USAMRIID Bio-Threat Assessment and Software Development Research

The Department of Defense (DoD) is offering master’s and doctoral-level internship and fellowship opportunities at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command – Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRDC MRIID).

As an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) participant, you will engage in a collaborative learning experience alongside a multidisciplinary community of scientists and researchers. Through this fellowship, you will acquire practical, hands‑on experience in designing and constructing software tools for Next‑Generation Sequencing (NGS) and synthetic biology applications.

Through this research opportunity, you will learn how computational methods, hardware, and software are integrated to solve real‑world biosurveillance challenges, ultimately understanding how to identify, characterize, and evaluate known and unknown biothreats. Under the guidance of an experienced mentor, you will advance your skills and knowledge navigating Linux environments, scripting languages for handling large‑scale genomic data, and learning how to apply programming languages to implement complex computational models and algorithms.

• Bioinformatics Tool Development: Learning how to design and develop software tools to analyze large‑scale, high‑throughput genomics datasets generated from state‑of‑the‑art Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencers.
• Synthetic Biology Applications: Gaining experience in building software tools that support synthetic biology research, including CRISPR/Cas systems, molecular engineering, and vaccine/therapeutic delivery platforms.
• Advanced Computational Biology & Software Engineering: Learning how to develop computational biology software using both traditional coding suites and emerging AI/Large Language Model (LLM) tools.
• Genomic Sequencing & Bioinformatics: Gaining a deep understanding of the biological principles underpinning biosurveillance, viral evolutionary analysis, and biothreat assessment. You will learn how to develop methods for field‑sequencing and real‑time identification of unknown pathogens.
• Applied Synthetic Biology: You will learn how to translate biological requirements into project‑specific digital tools, gaining exposure to cutting‑edge research in CRISPR/Cas technologies, and molecular engineering.
• Professional Development: You will learn how to collaborate within a professional scientific environment, present research findings, and document software code to industry standards.

Frederick, Maryland

September 7, 2026. Exact start dates will be determined at the time of selection and in coordination with the selected candidate. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis and internships or fellowships will be filled as qualified candidates are identified.

Appointments are initially for one year with the option to extend the appointment for up to four additional years, contingent upon project needs and funding availability.

You will receive a stipend to be determined by USAMRIID. Stipends are typically based on a participant’s academic standing, discipline, experience, and research facility location.

• Health Insurance Supplement (Participants are eligible to purchase health insurance through ORISE)
• Training and Travel Allowance

While participants will not enter an employment relationship with DoD or any other agency, this opportunity will require a suitability investigation/background investigation. Any offer made is considered tentative pending favorable outcome of the investigation.

USAMRIID's reputation has been built over the years by numerous scientists and technical staff working to protect both military personnel and civilians from the threat of infectious diseases. The Institute participates in support of emerging disease investigations, working alongside colleagues from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

As a reference laboratory for the Department of Defense, USAMRIID…