FDA Postdoctoral Fellowship - Glyco-technology Lab

Research Project

As a postdoctoral fellow, you will join a project to research the glycan release from glycoprotein drugs with chemo-enzymatic methods and characterize glycan structures with state-of-the-art technologies, including High performance liquid chromatography H(U)PLC and mass spectrometry (MS).

Learning Objectives

Under the guidance of the mentor, you will learn state-of-the-art technologies and develop novel technologies for feasible analysis of glycosylation of therapeutic glycoprotein drugs, including monoclonal antibody (mAb) drugs, fusion proteins, enzyme-replacement therapies, plasma products, etc. in manufacturing control and characterization.

Mentor

The mentor for this opportunity is Tongzhong Ju (Tongzhong.Ju@fda.hhs.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

2026. 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 FDA and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation

The appointment is full time.

Citizenship Requirements

This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.

Program Information

The program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and FDA. The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Participants do not become employees of FDA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.

Background Investigation

A successful background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management is required for an applicant to be on-boarded at FDA. OPM can complete a background investigation only for individuals, including non-US Citizens, who have resided in the US for a total of three of the past five years.

ORISE Education and Training Agreement

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing a doctoral degree with completion before September 29, 2026. Degree must have been received within five years of the appointment start date.

Preferred Skills

• Skills in mass spectrometry and in glyco-chemistry and/or proteomics.

Application Requirements

• I am a U.S. citizen or, I have lived in the United States for at least 36 out of the past 60 months.
• I have read the FDA Ethics Requirements.