Science & Research STEM OPT Jobs in Virginia
Science and research F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in Virginia are concentrated around Northern Virginia's federal contractor corridor, the research institutions of Charlottesville, and biotech clusters near Richmond. Employers like Leidos, MITRE, and Booz Allen Hamilton regularly hire STEM OPT candidates in research-intensive roles across the state.
Find Science & Research JobsOverview
Showing 4 of 15+ Science & Research STEM OPT Jobs in Virginia
See all Science & Research STEM OPT Jobs in Virginia
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Science & Research STEM OPT Jobs in Virginia.
Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
The Health, Education, AI, and Learning (HEAL) Division of the Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation (VMASC) and the National Center for Collaboration in Medical Modeling and Simulation (NCCMMS) is seeking a highly motivated and creative Postdoctoral Researcher to conduct foundational and applied research in artificial intelligence, deep learning, and advanced neural network architectures. You will join a multidisciplinary team of computer scientists, engineers, human factors experts, instructional designers, and medical education experts to design novel algorithms, build scalable training pipelines, and apply cutting-edge machine learning models to complex, real-world challenges and in pursuit of commercially viable products.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Algorithm Development: Design, implement, and evaluate novel deep learning architectures, neural surrogate models, or brain-inspired computing algorithms.
- Experimentation & Scaling: Plan rigorous, reproducible training evaluations, ablation studies, and GPU-accelerated experiments across small & large datasets.
- Software Engineering: Develop, test, document, and maintain robust, open-source Python research software using modern version control workflows (e.g., Git).
- Publication & Dissemination: Write and collaborate on high-impact research articles for peer-reviewed journals and present findings at premier international AI/ML conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR).
- Collaboration & Mentorship: Collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary research groups and assist in mentoring junior graduate or undergraduate researchers.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, Computational Physics, Electrical & Computer Engineering, or a closely related quantitative field (conferred by December 2026 and within the past 5 years).
- Technical Expertise: Demonstrated research experience in human-computer interaction, machine learning, and deep learning. Solid technical foundation in development and evaluation of supervised, unsupervised, and/or reinforcement learning models. Experience with discriminative and generative models.
- Programming Skills: Strong programming proficiency in Python and hands-on experience with modern deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or JAX.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience working with multimodal neural network development, including video recordings, audio transcripts, and associated digital human performance scores, is desired.
- Experience with specialized architectures (GPUs, TPUs).
- Background in physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), foundation models, world models, or uncertainty quantification.
- Special experience with high-performance computing (HPC) environments and distributed training workflows.
This position is being filled through the Research Foundation, which is a separate entity from Old Dominion University (ODU). While we work in support of ODU, the Research Foundation operates independently and is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
To apply: click Job Browsing; and follow the link for position #26-058. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
The organization is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer (AA/EOE/M/F/Disability/VETS/Drug-Free Workplace). We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all individuals in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Employment decisions — including recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, and promotion — are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, genetic information, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. Affirmative action efforts are conducted consistent with applicable laws to promote equal opportunity in employment and advancement.
As part of our commitment to pay transparency and compliance with applicable laws, the Research Foundation includes a good-faith salary range in all job postings. These ranges represent the expected hiring range for the position, not the full compensation band.
Final salary offers may vary depending on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, internal equity, and budget availability.
Expected Salary Range: $55,000 to $65,000
INTRODUCTION
The Health, Education, AI, and Learning (HEAL) Division of the Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation (VMASC) and the National Center for Collaboration in Medical Modeling and Simulation (NCCMMS) is seeking a highly motivated and creative Postdoctoral Researcher to conduct foundational and applied research in artificial intelligence, deep learning, and advanced neural network architectures. You will join a multidisciplinary team of computer scientists, engineers, human factors experts, instructional designers, and medical education experts to design novel algorithms, build scalable training pipelines, and apply cutting-edge machine learning models to complex, real-world challenges and in pursuit of commercially viable products.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Algorithm Development: Design, implement, and evaluate novel deep learning architectures, neural surrogate models, or brain-inspired computing algorithms.
- Experimentation & Scaling: Plan rigorous, reproducible training evaluations, ablation studies, and GPU-accelerated experiments across small & large datasets.
- Software Engineering: Develop, test, document, and maintain robust, open-source Python research software using modern version control workflows (e.g., Git).
- Publication & Dissemination: Write and collaborate on high-impact research articles for peer-reviewed journals and present findings at premier international AI/ML conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR).
- Collaboration & Mentorship: Collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary research groups and assist in mentoring junior graduate or undergraduate researchers.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, Computational Physics, Electrical & Computer Engineering, or a closely related quantitative field (conferred by December 2026 and within the past 5 years).
- Technical Expertise: Demonstrated research experience in human-computer interaction, machine learning, and deep learning. Solid technical foundation in development and evaluation of supervised, unsupervised, and/or reinforcement learning models. Experience with discriminative and generative models.
- Programming Skills: Strong programming proficiency in Python and hands-on experience with modern deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or JAX.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience working with multimodal neural network development, including video recordings, audio transcripts, and associated digital human performance scores, is desired.
- Experience with specialized architectures (GPUs, TPUs).
- Background in physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), foundation models, world models, or uncertainty quantification.
- Special experience with high-performance computing (HPC) environments and distributed training workflows.
This position is being filled through the Research Foundation, which is a separate entity from Old Dominion University (ODU). While we work in support of ODU, the Research Foundation operates independently and is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
To apply: click Job Browsing; and follow the link for position #26-058. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
The organization is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer (AA/EOE/M/F/Disability/VETS/Drug-Free Workplace). We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all individuals in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Employment decisions — including recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, and promotion — are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, genetic information, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. Affirmative action efforts are conducted consistent with applicable laws to promote equal opportunity in employment and advancement.
As part of our commitment to pay transparency and compliance with applicable laws, the Research Foundation includes a good-faith salary range in all job postings. These ranges represent the expected hiring range for the position, not the full compensation band.
Final salary offers may vary depending on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, internal equity, and budget availability.
Expected Salary Range: $55,000 to $65,000
STEM OPT Science & Research Job Roles in Virginia
See all Science & Research STEM OPT Jobs in Virginia
Sign up for free to filter by visa type, set job alerts, and find employers with verified sponsorship history.
Search Science & Research Jobs in VirginiaScience & Research STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
Which science and research companies sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas in Virginia?
Virginia's federal contractor ecosystem produces some of the most active STEM OPT sponsors in the country. Companies such as Leidos, MITRE Corporation, Booz Allen Hamilton, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), and Noblis have established hiring pipelines for research-focused STEM OPT candidates. University-affiliated employers like the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech Research Division also sponsor STEM OPT extensions for lab and research staff.
Which cities in Virginia have the most science and research F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Northern Virginia, particularly the McLean, Reston, and Arlington corridor, holds the highest concentration of science and research STEM OPT roles due to proximity to federal agencies and defense contractors. Charlottesville supports research hiring through the University of Virginia and affiliated institutes. Richmond has a growing biotech and life sciences presence, while Hampton Roads hosts research positions tied to naval and aerospace science.
What types of science and research roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in Virginia?
Roles that qualify generally map to STEM degree classifications on the STEM OPT Designated Degree Program List. In Virginia's science and research sector, these include research scientists, data scientists, computational biologists, environmental scientists, materials scientists, systems researchers, and applied physicists. Positions must involve practical training directly related to the graduate's qualifying STEM degree field, and the employer must be enrolled in E-Verify.
How do I find science and research F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in Virginia?
Migrate Mate filters science and research job listings in Virginia by employers with verified STEM OPT sponsorship history, so you're not guessing which companies will support your extension. You can search by role type, location, and STEM degree alignment. This is particularly useful in Virginia's federal contracting sector, where sponsorship eligibility varies significantly by contract vehicle and project classification.
Are there any Virginia-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in science and research?
Virginia's large share of federal contract work introduces a practical factor: some research positions require security clearances, which can delay or limit sponsorship for STEM OPT holders who are not yet eligible to apply. Additionally, Virginia employers receiving federal grants may face E-Verify compliance requirements beyond the standard STEM OPT rule. Candidates should confirm both E-Verify enrollment and clearance eligibility requirements directly with prospective employers before applying.