Research Scientist Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Virginia
Virginia is one of the strongest states for research scientist visa sponsorship, anchored by federal contractors, defense labs, and major research universities. Northern Virginia's technology corridor, the Richmond biotech cluster, and institutions like George Mason University and Virginia Tech create steady demand for research scientists requiring H-1B visa and O-1 visa sponsorship.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
The Bioinformatics Shared Resource at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is seeking an AI Research Scientist to develop and deploy advanced machine learning, deep learning, and large language model solutions for cancer research. The ideal candidate will combine strong bioinformatics expertise with full-stack development and HPC/cloud deployment experience and will help expand AI-enabled research capabilities in support of Massey's Data to Discovery initiative.
BENEFITS
All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.
- Continuing education for undergraduate and graduate tuition for a maximum of 6 credits per semester;
- Professional development opportunities encouraged and offered for employees as part of annual career development, e.g. certifications, seminars, courses, annual conferences, mentorship;
- 28 Vacation Days, 12+ State Holidays, and 4 Days to volunteer;
- Medical, Dental and Vision Health Benefits to meet the needs of employees and their eligible family members from the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as optional FSA;
- Participation in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) and other retirement saving options;
- Parental and Caregiver Leave, Short Term Disability (STD), Disability Insurance, Voluntary Long Term Care Insurance, and Employee Assistance Program.
Position Summary
The Bioinformatics Shared Resource at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is seeking a highly motivated AI Research Scientist to strengthen the cancer center's capabilities in artificial intelligence and to accelerate the use of AI across cancer research.
The successful candidate will work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, and software engineering to develop, adapt, fine-tune, and deploy machine learning, deep learning, large language models, and biomedical foundation models for cancer-focused applications. The position will support research spanning cancer genomics, single-cell and spatial biology, multi-omics, tumor microenvironment studies, digital pathology, and precision oncology.
As a core member of the Bioinformatics Shared Resource, the scientist will work closely with basic, translational, and clinical investigators to translate cancer research questions into scalable, reproducible AI-enabled computational solutions. The position will also help build the infrastructure and expertise needed to advance Massey's Data to Discovery pillar.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop, adapt, and evaluate machine learning and deep learning approaches for cancer genomic, transcriptomic, single-cell, spatial omics, imaging, and other high-dimensional datasets.
- Fine-tune, evaluate, and deploy large language models and biomedical foundation models for cancer research applications, including data interpretation, knowledge integration, and scientific workflow support.
- Develop AI agents and language model-based systems to support cancer bioinformatics analysis, research navigation, workflow automation, and scientific decision-making.
- Build full-stack applications integrating AI models, bioinformatics workflows, databases, visualization tools, APIs, and user-facing interfaces.
- Deploy and optimize AI models and computational workflows on institutional high-performance computing clusters and cloud platforms, and develop scalable training, inference, model-serving, and data-processing pipelines.
- Consult with Massey investigators on study design, project scoping, analytical strategy, data interpretation, and application of AI to cancer research questions.
- Collaborate on cancer-focused studies involving multi-omics, tumor microenvironment, spatial biology, digital pathology, precision oncology, and related areas.
- Develop, validate, document, and maintain reproducible AI and bioinformatics workflows that can be incorporated into ongoing Bioinformatics Shared Resource services.
- Evaluate model accuracy, robustness, reproducibility, computational efficiency, and suitability for cancer research applications.
- Provide technical guidance and training to BISR staff, trainees, and investigators in the appropriate use of AI-enabled computational approaches.
- Contribute to manuscripts, grant proposals, scientific presentations, progress reports, and dissemination of software and analytical methods.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Ph.D. in bioinformatics, computer science, biomedical informatics, computational biology, artificial intelligence, data science, or a closely related field or equivalent combination of education, experience, and training
- At least 2 years of demonstrated experience in machine learning and deep learning.
- At least 2 years of experience working with large language models, including model evaluation, prompt design, retrieval-augmented generation, fine-tuning, agentic systems, or model deployment.
- Strong programming skills in Python and experience with modern machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, or comparable platforms.
- Experience deploying computational models or applications on high-performance computing clusters and/or cloud environments.
- Experience with modern software development, including backend services, APIs, databases, containers, version control, and full-stack application development.
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary cancer research and shared-resource environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts for experimental, translational, and clinical cancer researchers.
- Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience applying AI or machine learning to cancer genomics, transcriptomics, single-cell data, spatial omics, biomedical imaging, digital pathology, or multi-omics integration.
- Experience with biomedical foundation models, transformer architectures, multimodal learning, graph neural networks, diffusion models, or other generative modeling approaches.
- Experience developing agentic AI systems, tool-using language models, or automated scientific analysis workflows.
- Experience with retrieval-augmented generation, vector databases, knowledge graphs, and biomedical or cancer knowledge resources.
- Experience with precision oncology, tumor microenvironment analysis, biomarker discovery, or other cancer-focused computational research.
- A record of scientific publications, open-source software development, or contributions to collaborative biomedical or cancer research.
- Experience supporting investigators through a research core, shared resource, or other collaborative scientific environment.
RESEARCH AND COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT
The Bioinformatics Shared Resource supports investigators across Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and the broader VCU research community by providing expertise in cancer bioinformatics, computational biology, multi-omics analysis, single-cell and spatial biology, data integration, visualization, and emerging AI-enabled research methods.
The AI Research Scientist will join a multidisciplinary team and collaborate with experimental, translational, and clinical investigators on high-impact cancer research. The position offers an opportunity to help establish next-generation AI capabilities within the cancer center, create broadly useful computational platforms, and accelerate the translation of complex cancer data into biological and clinical insight.
PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS
The successful candidate will demonstrate scientific rigor, intellectual curiosity, strong collaborative skills, and a commitment to developing dependable and reproducible computational tools for cancer research. The individual will be expected to balance innovative AI research with the practical requirements of deployment, documentation, maintenance, data security, reproducibility, and user support in a shared-resource environment.
Please let us know if you were referred by a current Massey employee to ensure we honor our commitment to the Employee Referral Program.
VCU is committed to hiring veterans! VCU will include a veteran’s period(s) of military service in the calculation of their annual leave accrual rate. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual!
SALARY RANGE
Starting at $100,000 - commensurate with experience
FLSA Exemption Status
Exempt
HOURS PER WEEK
40
RESTRICTED POSITION
No
ORP ELIGIBLE
Yes
FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENT
Hybrid
UNIVERSITY JOB TITLE
Senior Scientist RS - Open
CONTACT INFORMATION
Contact Name: Massey HR
Contact Email: Masseyhr@vcu.edu
LOCATION
907 Floyd Avenue, MCV Main Campus, Virginia, United States, 23284
INTRODUCTION
The Bioinformatics Shared Resource at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is seeking an AI Research Scientist to develop and deploy advanced machine learning, deep learning, and large language model solutions for cancer research. The ideal candidate will combine strong bioinformatics expertise with full-stack development and HPC/cloud deployment experience and will help expand AI-enabled research capabilities in support of Massey's Data to Discovery initiative.
BENEFITS
All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.
- Continuing education for undergraduate and graduate tuition for a maximum of 6 credits per semester;
- Professional development opportunities encouraged and offered for employees as part of annual career development, e.g. certifications, seminars, courses, annual conferences, mentorship;
- 28 Vacation Days, 12+ State Holidays, and 4 Days to volunteer;
- Medical, Dental and Vision Health Benefits to meet the needs of employees and their eligible family members from the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as optional FSA;
- Participation in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) and other retirement saving options;
- Parental and Caregiver Leave, Short Term Disability (STD), Disability Insurance, Voluntary Long Term Care Insurance, and Employee Assistance Program.
Position Summary
The Bioinformatics Shared Resource at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is seeking a highly motivated AI Research Scientist to strengthen the cancer center's capabilities in artificial intelligence and to accelerate the use of AI across cancer research.
The successful candidate will work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, and software engineering to develop, adapt, fine-tune, and deploy machine learning, deep learning, large language models, and biomedical foundation models for cancer-focused applications. The position will support research spanning cancer genomics, single-cell and spatial biology, multi-omics, tumor microenvironment studies, digital pathology, and precision oncology.
As a core member of the Bioinformatics Shared Resource, the scientist will work closely with basic, translational, and clinical investigators to translate cancer research questions into scalable, reproducible AI-enabled computational solutions. The position will also help build the infrastructure and expertise needed to advance Massey's Data to Discovery pillar.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop, adapt, and evaluate machine learning and deep learning approaches for cancer genomic, transcriptomic, single-cell, spatial omics, imaging, and other high-dimensional datasets.
- Fine-tune, evaluate, and deploy large language models and biomedical foundation models for cancer research applications, including data interpretation, knowledge integration, and scientific workflow support.
- Develop AI agents and language model-based systems to support cancer bioinformatics analysis, research navigation, workflow automation, and scientific decision-making.
- Build full-stack applications integrating AI models, bioinformatics workflows, databases, visualization tools, APIs, and user-facing interfaces.
- Deploy and optimize AI models and computational workflows on institutional high-performance computing clusters and cloud platforms, and develop scalable training, inference, model-serving, and data-processing pipelines.
- Consult with Massey investigators on study design, project scoping, analytical strategy, data interpretation, and application of AI to cancer research questions.
- Collaborate on cancer-focused studies involving multi-omics, tumor microenvironment, spatial biology, digital pathology, precision oncology, and related areas.
- Develop, validate, document, and maintain reproducible AI and bioinformatics workflows that can be incorporated into ongoing Bioinformatics Shared Resource services.
- Evaluate model accuracy, robustness, reproducibility, computational efficiency, and suitability for cancer research applications.
- Provide technical guidance and training to BISR staff, trainees, and investigators in the appropriate use of AI-enabled computational approaches.
- Contribute to manuscripts, grant proposals, scientific presentations, progress reports, and dissemination of software and analytical methods.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Ph.D. in bioinformatics, computer science, biomedical informatics, computational biology, artificial intelligence, data science, or a closely related field or equivalent combination of education, experience, and training
- At least 2 years of demonstrated experience in machine learning and deep learning.
- At least 2 years of experience working with large language models, including model evaluation, prompt design, retrieval-augmented generation, fine-tuning, agentic systems, or model deployment.
- Strong programming skills in Python and experience with modern machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, or comparable platforms.
- Experience deploying computational models or applications on high-performance computing clusters and/or cloud environments.
- Experience with modern software development, including backend services, APIs, databases, containers, version control, and full-stack application development.
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary cancer research and shared-resource environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts for experimental, translational, and clinical cancer researchers.
- Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience applying AI or machine learning to cancer genomics, transcriptomics, single-cell data, spatial omics, biomedical imaging, digital pathology, or multi-omics integration.
- Experience with biomedical foundation models, transformer architectures, multimodal learning, graph neural networks, diffusion models, or other generative modeling approaches.
- Experience developing agentic AI systems, tool-using language models, or automated scientific analysis workflows.
- Experience with retrieval-augmented generation, vector databases, knowledge graphs, and biomedical or cancer knowledge resources.
- Experience with precision oncology, tumor microenvironment analysis, biomarker discovery, or other cancer-focused computational research.
- A record of scientific publications, open-source software development, or contributions to collaborative biomedical or cancer research.
- Experience supporting investigators through a research core, shared resource, or other collaborative scientific environment.
RESEARCH AND COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT
The Bioinformatics Shared Resource supports investigators across Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and the broader VCU research community by providing expertise in cancer bioinformatics, computational biology, multi-omics analysis, single-cell and spatial biology, data integration, visualization, and emerging AI-enabled research methods.
The AI Research Scientist will join a multidisciplinary team and collaborate with experimental, translational, and clinical investigators on high-impact cancer research. The position offers an opportunity to help establish next-generation AI capabilities within the cancer center, create broadly useful computational platforms, and accelerate the translation of complex cancer data into biological and clinical insight.
PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS
The successful candidate will demonstrate scientific rigor, intellectual curiosity, strong collaborative skills, and a commitment to developing dependable and reproducible computational tools for cancer research. The individual will be expected to balance innovative AI research with the practical requirements of deployment, documentation, maintenance, data security, reproducibility, and user support in a shared-resource environment.
Please let us know if you were referred by a current Massey employee to ensure we honor our commitment to the Employee Referral Program.
VCU is committed to hiring veterans! VCU will include a veteran’s period(s) of military service in the calculation of their annual leave accrual rate. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual!
SALARY RANGE
Starting at $100,000 - commensurate with experience
FLSA Exemption Status
Exempt
HOURS PER WEEK
40
RESTRICTED POSITION
No
ORP ELIGIBLE
Yes
FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENT
Hybrid
UNIVERSITY JOB TITLE
Senior Scientist RS - Open
CONTACT INFORMATION
Contact Name: Massey HR
Contact Email: Masseyhr@vcu.edu
LOCATION
907 Floyd Avenue, MCV Main Campus, Virginia, United States, 23284
Research Scientist Job Roles in Virginia
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Search Research Scientist Jobs in VirginiaResearch Scientist Jobs in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for research scientists in Virginia?
Major sponsors include federal contractors like Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, SAIC, and Northrop Grumman, which operate large research divisions across Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads area. Academic institutions such as George Mason University, Virginia Tech, and University of Virginia regularly sponsor research scientists. Biotechnology and life sciences employers in the Richmond and Charlottesville areas also appear consistently in DOL sponsorship records.
Which visa types are most common for research scientist roles in Virginia?
The H-1B is the most common visa for research scientist positions in Virginia, as these roles typically require at least a bachelor's degree in a specific scientific field, satisfying the specialty occupation requirement. The O-1A is an option for researchers with demonstrated distinction, such as peer-reviewed publications or major awards. Research scientists at universities may also encounter J-1 visa exchange visitor status for postdoctoral appointments, though that category does not constitute permanent employer sponsorship.
Which cities in Virginia have the most research scientist sponsorship jobs?
Northern Virginia, particularly the corridor spanning Arlington, Fairfax, Reston, and McLean, accounts for the largest concentration due to proximity to federal agencies and defense contractors. Charlottesville and Blacksburg see consistent demand driven by the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech research programs respectively. Richmond has a growing life sciences presence, and the Hampton Roads region hosts Navy and Department of Defense research facilities that generate sponsored research scientist openings.
How to find research scientist visa sponsorship jobs in Virginia?
Migrate Mate filters research scientist jobs specifically by visa sponsorship availability, so you can browse Virginia openings without sorting through roles that don't support international candidates. The platform surfaces positions from federal contractors, universities, and private research employers across Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, Richmond, and beyond. Filtering by research scientist roles in Virginia on Migrate Mate is the most direct way to identify active sponsoring employers in the state.
Are there state-specific factors research scientists should know when pursuing sponsorship in Virginia?
Virginia's high concentration of federal contractors means many research scientist roles require security clearances, which can complicate or delay sponsorship for candidates who are not yet permanent residents or citizens. Employers in the defense and intelligence sectors sometimes prefer to sponsor candidates for permanent residence directly rather than H-1B status. University-based research positions often operate on academic hiring timelines, so application windows may open well in advance of the intended start date.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored research scientist jobs in Virginia?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.