Dear All: If you are interested in public service, two very exciting groups of opportunities have recently emerged.
First, PACCARB (the US Presidential Advisory Council for the CARB initiative) is about to have its first rotation of voting members. Of the original fifteen voting members appointed just under 3 years ago, seven us (myself included) are due to rotate off later this year (the others will rotate off next year after serving for 4 years). Nominations to fill these seven voting positions are now being sought. Newly appointed voting members would serve either a three- or four-year term. If you are interested, check out the solicitation page here. Nominations must be received by 5:00p (Washington DC time) on 30 Apr 2018. I’ve very much enjoyed my time on PACCARB and would commend it to others who are interested in this type of service.
Second, BARDA is launching an exciting new research group. Called the Division for Research, Innovation and Ventures (DRIVe), the new group seeks to develop countermeasures to protect Americans from natural and intentional health security threats. Up to 20 new federal and contractor staff are being sought in the next 60 days to support the launch of this new initiative! Many more details, including contact information and a list of possible roles, can be found below my signature.
The amount of AMR-related activity is amazing! All best wishes, –jr
John H. Rex, MD | Chief Medical Officer, F2G Ltd. | Expert-in-Residence, Wellcome Trust. Follow me on Twitter: @JohnRex_NewAbx. See past newsletters and subscribe for the future: https://13.43.35.2/blog/
BARDA’s DRIVe initiative (text adapted from an announcement email)
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) serves the nation by partnering with industry to make available medical countermeasures against wide range of major threats to our health security. A component of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, BARDA has been successful in delivering new therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics and devices against serious health threats including biological, chemical, radiological, nuclear agents, emerging infectious diseases and their sequelae.
As a priority for the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, BARDA will be launching in June 2018 a new Division for Research, Innovation and Ventures (DRIVe) to accelerate the research, development, and availability of transformative countermeasures to protect Americans from natural and intentional health security threats. DRIVe will initially accelerate the development of innovative solutions in its first two target impact areas of sepsis and pre-exposure, pre-symptomatic diagnostics. DRIVe will expand in future years to tackle additional challenges.
DRIVe will also lead BARDA’s Medical Countermeasure Innovation Partnership (MCIP) established under 21st Century Cures. DRIVe will accelerate the development of innovative medical countermeasures not only through direct research and development, the traditional BARDA model, but also through the use of an independent 3rd party partner that leverages strategic venture capital practices and methods, akin to a corporate venture capital model. Together both of these models will stimulate innovation.
BARDA might be looking for you! DRIVe is actively looking to recruit up to 20 new federal and contractor staff in the next 60 days in preparation for its launch during June 2018. Per BARDA, “If you are interested in being part of DRIVe, to accelerate new medical countermeasures to protect America and the world against the relentless national security threats posed by terrorists, rogue nation states and naturally emerging diseases we have a place for you on our team! We want to target the innovators, the thought leaders and those who have a vision for how medicine will be practiced in the future. Someone who won’t take no for an answer or hide behind the belief that ‘this is too hard’.”
Below are lists of the initial current positions now being recruited to support DRIVe. For more details, please contact:
Tyler G. Merkeley
Health Scientist
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
Office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Email: DRIVe@HHS.gov
Sepsis Product Development SME (Subject Matter Expert)
Job City: Washington
Job State: US – DC
http://chk.tbe.taleo.net/chk05/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=TUNNELL&cws=4&rid=8930
Senior Financial and Business Development SME (Subject Matter Expert) [VC Experience 15-20 years]
Job City: Washington
Job State: US – DC
http://chk.tbe.taleo.net/chk05/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=TUNNELL&cws=4&rid=8932
Medical and Novel Healthcare Diagnostics SME (Subject Matter Expert)
Job City: Washington
Job State: US – DC
http://chk.tbe.taleo.net/chk05/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=TUNNELL&cws=4&rid=8931
Senior Research Scientist SME (Subject Matter Expert)
Job City: Washington
Job State: US – DC
http://chk.tbe.taleo.net/chk05/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=TUNNELL&cws=4&rid=8934
Sr. Analytical Consultant [Scientist Technology Support – 2 Positions]
US-DC-Washington
https://careers-aveshka.icims.com/jobs/1188/sr.-analytical-consultant/job
Business Consultant [Venture Capital Experience 6-8 years]
https://careers-aveshka.icims.com/jobs/intro
Job Locations US-DC-Washington
Link not yet available
Executive Assistant for DRIVe
Job LocationsUS-DC-Washington
https://careers-aveshka.icims.com/jobs/1183/executive-assistant/job
Sr. Business Consultant with DARPA Experience
US-DC-Washington
https://careers-aveshka.icims.com/jobs/1185/sr.-business-consultant/job
Upcoming meetings of interest to the AMR community:
- 27-29 Mar 2018 (Cardiff, UK): BSAC-sponsored 3-day residential Workshop on Susceptibility Testing
- 16 Apr 2018 (Washington): Duke-Margolis & FDA event: “Evaluating Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria in Clinical Trials”
- 21-24 Apr 2018 (Madrid): ECCMID
- 4-7 Jun 2018 (Boston): BIO (multiple AMR-focused sessions are expected)
- 7-11 Jun 2018 (Atlanta): ASM Microbe
- 22-27 Jul 2018 (Bryant University, Smithfield, RI): Gordon Research Conference on Drug Resistance for Cancer, Infectious Disease and Agriculture
- 4-7 Sep 2018 ESCMID-ASM Conference (#3) on Drug Development for AMR (Lisbon, Portugal)
- 6-14 Oct 2018 International Course on Antibiotics and Resistance (ICARe, Les Pensières, Annecy, France)
