NIH developed a new strategic recruitment program using the Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) for professional administrative careers called the Administrative Fellows Program (AFP). Through this program, NIH is able to recruit fellows who will grow into a permanent career through a 2 year program of training and on-the-job experience. NIH is reaching out to colleges and universities to bring in bright, motivated individuals to help us reach our resource goals for the future.
This unique opportunity will allow you to develop skills through training, rotational assignments and mentoring. Professional development is an integral part of the Administrative Program. Not only will you be learning about your career track, you will also be developing skills in leadership and management. Your training will involve creating an Individual Development Plan (IDP) that will outline your developmental activities for the desired skills/competencies along with your short term and long term goals. You will select an NIH mentor that will assist you in selecting rotational assignments, advise and counsel regarding career goals, share experiences and offer insights, and guide you to function successfully within NIH.
An Administrative Fellowship is more than a job; it’s and opportunity to leverage your skills to improve the health of the Nation and the world.
Life as an AFP
Courtney Bracey
Administrative Fellows Program ‘09
ORS Administrative Officer
In May 2007 Courtney started her career with the NIH as a member of its inaugural Administrative Fellow Program in the Administrative Officer track. She took a position with the Office of Research Services (ORS) which is a subdivision of the Office of the Director (OD) here at the NIH. The Office of Research Services provides the NIH community with services that support its biomedical research. Their services include veterinary resources, laboratory safety, medical arts and a host of other programs that support and enhance the NIH campus.
Currently as a member of the Administrative Fellows Program, her daily work duties vary. To expose her to various elements of the ORS affected by administration, her organization has created rotational assignments in which she learns about various work processes while learning to complete more technical administrative functions. She has been exposed to a myriad of disciplines from Budget Formulation and Execution to Travel and Simplified Acquisition to Ethics Policy and Procedures. “Administrative Officers touch so many elements of the business,” she states “making it imperative that we have a general understanding of multiple disciplines. My program goal ultimately is to become an Administrative Officer extraordinaire.”
When asked about why she selected the NIH as an employer she responded by saying, “I have always admired the mission and the works that have been birthed from the science funded or completed at the NIH. It is the foremost leader in cutting edge research in both medical and behavioral science and technology. As a taxpayer and as a human being, I am appreciative that NIH exists to discover disease-preventing measures and things that improve the health of the people. Its studies impact my family, my children and future generations to come. Here, I am more than an employee. I am a supporter of its mission though administration, which is exciting.”
Courtney received a Bachelors of Science in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry from Howard University located in Washington, DC. She then worked for several years with a technology company in the private sector. During such time she began working on her Master of Science in Management at University of Maryland University College. She expects to graduate in the fall of this year.
Justin D. Hentges
Administrative Fellows Program 09
Administrative Officer
Justin D. Hentges started with NIH in June 2007 as an Administrative Officer for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. During his two years in the Administrative Fellows Program, he is rotating around to many different areas of the Institute so his job duties are changing constantly! He has worked in the Intramural program and has been involved in activities like travel authorization approvals, intramural budget monitoring, and renovation management. During his rotation with the budget office, he monitored extramural grant budgets, worked with a team to create the budget congressional justification, and learned how to manage a cross-institute funding mechanism. He has also been involved in special projects with the other Administrative Fellows, becoming involved with the NIH GLBT Employees’ Forum, and sitting on a multi-institute working group. Originally from Wisconsin, Justin has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics, a Certificate in Secondary Education-Broadfield Social Studies, and a Master of Public Policy. When asked about his future with NIH, Justin replied, “I’m not sure what jobs will be in my future, but I do know that I want a career that is both challenging and fulfilling. I believe in public service and the responsibility that government has to the people, and therefore, I can see myself staying in the federal government, specifically NIH, for quite some time.”
Vandhana Khurana
Administrative Fellows Program ‘09
NIAID Grants Management
Before joining the NIH, Vandhana received an MBA from American University, MA in Biological Sciences from California State University, Fullerton, and her BA from University of California, Irvine. She pursued research in the area of Infectious Diseases at Institute of Biosciences and Technology/Texas A&M, and is still very interested in the area of biotech research commercialization. She also, in her past work experience, set up and managed IT systems in India for a large conglomerate operating in 6 cities.
She joined the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases at the NIH in July, 2007, as a Grants Management Specialist in the Administrative Fellows Program. As a Grants Management Specialist she works on reviewing grant applications with respect to administrative and technical issues, ensuring their compliance with Federal law and NIH administrative policy and procedures. In addition to this, she communicates within her institute, its divisions, and groups to provide business guidance to applicants and reviewers.
As a mother of two, she is looking for a good work-life balance that allows her to pursue her interests in finding, funding and commercializing solutions for disease prevention and control. She is especially interested in the international dimensions of disease control, given the exponential increase in international travel and globalization. She likes traveling and speaks her native language fluently aside from English.
Christine Lam
Administrative Fellows Program ‘09
NINDS Administrative Officer
Christine started at the NIH on June 25, 2007 with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). She is a current Fellow, in the Administrative Officer track with a focus on Budget Execution, for the Division of Intramural Research (DIR). As such she manages tasks related to procurement, travel and human resources, formulates budgets for NINDS Principle Investigators, tracks budget expenditures, and conducts analyses for various ad-hoc projects. Before joining the NIH she graduated from George Washington University with an undergraduate degree in the Fine Arts while working as a graphic and web designer for nearly ten year. Later she obtained her Master’s in Public Communication from American University and was the Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing at its Career Center. During her studies at GWU, she was inspired by an adjunct professor’s work at NIH and wanted to become a part of the NIH to further is mission and help advance medicine to prevent diseases and discover state of the art treatment options. While she’s not a scientist, she knows that she can contribute to this in other ways. As an Administrative Fellow, she has been tasked to work on special projects to streamline our administrative processes and explore new technologies to increase productivity and communications. Her short-term goals at NIH include building her knowledge about the NIH and its administrative functions, developing skills to plan for an effective workforce and change management, and become a valuable resource for both the NIH’s administrators and scientists. Since she’s still learning about the many administrative career options at NIH, she has not identified her long-term career goals. However, she is certain in the fact that she will embark on a long career in public administration with NIH.
Lauren T. Toussaint
Administrative Fellows Program ‘09
NIGMS Grants Management
Lauren began working for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in June 2007 after completing her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. Before obtaining her master’s degree, she attended McDaniel College (formerly known as Western Maryland College) where she received a bachelor’s degree in biology with minors in sociology and French in May 2005. As a current participant in the Administrative Fellows Program (AFP), she works as a Grants Management Specialist at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). At NIGMS, she utilizes her problem solving and project management skills while learning about the intricate policies and procedures involved in grant-making and inter-agency agreements. In the future, she hopes to continue working in the public sector to help improve the health of the Nation. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer and spending time with friends and family.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Department of Health
