WOC - Research Health Science Specialist

Please note, there is no pay associated with this position.

This position serves as Without Compensation Research Health Science Specialist within the Office of Research and Development (ORD). The VA Research Program strives to promote Veteran-centered care to improve patient experiences and outcomes across VA healthcare and community settings, and to advance value-driven care by providing Veterans the highest quality care at the lowest financial burden.

• Assisting lab members in conduct and coordination to enable the successful completion of projects.
• Data collection.
• Capturing data via spreadsheet and database software.
• Screening, recruiting and assessing potential patients for research eligibility.
• Reviewing charts and images.
• Consulting with eligible patients on study participation.
• Assisting with follow-up of research subjects enrolled in studies.
• Assisting with research and administrative duties related to funded projects.
• Performing computational fluid dynamic analyses.
• Developing biomechanical models from MRI data.
• Developing statistical and finite element models.

Work Schedule: Intermittent (Without Compensation)

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/22/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

Experience: You must possess general experience in (1) any type of work that demonstrates performing computational fluid dynamic analyses, developing biomechanical models from MRI data, and developing statistical and finite element models; and 2) assisting in data collection and the capturing of data via spreadsheet and database software, screening, recruiting and assessing potential candidates for research eligibility as well as reviewing charts, images and consulting with eligible patients on study participation.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is predominantly sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there will be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of items of moderate weight such as large binders, banker style file boxes, meeting materials, papers, books or small parts. Hand and eye coordination for delicate testing procedures may be the only special physical demand required to perform the work.

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.