Introduction

The National Institutes of Health-Oak Ridge Associated Universities (NIH-ORAU) Research Associate/Research Specialist Program will provide opportunities for U.S. citizen, permanent resident, and foreign national postbaccalaureate and postdoctoral level scientists to participate in programs, projects, and activities supportive of the NIH. This proposed program will appoint Research Associates/Specialists as ORAU temporary employees who will receive salaries and benefits.

NIH Program Objectives and Overview

The proposed NIH-ORAU Research Associate/Research Specialist Program provides junior-level scientists experience in biomedical research while they provide a service relevant to the NIH's program needs, and provides more senior scientists opportunities to pursue collaborations with NIH Principal Investigators to contribute to ongoing NIH programs. The ORAU Research Associate/Research Specialist will spend the entire period of appointment in NIH-guided activities, while supporting the performance of NIH intramural research. These appointments will provide participants with opportunities to participate in specific defined functions, thereby enhancing the research mission of the NIH and contributing to the professional development of the Research Associate/Research Specialist.

The NIH program will include U.S. citizen, permanent resident, and foreign national postbaccalaureate and postdoctoral level scientists with education and experience in biomedical, health sciences, preventive medicine, health science administration fields, and other fields related to the NIH mission. Research Associates/Research Specialists who are foreign nationals must qualify for or have H-1B visa status. Participants will be located at NIH headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, or at other NIH-affiliated U.S. locations.

Participant Benefits

Participant Payments. Participant salaries and benefits should be benchmarked against comparable positions in the NIH intramural program. The attached table contains budgeted salary ranges to serve as a guide. Faculty participants with sabbatical leave appointments may have their payments adjusted to reflect any salary they are paid under their home institutions' sabbatical policy.

Participant wages are reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Employee participants have income taxes withheld from their pay as per their W-4 status.

Travel/Moving Reimbursements. If authorized by NIH, ORAU may reimburse participants for travel, according to the federally approved ORAU Travel and Moving Policies.

• Interview and Relocation travel. Reimbursements may be provided for round-trip transportation costs from the applicant's home or institution to the NIH facility.
• Relocation allowance/moving expenses. A relocation allowance may be provided for participants relocated to a NIH facility or site.
• Conferences, Meetings, etc. Participants are eligible for support for travel to conferences, scientific or professional meetings, training, or other professional activities approved by NIH.
  
  Health Insurance. Health insurance is a program requirement. Full-time Research Associates/Research Specialists with appointments of one year or longer are included in the ORAU group medical insurance plan (this may be waived if the participant is covered by other medical insurance). Family or individual coverage is available. Full-time Research Associates/Research Specialists with appointments for less than one year are required to provide their own health insurance coverage. Such individuals may obtain health insurance through the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES) at the NIH. A participant who does not elect group health insurance coverage through ORAU or who is in an ineligible classification must present proof of enrollment in a health/medical insurance plan prior to his/her appointment.

  
  Among the benefits for full-time temporary employees on appointments of a year or longer are medical insurance, a prescription drug plan, dental insurance, vision insurance, basic life insurance, and travel accident insurance.
  
  Other Benefits for ORAU Research Associates/Research Specialists. Research Associates/Research Specialists are provided holidays with pay, earn annual leave and medical leave, are eligible under specific conditions for personal leave and leave without pay, and are included in social security, Medicare, unemployment compensation, worker's compensation, and travel accident insurance (business travel only). Research Associates/Research Specialists may also elect to purchase long-term care insurance through an ORAU program and contribute to supplementary retirement programs through ORAU (both with no company match). In addition, Research Associates/Research Specialists with appointments of one year or longer are covered by the ORAU group term life insurance.

Length of Appointments

Appointments are typically made for a term of one year or less (12 or 6 months), renewable up to a total of five years.

A full-time ORAU Research Associate/Research Specialist is expected to be in residence at the approved facility during the entire period of the appointment. The research participation must be conducted in a manner and according to a time schedule that meets the overall requirements of the sponsor. ORAU Research Associates/Research Specialists are expected to be at the host facility during normal working hours and at all times observe and conform to all applicable rules, regulations, and requirements of the facility including, but not limited to, those respecting environment, safety and health, security, operating procedures, drug-free work place notification requirements, and conduct.

Non U.S. Citizen Appointments

At the request of NIH, ORAU will hire non-immigrant temporary workers in specialty occupations who are eligible for H-IB visas. As a not-for-profit organization, ORAU is exempt from the H-1B visa cap.

Research Associates/Research Specialists who are not U.S. citizens may encounter delays if they have not completed their visa arrangements.

Appointment Conditions and Obligations

ORAU Research Associates/Research Specialists receive an appointment letter which they are required to sign and abide by during their appointment. All contingencies of an appointment offer, outlined in the appointmen letter, must be met before a Research Associate/Research Specialist can begin an appointment.

As ORAU temporary employees, the Research Associates/Research Specialists will meet all ORAU/ORISE requirements for new employee orientation and training, and they must follow ORAU employee policies and procedures.

With regard to intellectual property rights of ORAU employees assigned to NIH under this program, NIH policy is that contractor employees assigned at NIH must execute a Patent Agreement that treats the contractor employee as if he or she were a Government employee for purposes of allocating intellectual property rights. The contractor employee agrees to be bound by Executive Order 10096, which provides a uniform patent policy for the U.S. Government. The NIH policy and the Patent Agreement are set forth at http://www1.od.nih.gov/oir/sourcebook/irp-policy/contractproposal.htm.

Appointment Costs

Appointment costs include salary and non-salary costs (e.g., travel and immigration processing fees). The costs of appointments will vary by the salary levels, authorized travel reimbursements, duration of appointments, and other approved payments to or on behalf of participants. Salary levels vary by academic status, major field of study or research, and experience of the participants. ORAU can prepare cost estimates for a proposed appointment.

Budgeted Salary Ranges for NIH/ORAU Postbaccalaureate Research Associates

General skills ..............................................$38,000 - $45,000

Specialized skills & experience................... $45,001 - $55,000

Specialized skills & MS degree...................$55,001 - $65,000

Hard-to-find skills & MS degree.................$65,001 - $85,000

Budgeted Salary Ranges for NIH/ORAU Postdoctoral Research Associates

Research Associates……………………... $38,000 - $85,000

General skills ..............................................$38,000 - $55,000

Specialized skills & experience................... $55,001 - $70,000

Hard-to-find skills & experience................. $70,001 - $85,000

Budgeted Salary Ranges for NIH/ORAU Research Specialists

Research Specialists…………………$65,000 - $125,000

General skills...................................... $65,000 - $ 85,000

Specialized skills & experience............$85,001 - $105,000

Hard-to-find skills & experience.........$105,001 - $125,000

Further information can be found in the NIH-BPA Commercial Catalog.