FDA Research Opportunity – Analysis of Patient Diversity and Ineligibility Rates in Cancer Pivotal Clinical Trials

Overview

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

FDA Office and Location: A research opportunity is available immediately with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), located in White Oak, Maryland.

The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) performs an essential public health task by making sure that safe and effective drugs are available to improve the health of people in the United States. As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CDER regulates over-the-counter and prescription drugs, including biological therapeutics and generic drugs. These efforts cover more than just medicines.

Research Project: By joining this project, you will investigate racial and ethnic diversity in cancer clinical trials, focusing on either breast cancer or prostate cancer. Appointment activities include analyzing enrollment patterns in pivotal trials submitted to FDA from 2013-2023, comparing enrollment demographics to U.S. population prevalence data, and evaluating ineligibility rates by race and ethnicity. The project will examine at least 20 drugs/trials and may stratify analyses by U.S. versus non-U.S. sites.

Learning Objectives: You will receive mentored training in clinical trial design and regulatory submission processes, demographic analysis methodologies, statistical analysis of enrollment patterns, data visualization techniques, and understanding of health disparities in clinical research. Your training will include hands-on experience with FDA submission databases and real-world evidence analysis.

Under the guidance of an FDA mentor, you will collaborate with clinical reviewers and division leadership, contribute to potential policy discussions on trial diversity requirements, develop skills in creating regulatory-relevant data presentations, and gain experience in addressing health equity issues in drug development.

You will develop skills in analyzing clinical trial diversity, understanding regulatory requirements for demographic representation, statistical methods for comparing trial populations to real-world demographics, and identifying barriers to equitable clinical trial participation. You will gain knowledge of cancer epidemiology, particularly disparities affecting Black populations in breast and prostate cancers.

Mentor: The mentors for this opportunity are Dr. Salimi Ashkezari (SeyedehFatemeh.SalimiAshkezari@fda.hhs.gov) and Dr. Ling Cao (Ling.Cao@fda.hhs.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentors.

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 two years, but may be renewed upon recommendation of FDA and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is full time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

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.

This 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.

Completion of 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.

FDA Ethics Requirements

If an ORISE Fellow, to include their spouse and minor children, reports what is identified as a Significantly Regulated Organization (SRO) or prohibited investment fund financial interest in any amount, or a relationship with an SRO, except for spousal employment with an SRO, and the individual will not voluntarily divest the financial interest or terminate the relationship, then the individual is not placed at FDA. For additional requirements, see FDA Ethics for Nonemployee Scientists.

FDA requires ORISE participants to read and sign their FDA Education and Training Agreement within 30 days of his/her start date, setting forth the conditions and expectations for his/her educational appointment at the agency.  This agreement covers such topics as the following:

Non-employee nature of the ORISE appointment;
Prohibition on ORISE Fellows performing inherently governmental functions;
Obligation of ORISE Fellows to convey all necessary rights to the FDA regarding intellectual property conceived or first reduced to practice during their fellowship;
The fact that research materials and laboratory notebooks are the property of the FDA;
ORISE fellow’s obligation to protect and not to further disclose or use non-public information.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields.