OPT Postdoctoral Research Fellow Jobs
Postdoctoral Research Fellow positions are among the most OPT-friendly roles in academia and research institutions. Most universities and national labs routinely sponsor F-1 OPT students, and the research-focused nature of these roles aligns directly with STEM OPT extension eligibility, giving you up to three years of authorized work.
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Day (United States of America)
Seeking Breakthrough Makers
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) offers countless ways to change lives. Our diverse community of more than 20,000 Breakthrough Makers will inspire you to pursue passions, develop expertise, and drive innovation.
At CHOP, your experience is valued; your voice is heard; and your contributions make a difference for patients and families. Join us as we build on our promise to advance pediatric care—and your career.
CHOP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, or any other legally protected categories in any employment, training, or vendor decisions or programs. CHOP recognizes the critical importance of a workforce rich in varied backgrounds and experiences and engages in ongoing efforts to achieve that through equally varied and non-discriminatory means.
A Brief Overview
Under the direction/guidance of a mentor (principal investigator), assumes responsibility for a specific, ongoing research project. The experience will serve to extend, refine and enhance skills necessary for professional and career development, and will enable the individual to broaden his/her scientific background by acquiring new research capabilities. It is expected that this individual will conduct independent scholarly research, and will contribute directly to the overall research goals of the project and the research group.
This role will be expected to participate in project planning, recording and interpretation/evaluation of data, and communication of results. This position will also be expected to acquire technical, lab management, and manuscript/grant writing skills; and participate in seminars, lectures, poster sessions and presentations at national meetings. This role also may be required to supervise junior lab members, develop new methods and protocols for research, and assist with the development of other research projects in the lab.
We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join a multidisciplinary research team focused on developing and translating artificial intelligence (AI) methods for pediatric neuro-oncology. The fellow will contribute to cutting-edge research integrating imaging, clinical, and molecular data to improve diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment monitoring of brain tumors.
This position offers the opportunity to work on large-scale, multi-institutional datasets and contribute to high-impact publications, open science initiatives, and collaborative consortia.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and implement machine learning and deep learning models for medical imaging and multimodal data analysis
- Design and conduct research studies involving MRI, clinical variables, and multi-omic datasets
- Lead and contribute to manuscripts, abstracts, and grant proposals
- Perform data preprocessing, quality control, and curation of large-scale imaging and clinical datasets
- Collaborate with clinicians, radiologists, and data scientists across institutions
- Contribute to development of reproducible pipelines and benchmarking frameworks
- Present research findings at internal meetings and national/international conferences
Research Focus Areas
- Multimodal data fusion
- Risk prediction and survival modeling
- Longitudinal and real-world data analysis
- Robust AI methods for incomplete or heterogeneous datasets
What you will do
- Conduct independent scholarly research and develop new methods and protocols
- Participate in project planning, recording and evaluation of data
- Acquire technical, lab management and grant writing skills
- Participate in seminars, lectures, poster sessions and presentation at national meetings
- Supervise junior lab members
- Assist with other research projects
Education & Additional Qualifications
- Doctorate - Required
- PhD in Biomedical or Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
- Strong background in machine learning and/or deep learning
- Experience with Python and relevant libraries (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn)
- Experience working with medical imaging data (preferred: MRI)
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to publish in peer-reviewed journals
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with multimodal data integration (imaging + clinical + omics)
- Familiarity with neuro-oncology or medical imaging workflows
- Experience with survival analysis (e.g., Cox models, DeepSurv)
- Knowledge of radiomics and/or segmentation methods (e.g., nnU-Net)
- Experience working with large, multi-institutional datasets
Work Environment & Collaboration
The fellow will work in a highly collaborative environment with access to:
- Multi-institutional datasets (e.g., clinical, imaging, and molecular cohorts)
- Interdisciplinary teams including clinicians, radiologists, and computational scientists
- Opportunities to contribute to international initiatives and benchmarking efforts
Skills and Abilities
- Ability to wear a respirator device
To carry out its mission, CHOP is committed to supporting the health of our patients, families, workforce, and global community. As a condition of employment, CHOP employees who work in patient care buildings or who have patient facing responsibilities must receive an annual influenza vaccine. Learn more.
EEO / VEVRAA Federal Contractor | Tobacco Statement
SALARY RANGE:
$20,800.00 - $110,400.00 Annually
Salary ranges are shown for full-time jobs. If you're working part-time, your pay will be adjusted accordingly.
If you are applying for a Research Post-Doctoral Fellow role, please refer to this link for salary guidelines (copy & paste into your browser): https://www.research.chop.edu/services/hiring-a-postdoctoral-fellow#collapse-accordion-3523-3
At CHOP, we are committed to fair and transparent pay practices. Factors such as skills and experience could result in an offer above the salary range noted in this job posting. Click here for more information regarding CHOP's Compensation and Benefits.
SHIFT:
Day (United States of America)
Seeking Breakthrough Makers
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) offers countless ways to change lives. Our diverse community of more than 20,000 Breakthrough Makers will inspire you to pursue passions, develop expertise, and drive innovation.
At CHOP, your experience is valued; your voice is heard; and your contributions make a difference for patients and families. Join us as we build on our promise to advance pediatric care—and your career.
CHOP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, or any other legally protected categories in any employment, training, or vendor decisions or programs. CHOP recognizes the critical importance of a workforce rich in varied backgrounds and experiences and engages in ongoing efforts to achieve that through equally varied and non-discriminatory means.
A Brief Overview
Under the direction/guidance of a mentor (principal investigator), assumes responsibility for a specific, ongoing research project. The experience will serve to extend, refine and enhance skills necessary for professional and career development, and will enable the individual to broaden his/her scientific background by acquiring new research capabilities. It is expected that this individual will conduct independent scholarly research, and will contribute directly to the overall research goals of the project and the research group.
This role will be expected to participate in project planning, recording and interpretation/evaluation of data, and communication of results. This position will also be expected to acquire technical, lab management, and manuscript/grant writing skills; and participate in seminars, lectures, poster sessions and presentations at national meetings. This role also may be required to supervise junior lab members, develop new methods and protocols for research, and assist with the development of other research projects in the lab.
We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join a multidisciplinary research team focused on developing and translating artificial intelligence (AI) methods for pediatric neuro-oncology. The fellow will contribute to cutting-edge research integrating imaging, clinical, and molecular data to improve diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment monitoring of brain tumors.
This position offers the opportunity to work on large-scale, multi-institutional datasets and contribute to high-impact publications, open science initiatives, and collaborative consortia.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and implement machine learning and deep learning models for medical imaging and multimodal data analysis
- Design and conduct research studies involving MRI, clinical variables, and multi-omic datasets
- Lead and contribute to manuscripts, abstracts, and grant proposals
- Perform data preprocessing, quality control, and curation of large-scale imaging and clinical datasets
- Collaborate with clinicians, radiologists, and data scientists across institutions
- Contribute to development of reproducible pipelines and benchmarking frameworks
- Present research findings at internal meetings and national/international conferences
Research Focus Areas
- Multimodal data fusion
- Risk prediction and survival modeling
- Longitudinal and real-world data analysis
- Robust AI methods for incomplete or heterogeneous datasets
What you will do
- Conduct independent scholarly research and develop new methods and protocols
- Participate in project planning, recording and evaluation of data
- Acquire technical, lab management and grant writing skills
- Participate in seminars, lectures, poster sessions and presentation at national meetings
- Supervise junior lab members
- Assist with other research projects
Education & Additional Qualifications
- Doctorate - Required
- PhD in Biomedical or Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
- Strong background in machine learning and/or deep learning
- Experience with Python and relevant libraries (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn)
- Experience working with medical imaging data (preferred: MRI)
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to publish in peer-reviewed journals
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with multimodal data integration (imaging + clinical + omics)
- Familiarity with neuro-oncology or medical imaging workflows
- Experience with survival analysis (e.g., Cox models, DeepSurv)
- Knowledge of radiomics and/or segmentation methods (e.g., nnU-Net)
- Experience working with large, multi-institutional datasets
Work Environment & Collaboration
The fellow will work in a highly collaborative environment with access to:
- Multi-institutional datasets (e.g., clinical, imaging, and molecular cohorts)
- Interdisciplinary teams including clinicians, radiologists, and computational scientists
- Opportunities to contribute to international initiatives and benchmarking efforts
Skills and Abilities
- Ability to wear a respirator device
To carry out its mission, CHOP is committed to supporting the health of our patients, families, workforce, and global community. As a condition of employment, CHOP employees who work in patient care buildings or who have patient facing responsibilities must receive an annual influenza vaccine. Learn more.
EEO / VEVRAA Federal Contractor | Tobacco Statement
SALARY RANGE:
$20,800.00 - $110,400.00 Annually
Salary ranges are shown for full-time jobs. If you're working part-time, your pay will be adjusted accordingly.
If you are applying for a Research Post-Doctoral Fellow role, please refer to this link for salary guidelines (copy & paste into your browser): https://www.research.chop.edu/services/hiring-a-postdoctoral-fellow#collapse-accordion-3523-3
At CHOP, we are committed to fair and transparent pay practices. Factors such as skills and experience could result in an offer above the salary range noted in this job posting. Click here for more information regarding CHOP's Compensation and Benefits.
See all 255+ OPT Postdoctoral Research Fellow Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Postdoctoral Research Fellow Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Target universities and national laboratories first
Universities and federally funded research institutions hire postdocs regularly and have established processes for OPT and visa sponsorship. Their HR and international offices handle F-1 work authorization routinely, making them far less likely to hesitate over your status.
Confirm your degree qualifies for STEM OPT
Postdoctoral roles almost universally qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension if your PhD is in a STEM-designated field. Verify your program's CIP code with your DSO before applying so you can accurately communicate your full three-year authorization window to employers.
Lead with your authorized work period upfront
When reaching out to principal investigators or hiring committees, state clearly that you have up to three years of OPT authorization. Many academic hiring managers are unfamiliar with STEM OPT timelines, so removing ambiguity early prevents your application from being filtered out unnecessarily.
Align your research expertise with the lab's active grants
Postdoc hires are often funded through specific grants. Reviewing a lab's active NIH, NSF, or DOE funding before applying lets you tailor your cover letter to ongoing projects, signaling you can contribute immediately and reducing perceived risk around your immigration status.
Ask about H-1B sponsorship intentions during the offer stage
Many institutions will sponsor postdocs for H-1B visa or O-1 visas once they demonstrate value. Raising this conversation during offer negotiations, rather than after starting, helps you assess long-term stability and gives the employer time to plan the petition timeline alongside your OPT end date.
Track your OPT end date against the hiring timeline
Academic hiring moves slowly. Fellowship postings often take months from application to start date. Calculate whether the position's projected start date leaves adequate time on your OPT, and flag any gaps to your DSO early so you can explore cap-gap or alternative authorization if needed.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow on OPT?
Yes. Postdoctoral Research Fellow positions qualify for F-1 OPT as long as the work is directly related to your degree field. If your PhD is in a STEM-designated program, you're also eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to three years of total work authorization without employer visa sponsorship.
Do universities typically sponsor postdocs for visas beyond OPT?
Most research universities and national laboratories have established immigration support for postdoctoral researchers. Many will sponsor H-1B petitions or assist with O-1 applications once a postdoc demonstrates research productivity. It's worth asking directly during the offer stage rather than assuming. Institutions with dedicated international offices are generally the most prepared to handle this process.
Where can I find Postdoctoral Research Fellow jobs that are open to OPT students?
Migrate Mate is the best place to find postdoctoral positions that are open to F-1 OPT students. The platform filters for employers who sponsor or accept OPT work authorization, saving you from applying to roles where your status will be an obstacle. Browsing by role type on Migrate Mate lets you focus your effort on positions where you have a real shot.
Does the 90-day unemployment limit apply differently for postdoc roles?
No. The standard OPT unemployment limit applies regardless of role type. You have a maximum of 90 days of unemployment during the initial 12-month OPT period, and an additional 60 days if you're authorized for STEM OPT extension. Unpaid postdoctoral fellowships can create ambiguity, so confirm with your DSO that any volunteer or stipend-only arrangement counts as authorized employment.
Can I do a postdoc at a different institution than the one that granted my degree?
Yes. OPT work authorization isn't tied to your degree-granting institution. You can accept a postdoctoral position at any qualifying employer, including a different university, a research hospital, or a national laboratory. The role simply needs to be directly related to your degree field. Report the new employer to your DSO promptly so your SEVIS record stays current.