FDA Commissioner's Fellowship Program

The FDA offers a two-year fellowship program, which provides an opportunity for health professionals and other scientists to receive training and experience at the FDA. Fellows will train at FDA's new state-of-the-art White Oak campus in Silver Spring, Maryland or at other FDA facilities. Salaries are extremely competitive, and travel funds are available to attend scientific meetings.

Program Overview

The fellowship program combines rigorous didactic coursework with the development of a hypothesis-driven, regulatory science research project.

Coursework

The coursework is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the science behind regulatory review, encompassing the activities of the FDA across foods, drugs, devices, biologics, and cosmetics. Coursework during the two years includes graduate level public policy, FDA law, leadership skills, epidemiology, clinical trials, and statistics.

Preceptors

Under the guidance of a FDA senior scientist preceptor committed to mentoring, fellows will explore a specific aspect of FDA regulatory science. This is a hands-on experience in which the fellow will identify and study a topic in FDA regulatory science. The experience can be in a biology, physics or engineering lab, in a clinical review team, in biostatistics, informatics, epidemiology, risk analysis or other aspects of FDA science.

Additional Information

Program Synopsis

FAQs

Commissioner's Fellowship Brochure [pdf, 2.45 MB] [text version]

Commissioner's Fellowship Informational Booklet [pdf, 725 KB]

Benefits

We offer an excellent benefits package including health insurance, retirement, and vacation. For more information on benefits, please visit FDA Employment: Working at FDA.

Key Dates

February 1 - April 15 - Applications Accepted
June - Interviews
July - Applicants Notified of Their Standing
October 5 - Program Start Date

FDA Mission
The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to improve their health.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

Applicants must have a Doctoral level degree (M.D., D.O., D.V.M., D.D.S., D.P.M., Pharm. D., or Ph.D.) to be eligible. Applicants with a Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline will also be considered. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, non-citizen nationals of the U.S., or have been admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence before the program start date. Applicants cannot be current FDA employees or FDA contractors (such as ORISE fellows).

Application Process

The application period for the FDA Commissioner's Fellowship Program class of 2009 has ended. Please check back for more information regarding the class of 2010 in the coming months.