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# Recruiting postdocs for biomedical data science training!

Post date: Feb 26, 2020.

The Lab for Data Intensive Biology at UC Davis is seeking a postdoc for a biomedical data science training project. This NIH-funded postdoc will spearhead development of pilot workshop and training materials for multiple NIH Common Fund projects, with the goal of improving data use and reuse by training biomedical researchers and clinicians in cloud-based data analysis. (See links below for details on the Common Fund Data Ecosystem project.)

While this postdoc requires some developing, refining and presenting training materials, there are many other facets to the project. The position will include hands-on data analysis, exposure to and engagement with modern cloud-based data analysis and workflow platforms, direct training of clinicians to enhance translation of data to impact, and opportunities for data analysis at the forefront of biomedical and translational research. 

There are also many additional roles within the project and lab. Depending on interest, this position could include aspects of: community building, software testing and development, assessment, policies & standards, or other topics.

Note, all developed materials will be publicly available under an open license and may be integrated with the Carpentries Labs and/or other global community-based training efforts (ANViL, Bioconductor, R Ladies, etc.)

Remote work is possible, but the position will require regular travel within North America (3-5 days a month on average). Partial relocation expenses are available.

We have no hard deadline for this position and are looking to hire as we find the right person.

## Position details

* Position is full time (40 hrs/wk) unless otherwise arranged.
* The salary is $10k above NIH minimum, so e.g. $60k for 0-year postdoc (see [NIH postdoc salary details](https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/salary-cap-and-stipend-levels-announced)).
* Full [postdoc benefits](https://grad.ucdavis.edu/resources/postdoctoral-scholar-resources/appointment-promotion/benefits) at UC Davis.
* Postdocs at UC Davis are [unionized](http://uaw5810.org/).
* Note that PhD must be in hand by time of start. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.
* Candidates must have no more than four years of postdoc experience, due to internal UC Davis limits; please inquire if unsure. We are happy to take postdocs with industry experience!
* Initial appointments will be for 1 year, with possibility for continuation.


UC Davis provides a welcoming environment with many mentoring and career development opportunities. In particular, **the DIB Lab is committed to increasing the retention and success of underrepresented minorities in science**. We encourage lab members to take advantage of local campus resources as well as international conferences, including:
* [the UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion](https://diversity.ucdavis.edu/office-diversity-equity-and-inclusion)
* the [Center for Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science](https://ucd-advance.ucdavis.edu/campos), which offers [regular colloquia](https://diversity.ucdavis.edu/research-colloquium)
* [SACNAS](https://www.sacnas.org/)

## Requested qualifications

* Some experience with biomedical data science, such as DNA/RNA sequence analysis, image analysis, or electronic health records, is **necessary**. Any kind of PhD is welcome, however. 
* Some experience in teaching in a global community-based data science training program is **required** (e.g. Carpentries, Galaxy, R-Ladies, Bioconductor, or others).
* Some experience in asynchronous materials development is requested (GitHub and Markdown).
* Experience in developing surveys and assessments is very welcome!
* Experience in UX design/evaluation/testing is also welcome.
* During this postdoc, there will be opportunities to grow involvement in Carpentries or other global community-based data science training programs.
* A significant amount of independent work is **required**, and taking ownership of projects is highly encouraged.
* We anticipate that all training materials developed during this postdoc will be openly available under a CC-BY license.

Applicants with interest or experience in #openscience/#opensource are especially encouraged to apply.

## Interested in applying?

Please provide a document or e-mail with (as available) ORCID, Google Scholar information, your GitHub ID, any social media handles you want to advertise, and a brief summary of your training experience. A statement of career goals is encouraged but not necessary. Longer CVs are fine -- we don't care about the format, but please include the above requested information if available.

**[Please send us your materials by e-mail; use the e-mail in this link.](mailto:2020-recruiting+int+1273+6975702679679808072@dib-lab.groups.io)**

## Common Fund Data Ecosystem

The Common Fund Data Ecosystem is charged with working to increase the Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability of [NIH Common Fund](https://commonfund.nih.gov/) data sets such as GTEx and the Human Microbiome Project, among (many) others. This includes a substantial training mission to help the various Common Fund projects develop and deliver training materials.

The CFDE has written a series of reports that outline the challenges and opportunities:

* [July 2019 CFDE report](https://figshare.com/articles/2019-July_CFDE_AssessmentReport_pdf/9588374) 
* [October 2019 CFDE report](https://figshare.com/articles/2019-October_CFDE_AssessmentReport_pdf/10261055)
* [December 2019 CFDE report](https://figshare.com/articles/2019-December_CFDE_AssessmentReport_pdf/11592936)

Postdocs recruited under this call will join the CFDE Engagement team under Dr. Brown. They will be responsible for working with a broad range of stakeholders to develop training opportunities for clinical and biomedical researchers.

## About UC Davis:

* Carpentries partner with strong, broadly distributed training community.
* Davis is family friendly, bike friendly, and close to multiple national and international airports.
* Close to many wonderful national parks, recreation activities, and cities.

## About the Lab for Data Intensive Biology:

* The Lab for Data Intensive Biology (DIB Lab) is devoted to #openscience/#opensource methods for improved data analysis in biology.
* Part of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, in Davis, CA.
* Affiliated with the [UC Davis Genome Center](https://genomecenter.ucdavis.edu/) and the [UC Davis Datalab](http://ds.lib.ucdavis.edu/).
* The DIB Lab is remote/async-work friendly, with several remote lab members already. Most lab interaction is via Slack and teleconference.
* The head of the lab is Titus Brown (ctbrown@ucdavis.edu, [@ctitusbrown](https://twitter.com/ctitusbrown), [blog](http://ivory.idyll.org/blog/), [google scholar](https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=O4rYanMAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate))
* Lab web site: http://ivory.idyll.org/lab/.
* Lab GitHub: github.com/dib-lab/.
* [Lab Code of Conduct](http://ivory.idyll.org/lab/coc.html)
* Work-life balance is strongly promoted in the DIB Lab.
* Please contact current members or alumni if you are interested in confidentially discussing lab culture, details on code of conduct practice, etc.
    * Current lab members you can contact:
        * Taylor Reiter <tereiter@ucdavis.edu>
        * Camille Scott <camille.scott.w@gmail.com>
        * Dr. Tessa Pierce <ntpierce@gmail.com>
        * Luiz Irber <lcirberjr@ucdavis.edu>
        * Dr. Amanda Charbonneau <achar@ucdavis.edu>
        * Dr. Tamer Mansour <tahmed@ucdavis.edu>
    * Lab alumni:
        * Dr. Harriet Alexander <harriet.xander@gmail.com>
        * Dr. Karen Word <krword@carpentries.org>
        * Dr. Rayna Harris <rayna.harris@gmail.com>
        * Dr. Phillip Brooks <philliptbrooks@gmail.com>
        * Dr. Daniel Standage <daniel.standage@gmail.com>
* We provide a supportive environment for transition into faculty and non-faculty careers. Alumni are in academia, government, tech, and biotech.
