A Senior Investigator is an NIH employee who has been granted
tenure by the Deputy Director for Intramural Research (DDIR), after
review and recommendation by the NIH Central Tenure Committee or the
Senior Biomedical Research Service Policy Board. Tenure represents a
long-term commitment of independent resources, including salary,
operating budget, personnel, and space, for the conduct of an
independent basic, clinical, or epidemiological research program in
an IC; research resources are adjusted based on scientific merit.
An Investigator is an NIH employee, who is a tenure-track
scientist on a time-limited appointment. Investigators are selected
by a competitive national search. A tenure-track position represents
a commitment by the IC of independent resources, including salary,
operating budget, personnel, and space. Research resources are
adjusted based on scientific merit.
Senior Scientist/Senior Clinician
A Senior Scientist/Senior Clinician is a scientist in a time-limited, renewable appointment*. A senior scientist/senior clinician is either (1) a manager of a large IC program/department with responsibility for substantial resources (category 1)or (2) a senior scientist or clinician spending a limited period of time at the NIH (category 2). A Senior Scientist/Clinician may be assigned independent resources, which are subject to review by the IC Board of Scientific Counselors.
Assistant Clinical
Investigator
An Assistant Clinical Investigator is an NIH employee, who is on a time-limited appointment. Assistant Clinical Investigators are selected by a competitive national search and are scientists whose abilities and focus in research make them candidates for tenure-track positions at the NIH, for which they may compete. The position represents a commitment by the IC of independent resources, including salary, operating budget, personnel, and space. Research resources are adjusted based on scientific merit.
Staff
Scientist/Staff
Clinician
A Staff Scientist is an NIH employee now appointed to a time-limited, renewable position*. A Staff Scientist usually has a doctoral degree and is selected by the IC to support the long-term research of a Senior Investigator with outstanding Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC) reviews. Staff Scientists do not receive independent resources, although they often work independently and have sophisticated skills and knowledge essential to the work of the laboratory. A subset of Staff Scientists includes Facility Heads, who independently manage a substantial core facility, e.g., a sequencing laboratory or an NMR facility, that provides central support for more than one Senior Investigator. Staff Scientists should be capable of independently designing experiments, but do not have responsibilities for initiating new research programs.
A Staff Clinician is an NIH employee on a time-limited,
renewable appointment or, by exception on a permanent appointment for
retention and recruitment reasons. The Staff Clinician is a physician
or dentist who spends a majority of his/her time providing critical
patient care services but who may also be the principal investigator
on clinical protocols, under the supervision of a Senior
Investigator.
Research Fellow/Clinical Fellow
A Research Fellow is an NIH scientist with a doctoral degree, employed on a time-limited appointment renewable subject to the five-year/eight year rule. Research Fellows provide service relevant to the IC’s program needs. The appointment gives the fellow experience in laboratory-based or population-based biomedical research. Scientists with considerable experience beyond postdoctoral training may be designated Senior Research Fellows.
A Clinical Fellow is a doctoral-level health professional
with interest in biomedical research relevant to NIH program needs,
who is employed on a time-limited appointment renewable subject to
the five-year/eight-year rule. Clinical Fellows participate in
protocol-based clinical research as well as laboratory research.
A Postdoctoral Fellow is a trainee who participates in
laboratory-based or population-based biomedical research for the
purpose of obtaining advanced training under the direction of a
senior member of the scientific staff. Such trainees are not NIH
employees and must have not more than five years of relevant research
experience since their actual degree. The duration of a training
award is limited to five years.
Senior Research Assistant/Research Assistant
A Senior Research Assistant is an NIH employee appointed under the General Schedule. Senior Research Assistants serve in a scientific, technical support capacity at GS-12 or GS-13. They may design experiments with direction and provide expert, highly skilled technical support, but are not expected to initiate original research programs.
A Research Assistant is an NIH employee appointed under the
General Schedule. Research Assistants serve in a scientific,
technical support capacity at GS-11 and below.
An Adjunct Investigator is a scientist who works full-time or
part-time in an intramural setting, whose primary career appointment
is elsewhere (e.g., medical school, university faculty, or at NIH
outside of an IC’s intramural program). An Adjunct Investigator
may possibly be assigned independent resources, which are subject to
review by the BSC.
Registered students (at all levels from high school through graduate, medical or dental school) are offered a range of research training programs at NIH. The purpose of the student research programs is to enhance a student's knowledge and understanding of biomedical research and to contribute to the achievement of a student's educational goals.
* NOTE: Extremely rare exceptions for appointment of a Staff Scientist to a permanent GS position for recruitment or retention purposes must be approved by the DDIR.