles of Soldiers engaged in arduous Special Forces training using archived blood samples and data from an existing longitudinal cohort study. During this appointment, the participant will learn markers of resilience in a large civilian cohort using the extensive existing metabolic data available in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a comprehensive national database of over 40,000 adult civilians, to determine associations with measures of resilience such as physical function, bone fractures, body composition, and mood state, including depression, anxiety, and well-being.
Additionally, this opportunity will support a research study investigating the performance/vigilance impact of a multi-stressor military environment and describing a methodology for monitoring and managing readiness in the operational context, where the participant will learn to use an ambulatory monitoring system. The participant will gain experience and training in study development and design, data cleaning, and statistical analyses. In addition, the participant will have the opportunity to explore opportunities for independent project development, as well as attend and present scientific findings at local and national meetings, and co-author manuscripts and technical reports.
Please note: The individual can participate remotely and will not be required to relocate to Natick, Massachusetts.
Appointment Length
This appointment is a part-time, nine-month research appointment, with the possibility to be renewed for additional research periods. Appointments may be extended depending on funding availability, project assignment, program rules, and availability of the participant.
Desired Appointment start date: 12/01/2020
Participant Benefits
Participants will receive a stipend to be determined by USAMRMC-RIEM. Stipends are typically based on the participant’s academic standing, discipline, experience, and research facility location. Other benefits may include the following:
- Health Insurance Supplement. Participants are eligible to purchase health insurance through ORISE.
- Relocation Allowance
- Training and Travel Allowance
Nature of Appointment
The participant will not enter into an employee/employer relationship with ORISE, ORAU, DOD, or any other office or agency. Instead, the participant will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE appointment letter and Terms of Appointment.
Qualifications
Candidates should have, at a minimum, a BS in exercise or nutritional sciences or a closely related field. Additional experience in the stress physiology and/or genetics field would be favorable. The candidate should demonstrate proficiency with written and oral communication, and exemplary organization skills are required. Candidates must be self-motivated and able to function well within a collaborative laboratory environment.
Additional favorable skills include experience with scientific literature review and analysis and scientific writing as well as some experience in evaluating, tabulating and assessing the quality of the scientific literature, writing white papers, systematic reviews, manuscripts for publication in scientific journals and book chapters.
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Bachelor’s Degree received within the last 60 month(s).