Research Health Science Specialist

Summary *** Please note, there is not pay associated with this position. *** This position serves as Without Compensation Research Health Science Specialist within the Office of Research and Development (ORD). The VA Research Program strives to promote Veteran-centered care to improve patient experiences and outcomes across VA healthcare and community settings, and to advance value-driven care by providing Veterans the highest quality care at the lowest financial burden. Learn more about this agency Duties Major Duties: Analyze large-scale genotype data from the Million Veteran Program (MVP) to identify and characterize tandem repeat variation: Conducted large-scale genomic and multi-omics data analysis, including bulk and single-cell RNA-seq and/or ATAC-seq data. Develop and implement computational pipelines for tandem repeat calling, quality control, and downstream analysis: Utilized programming skills in R and/or Python, with experience working in high-performance computing (HPC) environments. Integrate tandem repeat variation with DNA methylation data to investigate associations with psychiatric and age-related phenotypes: Experience with statistical genetics approaches such as QTL mapping, fine-mapping (e.g., SuSiE), and integrative analysis across molecular phenotypes. Perform statistical modeling to assess relationships between genetic variation and supplements trajectories: Employed knowledge of statistical modeling frameworks (e.g., linear mixed models, variance partitioning, or generalized linear models). Manage and process large-scale genomic and epigenomic datasets while ensuring data integrity and reproducibility: Analyzed human postmortem brain data or similarly complex biomedical datasets and performed with data harmonization, quality control, and integration across multiple cohorts (e.g., PsychAD, CommonMind, or similar consortia-level datasets) Work Schedule: Intermittent (Without Compensation) Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/05/2026. You may qualify based on your education and experience as described below: Education: You must possess a bachelor or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in a field related to the medical field, health sciences, or allied sciences. (Copies of transcripts are required at the time of application). Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work primarily is sedentary. Some work may require periods of walking, standing, and bending in offices, laboratories, hospitals, treatment facilities, and other work areas. Employees frequently carry light items such as books, instruments, and other similar materials. The work does not require any special physical effort. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional information If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.