Application Guide

How to Apply for Research Scientist

at Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)

🏢 About Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is a globally influential research organization at the University of Washington, uniquely positioned at the intersection of academic rigor and real-world health policy impact. Its flagship Global Burden of Diseases study provides the definitive global health evidence base used by policymakers worldwide, making it an ideal workplace for researchers who want their quantitative work to directly inform and improve population health outcomes.

About This Role

This Research Scientist role involves independently conducting advanced quantitative analyses and developing new computational/statistical methods in R to support IHME's epidemiological research. The position is impactful because you'll be creating and quality-checking complex datasets that form the foundation for IHME's influential global health estimates, while also leading scientific publications that shape health policy discussions.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day involves writing and testing R code to implement statistical models for disease burden estimation, quality-checking complex global health datasets from diverse sources, and collaborating remotely with team members on manuscript development. You might spend the morning debugging a computational method, the afternoon analyzing results for a publication, and end the day contributing to a research proposal or presentation on your findings.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Is Looking For

  • An epidemiologist or quantitative researcher with proven experience independently developing and implementing statistical methods in R, not just applying existing packages
  • Someone with a track record of co-authoring peer-reviewed publications in health metrics, epidemiology, or global health journals
  • A candidate who can demonstrate both technical coding proficiency and the ability to translate complex analyses into clear scientific manuscripts and funding proposals
  • A researcher comfortable with remote collaboration who understands IHME's specific methodologies like DisMod-MR or CODEm from the Global Burden of Disease study

📝 Tips for Applying to Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)

1

Quantify your R programming experience - mention specific packages you've developed, complex analyses you've coded from scratch, or large datasets you've processed (10M+ rows)

2

Provide PubMed IDs or DOIs for your publications and explicitly describe your contribution to each (e.g., 'led the statistical analysis for paper X')

3

Demonstrate knowledge of IHME's work by referencing specific GBD findings or methodologies in your application materials

4

Highlight any experience with epidemiological modeling, mortality estimation, or disease burden quantification specifically

5

If you have remote work experience, emphasize your communication and collaboration tools proficiency (Git, Slack, project management systems)

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your hands-on experience developing statistical methods in R for health research, with specific examples', "How your publication record aligns with IHME's focus on population health metrics and policy-relevant research", "Your understanding of IHME's mission and how your skills would contribute to projects like the Global Burden of Disease study", 'Your ability to work independently on quantitative analyses while collaborating effectively in a remote research team']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review IHME's recent publications in The Lancet and understand their core methodologies like Bayesian meta-regression
  • → Explore the Global Burden of Disease Compare visualization tool to understand IHME's data products
  • → Research IHME's specific research teams and identify which your background aligns with (e.g., causes of death, risk factors, forecasting)
  • → Understand how IHME's work informs organizations like WHO, World Bank, and national governments

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through your process for developing and validating a new statistical method in R for an epidemiological analysis
2 How would you approach quality-checking a complex global health dataset with multiple data sources and potential biases?
3 Describe a time you led the statistical analysis for a publication and how you handled methodological challenges
4 What IHME research area or GBD finding interests you most, and how might you contribute to it?
5 How do you ensure reproducibility and transparency in your computational research workflow?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Only listing R packages you've used without demonstrating ability to develop new methods or troubleshoot complex coding problems
  • Vague descriptions of publication contributions - IHME needs to know exactly what you did statistically
  • Generic interest in 'global health' without specific knowledge of quantitative health metrics or IHME's unique role in the field

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

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Good luck with your application to Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)!

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