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NLM Intramural Training Opportunities

NLM Intramural Training Opportunities

In addition to being the world’s largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is a leader in medical informatics and computational biology research. The NLM Intramural Research Program (IRP) directs its efforts toward two broad areas of computational biomedical sciences: 1. Computational biology using biological data to advance algorithms and models to better comprehend biological systems and to connect relationships between any level of biological organization, and 2. computational health sciences focusing on clinical information processing, including new computational methods for clinical data and health data standards. NLM’s research is driven by principal investigators in the Computational Biology Branch of the NLM’s National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI-CBB) and in the Computational Health Research Branch of the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications (LHNCBC-CHRB).

Postdoctoral Programs

NLM welcomes recent doctoral graduates (Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., or equivalent) to apply to be Postdoctoral Fellows at NIH. Eligible U.S. citizens and permanent residents can receive an Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) to complete up to five years of research at NLM. Eligible international scholars can conduct up to five years of postdoctoral research at NLM as Visiting Fellows (VFs) on J1 visas. Both groups are considered NIH trainees rather than employees. An individual can spend an additional three years as a Research Fellow after reaching the five-year limit of the Postdoctoral Fellow appointment. Visit the Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) website for more information.

There are two ways to apply for postdoctoral positions at NLM:

Prospective postdocs are encouraged to contact investigators directly, regardless of whether a position has been listed. Candidates should send a current CV, contact information for three references, and statement of research interest to the investigator. Refer to the OITE Mentoring Guidelines for more information on choosing a mentor and preparing an application.

Hear from our Fellows!

female research fellow My research expertise includes machine/deep learning, computer vision, and medical imaging. At NLM, I’m developing intelligent systems for predicting mortality rate of sickle cell disease (SCD) patients based on the analysis of different clinical data. I joined NLM because I wanted to learn in a leading research institution how to translate biomedical research into clinical practice, and particularly how to transform healthcare with AI research.

Ghada Zamzmi, Research Fellow
male research fellow I am using high-performance computing and bioinformatics approaches to investigate nucleosome dynamics and interactions and decipher the mechanisms of histone mutations in oncogenesis. Training at NLM allows me to work with many outstanding researchers and develop the skills necessary to advance my career.

Yunhui Peng, Postdoctoral Fellow

Student Programs

Summer Internship Program (SIP)

The NIH Summer Internship Program is open to students in high school, college, graduate school, and professional school (medical, dental, pharmacy) who are interested in conducting research at NIH during the summer.  Visit the SIP website for more information and to apply to SIP and High-School-SIP. 

Data Science and Informatics (DSI) Scholars Program

The NLM Data Science and Informatics Scholars Program is open to undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups, who are pursuing biomedical informatics training and research opportunities in computer science and related fields. Visit the DSI website for more information and to apply.

Postbaccalaureate Program

The NIH Postbaccalaureate “Postbac” Program is open to recent college graduates (bachelor’s or master’s degree) who are planning to apply to graduate or professional school and want to spend one to two years conducting research at NIH.  Visit the Postbac Program website for more information and to apply.

Hear from our Fellows!

male research fellow My current area of research is in data science and public health, ultimately examining how COVID-19 transmission rates are affected by location and altitude.  Bioinformaticians, data scientists, and other computational scientists gather at NLM to conduct revolutionary research. With guided lessons from co-workers, research that involves machine and deep learning techniques, and an abundance of extraordinary scientific questions to answer, there are seemingly endless opportunities to learn at NLM.

Niko Darby, Postbac Fellow
male research fellow My research interests are natural language processing, interpretable machine learning, and clinical prediction models.  At the NLM, I am researching ways to train models to predict clinical outcomes based on ICU notes, and ways to interpret those models in terms that are clinically meaningful. My interests are still developing, so the guidance that I receive from my mentors at the NLM has been immensely beneficial to my development as a researcher.

Asher Moldwin, Postbac Fellow

There are a number of additional specialized programs for students who are seeking internships and training at NIH.  Each of these programs are available for students interested in conducting research at NLM.  Please visit the links below for additional information, including eligibility criteria and application instructions.

Graduate Students

Medical/Dental Students and Residents

Postbaccalaureate

College Students

 High School Students

Special Volunteer Program

Special Volunteers are appointed to conduct research services, provide technical assistance, and perform other necessary services for NIH. Special Volunteers are not financially compensated for their services, and they are not eligible for health insurance. Volunteers must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or have valid work authorization. Prospective volunteers should reach out directly to principle investigators to inquire about open positions. Special Volunteers who have matched with a principal investigator will be asked to sign a volunteer agreement and, if enrolled, submit paperwork from their school to ensure that proper credit is given. For additional information, visit the Special Volunteer Program Manual Chapter.

Additional Questions?

Please contact the NLM IRP Training Director:

Virginia Meyer, Ph.D.
Training Director
NLM Intramural Research Division
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0234
E-mail: virginia.meyer@nih.gov