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Become a member of our amazing team.

The SHARP lab is always looking for passionate, curious individuals to join our team.

SHARP lab members smiling in a meeting room

SHARP conducts vitally important, impactful research studies in a dynamic and engaging scientific environment. We are committed to performing ethical research at the highest possible scientific standards.

We respect diverse strengths and backgrounds, and we welcome a culture of lifelong learning and feedback through active mentorship at all levels. We value teamwork, creativity, independence, organization, transparency, responsibility, perseverance, scientific rigor, and professionalism.

SHARP researchers smiling in front of lab equipment
Photo by Fritz Liedtke

We are currently accepting applications for the following positions:

  • Graduate students
  • Postdoctoral students
  • Research assistants and technicians (full or part time)
  • Study coordinators
  • Undergraduate interns

Internship opportunities

We seek highly motivated, detail oriented, analytical, and creative people who are enthusiastic about learning about sleep and neuroscience in a fast-paced laboratory setting. Summer internships are available by application through the following programs:

  • PVARF summer internship program (posted in Feb/March each year here)
  • OHSU Occupational Health Sciences Summer Internship program (posted in Jan/Feb each year)
  • University of Oregon Human Physiology Summer Internship program (posted in Jan/Feb each year)

Training will be provided for all techniques, but candidates are expected to be self-starters. Strong candidates will be highly organized workers who are comfortable working both independently and in team dynamics and are enthusiastic about behavioral neuroscience research. There may be opportunities for exceptional interns to be re-interviewed after completion of their summer program for consideration as full-time employees. Prior research experience is a plus but not required. Positions are in person with occasional telework where appropriate.

How to apply

Please check the following websites for SHARP job postings:

Portland VA Research Foundation Jobs

OHSU Center for Health Systems Effectiveness Jobs

Tip: search using the term “Neurology”, then sort by Department

FAQ

It’s April or May and I’m still interested in doing a summer internship. Can I apply?

Please inquire again next year. We get inquiries starting in December for application decisions between January-March.”

I live far away, but I will be in Portland this summer. Can I apply?

The onboarding process is onerous and takes between 4-6 months to complete. Several steps are in person. If you are not able to accomplish this before your employment starts, then please inquire again next year.

I am working full-time somewhere else, but am interested in exploring part-time work with SHARP. Should I apply?

If you are highly motivated and committed, please apply through the job postings above and address this contingency during your interviews. We are flexible and have accommodated this in the past for exceptional candidates.

How do I get a letter of recommendation?

SHARP leadership is happy to write letters of recommendation or serve as a professional reference for students, research assistants, and any other members of the team. A few guidelines to follow in order to ensure a positive experience for everyone involved:

  1. Wait until the person knows you well before you ask for a letter.
  2. Ask the person, “Do you feel comfortable writing me a strong letter of recommendation?” Otherwise, you risk getting a negative, neutral, or only lukewarm letter.
  3. Give the person sufficient notice (e.g. at least 4 weeks) and a thorough description (preferably written) of what opportunity the letter is for and what you hope to gain from the opportunity. For professional references, please provide as much notice as possible along with information on the position and what you hope to gain from it.
  4. Specify to whom the letter should be addressed, what (if any) specific instructions there are to follow for content and submission, and when it is due.
  5. A brief outline/draft of suggested bullet points/highlights that you the person to include is ALWAYS appreciated. The person may not remember what you did in the lab X number of months or years ago. A copy of your CV is always helpful.

What if I realize that research is not for me?

All SHARP employees start with a 3-4 month temporary trial period in the lab while they finalize their onboarding requirements. Continued employment after the trial period is contingent on both a positive performance review and a desire to continue in this field of research. We encourage new employees to continue to look for positions that are a good fit during this time and will always support any decisions to move on to other areas. Most positions within SHARP are intended to be career or academic stepping stones and we encourage folks to have open and honest conversations with their managers about their interests and future goals!