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Geographer (Program Director)

National Science Foundation
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidate for a Geographer (Program Director) position for the Geography and Spatial Sciences (GSS) Program, within the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS), Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), Alexandria, VA.

For more information on SBE please click here.

For more information on BCS please click here.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
11/20/2019 to 01/03/2020
Salary
$142,443 to - $182,627 per year
Pay scale & grade
AD 04
Location
Alexandria, VA
Few vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation MAY be paid contingent upon the availability of funds.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
04
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
BCS-2020-0001
Control number
552279100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all US citizens who meet citizenship and eligibility requirements. Please see the "Other Information" section for further information.

Duties

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The BCS Division supports research to develop and advance scientific knowledge about humans spanning areas of inquiry including brain, behavior, language, culture, origins, evolution, geography and environment. BCS programs consider proposals that fall squarely within disciplines, but they also encourage and support interdisciplinary projects. All programs in BCS consider proposals for research projects, conferences, and workshops. BCS participates in special initiatives and cross-directorate competitions on a number of topics including integrated socio-environmental systems, artificial intelligence, neurosciences, and information technology. There is also infrastructure support to improve data resources, data archives, collaboratories, and centers.

The GSS program supports basic research dealing with a variety of topics associated with geographic dimensions of human, physical, and biotic systems on the Earth.  Investigations into the nature, causes, and consequences of human activity within particular places and spaces and extensions to regional and global spheres are especially encouraged.  Projects examining a variety of domestic and international topics qualify for support if they show promise of contributing to scholarship by enhancing geographic knowledge, concepts, theories, and their application to societal problems and concerns.

The Program Director will have specific responsibilities that include the following:

  • Articulate a vision for the future of the program and allocate program resources to maintain a balance of support to meet the field's needs and future development;
  • Maintain an effective merit review system and post-award action process;
  • Participate in one or more cross-cutting activities within the Foundation;
  • Work cooperatively across the Division, Directorate, and Foundation, and with other agencies to accomplish the mission of NSF;
  • Participate in interagency meetings, coordinating groups, special task groups, staff meetings, and site visits;
  • Assess trends and opportunities in the field with assistance of advisory panels;
  • Pursue affirmative action and EEO goals in selection of reviewers, panelists, and grantees;
  • Represent the program to the scientific community and the public;
  • Establish contacts and maintain active involvement in the program field through participation in meetings and conferences and by undertaking other relevant activities;
  • Pursue a personal scholarly research agenda, with results presented at professional meetings and published in academic journals, as workload permits

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Background investigation.
  • Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.

It is NSF policy that NSF personnel employed at or IPAs detailed to NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign government talent recruitment programs.  Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General. Foreign Talent Definitions

You will need to successfully complete a background security investigation before you can be appointed into this position.

All online applicants must provide a valid email address.  If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

Please preview "Evaluations" section and "Qualifications" for additional requirements and Quality Ranking Factors.

Qualifications

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Geography, plus after award of the Ph.D., six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position.

This position is outside the competitive civil service.

You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. 

Additional information

Relocation expenses MAY be paid contingent upon the availability of funds

This announcement is open to (All US Citizens OR current NSF employees) who meet citizenship and eligibility requirements.

Federal Appropriations Law requires that Non-Citizens meet certain eligibility criteria to be considered. Therefore, Non-Citizens must certify eligibility by signing and attaching this Citizenship Affidavit to their application. Non-citizens who do not provide the affidavit at the time of application will not be considered.

This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation.

NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.

The Selected Candidate(s) may be subject to a background investigation.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated on the extent and quality of your experience, expertise, education, and research activities relevant to the duties of the position.  In some cases, additional assessment processes may also be used.

We strongly encourage you to specifically address the Quality Ranking Factors below.  This will ensure that you receive full consideration in the evaluation process.

Quality Ranking Factors 

  1. Ability to communicate effectively and work productively with the scientific community, peers, and co-workers at all levels to advocate program policies and plans and to fulfill NSF's mission.
  2. Ability to organize, implement and manage a proposal-driven grant program, allocating resources to meet a spectrum of goals, including insuring integrity and consistency in the grant award/declination management process.
  3. Knowledge of management and organizational concepts, principles, practices and techniques.
  4. Ability to work collaboratively with representatives of other programs and agencies so as to enhance interdisciplinary research and the mission of NSF.
  5. Ability to assess trends and opportunities in the field with the assistance of the advisory panel and expertise from other sources.




To preview questions please click here.

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