DCTD Programs
Careers in the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis
Information on DCTD Federal Job Opportunities
All scientific, administrative, and clinical federal positions in DCTD are listed below.
As part of our workforce recruitment efforts, DCTD is committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility and providing a safe work environment for staff in our nine major programs that work together.
DCTD posts opportunities ahead of the official vacancy announcements on
USAJobs.gov, where all federal positions must be posted. Interested applicants must apply for federal positions through USAJobs.
NOTE: Most positions are only open for a period of 5 business days.
Please create an account on USAJobs and set up alerts to be notified when these vacancy announcements become available. Further instructions can be found on the USAJobs web site.
Clinical Trials
CIRB Expert
The NCI is recruiting for a Central Institutional Review Board (CIRB) Expert in the Clinical Trials Operations and Informatics Branch (CTOIB), Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), DCTD, NCI, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). DCTD is an extramural division of NCI. This is a full-time government position in Rockville, Maryland.
The NCI sponsors and funds a broad range of clinical trials for children and adults with cancer through a variety of clinical trials groups and consortia. Through these programs, NCI works collaboratively with clinical investigators in NCI-funded clinical trial networks, often in collaboration with pharmaceutical industry partners, to optimize the development of cancer treatments in the public interest and to increase understanding of the cancers being studied. CTOIB coordinates the development, implementation, and conduct of all clinical trials management processes and informatics tools specific to the operations of CTEP's overall clinical trials portfolio. The broad scientific reach of this nationwide program requires that CTOIB staff interact with multiple NCI programs, including National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN), NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), Cancer Centers, and specialized Consortia grantees. This coordination role of CTOIB extends across NCI Divisions and Centers to involve all major NCI Divisions (especially DCP and DCCPS), CCT, and CBIIT, and the Cancer Centers program. CTOIB staff interacts frequently with the lead investigators and administrative staff within networks and consortia, especially the Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program. The Cooperative Group Program enrolls approximately 25,000 patients annually and provides a mechanism for the continuous generation of therapeutic and ancillary studies with the intent of improving the survival and quality of life of patients afflicted with cancer in the U.S. and worldwide.
Since 1999, CTEP has been responsible for creating and managing the NCI CIRB. The CIRB was created to reduce the redundant and costly Institutional Review Board (IRB) review of multi-center phase 3 Cooperative Group trials by centralizing the review function in a single Review Board, while maintaining an excellent standard of human subjects' protection. The CIRB is a complex project that involves over 300 sites across the U.S. The candidate will:
- Serve as Senior Health Scientist with overall responsibility for the development, implementation, and daily operation of the CIRB initiative.
- Serve as a technical authority, senior advisor, and consultant in the field of clinical research and human subjects protection.
- Serve as the principal resource in the office of the NCI CIRB in developing research policy, particularly, in the area of protecting the human subjects of research.
- Be responsible for conceiving, formulating, and establishing criteria and objectives that ensure CIRB accreditation.
- Provide leadership, expert advice, and direction on accreditation program requirements and procedures.
- Plan and conduct program reviews to evaluate the effectiveness of the contract to ensure that it meets the criteria and is in compliance with regulations and laws.
- Serve on committees established to review proposed regulations, guidelines, and procedures
Access CTOIB’s website: https://ctep.cancer.gov/branches/pio/default.htm
Qualifications
Candidates must be US citizens and have successfully completed a bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree with major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences, or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. Skills in advising, serving as a recognized authority and consultant, and providing direction and guidance to major initiatives affecting the NCI clinical trials program; advanced skills in the regulations and best practices associated with the management and operations of IRBs for biomedical research programs, and specifically those involving cancer treatment and development; and knowledge of clinical research, especially as it relates to the design and conduct of clinical trials, including knowledge of current oncologic therapeutics, disease sites, drug therapy, drug toxicities, patient management, and investigational therapies, are desired.
Salary will be commensurate with experience. A full civil service package of benefits (including health insurance, life insurance, and retirement) is available.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should contact Mike Montello (montellom@mail.nih.gov) with questions regarding this position.
The NIH and NCI are dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.
HHS, NIH, and NCI are Equal Opportunity Employers.
Pharmacologist
The DCTD, NCI is seeking a candidate with a Bachelors, Masters, and/or Doctoral degree in the field of pharmacology, or an appropriate discipline of the biological, medical, or veterinary sciences that includes at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, biochemistry, or physiology, and 12 semester hours in pharmacology.
The candidate will be responsible for:
- Coordinating and evaluating safety testing of biopharmaceutical agents used in multiple research studies
- Evaluating proposed research protocols for appropriateness of study design and use of pharmaceutical information
- Developing pharmacokinetic study design initiatives
- Assisting in the preparation of contract solicitations for pharmacology studies
- Participating in the review and award phases of contracting
Qualifications
Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Grade and salary are dependent upon experience. Knowledge of the principles, theories, and methods of pharmacology research activities as relates to new drug development is required.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and full contact information for three references to:
Elizabeth R. Glaze, PhD, DABT
Chief, Toxicology and Pharmacology Branch
Developmental Therapeutics Program, DCTD
glazee@mail.nih.gov
The NIH and NCI are dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.
HHS, NIH, and NCI are Equal Opportunity Employers.
Data Scientists, Statisticians, IT
Mathematical Statistician
The Biostatistics Branch (BB) within DCTD’s Biometric Research Program (BRP) is seeking candidates with preferably a Ph.D. in Statistics, Biostatistics or equivalent.
The candidate will be a member of BRB and will collaborate with NCI investigators in DCTD’s Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), Cancer Imaging Program (CIP), Cancer Diagnosis Program (CDP), and potentially other NCI programs, including the NCI Center for Cancer Research.
The candidate’s responsibilities may include coordination with DCTD senior staff in the development and review of national clinical trials evaluating new therapeutics and diagnostics. The candidate will conduct research on statistical issues arising in clinical and translational science, including clinical trial design, management and analysis, diagnostics development, and other important topics related to cancer research. Candidates with interest in clinical trial design and molecular/imaging characterization of cancer are encouraged to apply.
The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health and is considered the federal government’s principal agency for cancer research. The BB is organizationally located within the BRP, DCTD, NCI. The BB is responsible for statistical leadership and oversight for the national program of therapeutic and diagnostic clinical trials of the NCI, as well as translational research in developmental therapeutics, diagnostics, and cancer imaging. Members of the BB are primarily doctoral level statisticians who are experts in the development, evaluation, and application of state-of-the art methods for the design, monitoring, and analysis of clinical trials evaluating new therapeutics and precision medicine approaches. The BRP is an integral component of NCI that supports NCI’s overall mission by enhancing the rate of promising scientific discoveries, and efficiency of their translation, to advance clinical care to reduce the burden of cancer in the United States and around the world.
This is an exploratory ad to gauge interest and a possible candidate pool. Vacancy Announcements (VAs) to fill the positions will be posted on www.USAJOBS.gov at a later date.
Candidates must be U.S. citizens. Compensation for the positions is commensurate with the individual’s qualifications and experience as permitted within Federal Government appointments.
Please submit your C.V. and a statement of interest to Dr. Lisa McShane, Biometric Research Program, National Cancer Institute at lm5h@nih.gov.
The NIH and NCI are dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.
HHS, NIH, and NCI are Equal Opportunity Employers.
Medical Bioinformatician
The Office of the Director (OD), DCTD, NCI is seeking an experienced and self-motivated candidate to fill a Biomedical Informatician vacancy.
The DCTD expedites the pre-clinical development and subsequent large-scale clinical testing of new agents, biomarker assays, imaging modalities, and other therapeutic interventions (radiation, surgery, immunotherapy) in patients. The DCTD has nine major programs work together to bring unique molecules, diagnostic tests, and therapeutic interventions from the laboratory bench to the patient bedside and back.
The successful candidate will serve as a Biomedical Informatician in DCTD, with responsibility for working with other government and contract biomedical, informatics, statistical and clinical experts to conceive, plan, develop, implement, and evaluate biomedical informatics solutions to address existing and future clinical and pre-clinical cancer research requirements.
Expertise and knowledge in biomedical informatics to manage projects involving the development of informatics solutions that support cancer clinical research programs and initiatives, is desired.
Qualifications
Applicants must be U.S. citizens, with a Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in a major study in an academic field related to bioinformatics, data science, computer science, or health/allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position.
Experience in:
- Developing software, databases, or portals that collect, process, store, integrate and perform computational analysis of biomedical data, particularly coming from multiple sources
- Identifying program needs and translating them into biomedical informatics solutions
- Evaluating the performance of existing biomedical informatics technology systems and programs relative to current and future requirements
- Developing and implementing pipelines to receive, assess, process and store data in systems; developing standard operating procedures for the acquisition, integration and analysis of clinical trial data, including laboratory and research assay results, multi-omics data, treatment and biospecimen collection/processing timelines, costs
- Participating in the administration of biomedical informatics contracts
This is a full-time Federal Government position, located in Bethesda and Rockville, MD. Compensation for the position is commensurate with the individual's qualifications and experience, as permitted with Federal Government appointments.
How to Apply
This is an exploratory ad to gauge interest and a possible candidate pool. The vacancy announcement to fill this position will be posted on: usajobs.gov at a later date.
Contact for Interested Candidates
Michael Difilippantonio, PhD
difilipm@mail.nih.gov
The NIH and NCI are dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.
HHS, NIH, and NCI are Equal Opportunity Employers.
Health Science Administrators
Health Science Administrators
DCTD, NCI is seeking to fill multiple vacancies for Health Scientist Administrators in the following DCTD Programs:
- Cancer Diagnosis Program (CDP)
- Cancer Imaging Program (CIP)
- Cancer Therapeutics Evaluation Program (CTEP)
- Translational Research Program (TRP)
As a Health Scientist Administrator, the incumbent will perform a wide variety of duties and responsibilities relating to the administration of a large research grants program involving basic, translational, and clinical studies:
- Perform scientific and administrative reviews and analyses of applications/proposals from a programmatic viewpoint
- Consult with and advise grantees/contractors during preparation of applications/proposals and following reviews, and provide guidance on program issues
- Develop, coordinate, and administer grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts established to fulfill the mission of the Branch and Division.
Some travel to universities, research institutions, commercial organizations, other government agencies, entrepreneur/innovation centers, and public and private organizations to promote and explain the objectives of the program may be necessary.
DCTD takes prospective detection and treatment leads, facilitates their paths to clinical application, and expedites the initial and subsequent large-scale testing of new agents, biomarkers, imaging tests, and other therapeutic interventions (radiation, surgery, immunotherapy) in patients. The division has nine major programs that work together to bring unique molecules, diagnostic tests, and therapeutic interventions from the laboratory bench to the patient bedside.
CDP strives to improve the diagnosis and assessment of cancer by effectively moving new scientific knowledge into clinical practice. CDP coordinates and funds resources and research for the development of innovative in vitro diagnostics, novel diagnostic technologies and appropriate human specimens to better characterize cancers and allow improved medical decision making and evaluation of response to treatment.
The mission of CIP is to promote and support cancer-related basic, translational and clinical research in imaging sciences and technology, and integration and application of these imaging discoveries and developments to the understanding of cancer biology and to the clinical management of cancer and cancer risk.
The mission of CTEP is to improve the lives of cancer patients by finding better ways to treat, control and cure cancer. CTEP accomplishes this mission by funding an extensive national program of cancer research and by sponsoring clinical trials to evaluate new anti-cancer agents and combinations, with a particular emphasis on translational research to elucidate molecular targets and mechanisms of drug effects.
Through its SPORE Program (Specialized Programs of Research Excellence), TRP is committed to reducing cancer incidence and mortality and improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients. TRP uses advances in basic sciences to develop new approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer by fostering interdisciplinary investigations and coordinating the resources of NCI with those of academia, industry, and nonprofit organizations and foundations.
Qualifications
These are full-time Federal Government positions located in Rockville, Maryland. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Compensation for these positions is commensurate with the individual's qualifications and experience, as permitted with Federal Government appointments.
NOTE: Applicants must meet the following minimum educational requirement: completion of a bachelor’s or graduate/higher level degree with major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. Additional specialized experience will be required and will be outlined in the vacancy announcement, when posted at a later date.
How to Apply:
This is an exploratory ad to gauge interest and a possible candidate pool. The vacancy announcements to fill these positions will be posted on: usajobs.gov at a later date.
Interested candidates may contact the following individuals for additional information:
CDP: contact Dr. Brian Sorg; Brian.Sorg@mail.nih.gov
CIP: contact Dr. Robert Nordstrom; nordstrr@mail.nih.gov
CTEP: Contact Dr. Lori Henderson; hendersonlori@mail.nih.gov
TRP: Contact Dr. Peter Ujhazy; ujhazyp@mail.ih.gov
The NIH and NCI are dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.
HHS, NIH, and NCI are Equal Opportunity Employers.
Physicians
Physicians
DCTD, NCI, is seeking Physicians to fill multiple vacancies in the DCTD:
- Office of the Director (OD)
-DCTD Developmental Therapeutics Clinic (DTC) - Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP)
-Clinical Investigations Branch (CIB)
-Investigational Drug Branch (IDB)
DCTD takes prospective detection and treatment leads, facilitates their paths to clinical application, and expedites the initial and subsequent large-scale testing of new agents, biomarkers, imaging tests, and other therapeutic interventions (radiation, surgery, immunotherapy) in patients. The division has nine major programs that work together to bring unique molecules, diagnostic tests, and therapeutic interventions from the laboratory bench to the patient bedside.
- The goal of the DTC in the DCTD OD, is to develop new treatments for patients with advanced cancer through innovative early phased clinical trials. Each year patients from around the world with cancers that have relapsed after standard treatment visit DTC for consultation about participation in the innovative new treatment trials conducted at NIH. DTC participates in the Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCN) and supports the work of the DCTD.
- CTEP’s mission is to improve the lives of cancer patients by finding better ways to treat, control, and cure cancer. CTEP accomplishes this mission by funding an extensive national program of cancer research and by sponsoring clinical trials to evaluate new anti-cancer agents, with a particular emphasis on translational research to elucidate molecular targets and mechanisms of drug effects.
- CIB implements and oversees pediatric cancer clinical trials portfolios, focusing on the incorporation of new molecular characterization and novel therapeutic strategies into clinical trials for children with cancer
- IDB implements and oversees portfolios of novel cancer agents in an innovative investigational experimental therapeutics program.
Qualifications
This is a full-time government position in Rockville, MD. Compensation for this position is commensurate with the individual’s qualifications and experience as permitted within Federal Government appointments.
How to Apply
This is an exploratory ad to gauge interest and a possible candidate pool. The vacancy announcements to fill these positions will be posted on usajobs.gov at a later date.
Contacts for Interested Candidates
OD: Dr. Alice Chen Alice.Chen@nih.gov
CIB: Dr. Malcolm Smith Malcolm.Smith@nih.gov
IDB: Dr. Jeffrey A. Moscow jeffrey.moscow@nih.gov
The NIH and NCI are dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.
HHS, NIH, and NCI are Equal Opportunity Employers.
Scientific Positions
Chemist
The Pharmaceutical Resources Branch (PRB), Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP), DCTD, is seeking candidates with a degree in the field of chemistry and a strong interest in analytical/organic chemistry.
The candidates will collaborate with investigators in the DTP by serving as Project Officers for research contracts involved with the analysis and the shelf life of chemicals and pharmaceutical dosage forms, providing expertise on:
- Developing and implementing analytical tests on chemicals and pharmaceutical dosage forms
- Preparing specifications for routine quality control of bulk drugs; providing advice in the field of analytical chemistry for the study of drugs
- Interacting with others in the pharmaceutical industry
This is an exploratory ad to gauge interest and a possible candidate pool. The vacancy announcement to fill these position will be posted on: usajobs.gov at a later date.
Qualifications
Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Compensation for these positions is commensurate with the individual's qualifications and expertise, as permitted with Federal Government appointments. Experience with hands-on laboratory synthetic chemistry enablement is required.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and full contact information for three references to:
Christophe Marchand, PhD
Deputy Associate Director, DTP, DCTD
marchanc@mail.nih.gov
The NIH and NCI are dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.
HHS, NIH, and NCI are Equal Opportunity Employers.
Postdoctoral Fellowship
DCTD is inviting qualified applications for a postdoctoral research position in the area of cancer therapeutics. The candidate will:
- Perform basic research on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase mediated signaling mechanisms in cancer therapeutics
- Investigate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the regulation of gene expression, signal transduction, and proliferation in human tumor cell systems, genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), as well as clinical samples.
This research effort also focuses on the development of small molecule and antibody inhibitors targeting reactive oxygen-generating epithelial tumor cell NADPH oxidases, with a special emphasis on mouse tumor models, including standard cell line xenografts, patient-derived tumor models, and GEMMs developed to understand the role of inflammatory stress on the control of NADPH oxidases, tumor initiation, and progression.
We are seeking a highly motivated individual with demonstrated scientific productivity to join the DCTD. Experience in eukaryotic molecular pharmacology, signal transduction, and the development of GEMMs is required; expertise in cell- and in vivo-based molecular pharmacodynamics and free radical biology is also desirable.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have a PhD in biochemistry, molecular/tumor biology, or related disciplines and preferably prior experience in the use of both in vitro and in vivo tumor models. Communication skills and the ability to collect, analyze, compile, and communicate complex scientific data both verbally and in writing is an essential prerequisite for this position. Salary is commensurate with research experience and accomplishments.
How to Apply
Please send an application package, with your resume/CV and other supporting documentation to:
Monika Sarna, Administrative Officer
Office of the Director, DCTD
Room 3A44, Building 31
31 Center Drive
National Cancer Institute, NIH
Bethesda, MD 20892
msarna@mail.nih.gov
This position is subject to a background investigation.
The NIH and NCI are dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.
HHS, NIH, and NCI are Equal Opportunity Employers.
Information on DCTD Contractor Job Opportunities
All contractor positions in DCTD are listed below.
As part of our workforce recruitment efforts, DCTD is committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility and providing a safe work environment for staff in our nine major programs that work together.
Science Writers
Science Writers
DCTD is seeking experienced and motivated science writers to join our Science Writers team in the Office of the Director. The chosen writers identify and write scientific articles backed by statistics and evidence, including references and scientific sources.
DCTD takes prospective detection and treatment leads, facilitates their paths to clinical application, and expedites the initial and subsequent large-scale testing of new agents, biomarkers, imaging tests, and other therapeutic interventions (radiation, surgery, immunotherapy) in patients. The division has nine major programs that work together to bring unique molecules, diagnostic tests, and therapeutic interventions from the laboratory bench to the patient bedside.
Responsibilities
- Writes, edits, prepares, and compiles documents describing past accomplishments and future endeavors of ongoing initiatives
- Collaborates with staff to write clinical trial protocols and informed consent documents for use in clinical studies of investigational new drugs at the NIH Clinical Center
- Conducts clinical study management tasks, including preparation and submission of protocol amendments, annual reviews, and other regulatory documents
- Analyzes, organizes, and interprets scientific data for publications, posters, and oral presentations
- Collaborates with scientists and physicians to ensure timely submission of time-sensitive deliverables
- Develops print and web-based products related to drugs approved with DCTD’s involvement
- Develops meeting reports and summaries
- Provides science writing and editing support in the preparation of manuscripts for submission to scientific peer-reviewed journals
Qualifications
- This is a full-time contract position in Bethesda, MD.
- Desired candidates should have a PhD in Biology, Hematology Oncology, Chemistry, Pharmacology, Genetics, Immunology, or a cancer-related discipline, with a minimum of two (2) years of experience working as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in a cancer-related field.
- A minimum of two (2) years of experience writing about clinical research in a cancer relevant science
- Expertise in copy-editing, scientific and technical writing, and writing for the media
- Understanding technical scientific terms and concepts specifically related to cancer, communicating technical ideas to a general audience, and translating scientific language into plain language
- Extensive understanding of basic and molecular biology, and familiarity with cancer biology
- Experience in medical and scientific writing for a variety of audiences (public, the science press, the media, and researchers).
- Strong communications skills, both orally and in writing
- Excellent analytical, organizational, and time management skills
How to Apply
Please submit your Curriculum Vitae via email to:
Monika Sarna, DCTD, NCI Administrative Officer
msarna@mail.nih.gov
The NIH and NCI are dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.
HHS, NIH, and NCI are Equal Opportunity Employers.