Staff Scientist

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is recruiting for a Staff Scientist within its Intramural Research Program (IRP) located in Baltimore, Maryland. The position is in the Real-world Assessment, Prediction, and Treatment (RAPT) section, which is part of the Translational Addiction Medicine Branch (TAMB). The Chief of the RAPT section is Dr.

David Epstein, NIDA IRP Senior Investigator.

RAPT conducts human research, both on site at NIDA’s laboratory facilities in Baltimore and remotely via smartphone-based or online data collection. The position requires full-time on-site presence. The Staff Scientist will focus on development and testing of content for a mobile intervention for substance‑use disorders (SUDs)—specifically, what is sometimes called an EMI (ecological momentary intervention) or a JITAI (just‑in‑time adaptive intervention).

These projects are an outgrowth of RAPT’s ongoing work with smartphone‑based EMA (ecological momentary assessment). The Staff Scientist will be expected to continue RAPT’s ongoing work on the projects but also to extend it creatively, addressing their own specific research questions and their own broad vision of what mobile interventions should do. This endeavor will require a strong background in both the phenomenology and the treatment of SUDs.

It will also benefit from a degree of skepticism about mobile interventions (skepticism sufficient to improve them and to acknowledge limitations in success). The ideal candidate will have the critical‑thinking skills needed to develop a research protocol (e.g., a micro randomized field study of different types of momentary JITAI content, though this will be open for discussions and brainstorming), present data, and develop and publish papers, and also a strong capacity for empathetic personal interactions with research participants, research and clinical staff, and trainees.

A Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent degree is required. Candidates with doctorates in Clinical Psychology will be preferred. Criteria for selection include extensive experience with psychological assessment, SUD‑intervention development, and training and testing of computational models for classification and prediction. Also highly desirable are a strong record of peer‑reviewed publications and presentations at national conferences and demonstrated experience mentoring junior trainees and fostering cross‑disciplinary collaborations.

Salary will be commensurate with experience. The fellowship is open to US and foreign citizens. The selected candidate will have access to lectures, educational, mentoring and grant training opportunities at the RAPT and TAMB levels, the NIDA IRP level, and NIH‑wide.

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non‑merit factor. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job applicants .

If selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450 to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest and your prospective position with the agency.

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Learn more about Foreign Education .

You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case‑by‑case basis.

Interested candidates must submit a curriculum vitae (including bibliography), a one‑page summary of research interests, and the names and contact information (work/email addresses, phone) of three references (via pdf or Microsoft word format only – paper applications will not be accepted) to:
David Epstein, Ph.D., email: [email protected]

Last Updated: February 26, 2026

02/23/2026–03/26/2026

Commensurate with qualifications and experience

Scientific

NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Real-world Assessment, Prediction, and Treatment