This is a Research AST, Biological Studies position responsible for coordinating and executing biological science projects for the advancement of space biology and/or human research. The duties include: theoretical and experimental research on the physical and biological processes of living organisms and systems as related to: space biosciences research, aeronautical and space travel, with projects involving spaceflight and/or ground-based research work.
Summary
This is a Research AST, Biological Studies position responsible for coordinating and executing biological science projects for the advancement of space biology and/or human research. The duties include: theoretical and experimental research on the physical and biological processes of living organisms and systems as related to: space biosciences research, aeronautical and space travel, with projects involving spaceflight and/or ground-based research work.
Using specialty knowledge in the Biological Scientist field, performs a combination of duties as determined by management and organizational needs.
Participates and supports the biological science associated with studies, experiments, and/or research projects such as: spaceflight and/or ground-based and are focused on scientific research of importance to the Agency.
Supports projects using model organisms spanning research areas of animal-, molecular-, cellular-, microbial- or systems biology research.
These projects are primarily aligned with the NASA Space Biology Program, the NASA Human Research Program (HRP), and both flight and/or ground based experimental facilities.
Participates in the research of the processes integral to project planning, requirements definition, development, implementation, and operations for life science experiments or studies in the organization.
Provides technical and scientific coordination, support, and recommendations during planning, development and implementation phases of the project.
Assists in the representation of science capabilities for assigned payloads, experiments or ground-based research projects with other groups at Ames Research Center (ARC), other NASA centers, and at major technical and scientific meetings.
Assists in the preparation of technical material for publication in professional journals, NASA publications, and creates presentations for technical and scientific meetings.
Coordinates research project budgets, schedules, and resource allocations and reporting, to maintain project visibility and provides project status presentations required by branch processes and procedures
Supports the portfolio of program grants, research based grants, and other grants for agency programs, including technical monitoring duties.
Participates in science projects; recommends short- and long-range goals of the organization, develops detailed plans for implementation and oversees implementation of the goals.
Position subject to pre-employment background investigation.
Selectee must complete a financial disclosure statement
Qualifications
In addition to the Basic Education Requirement, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-11), which has equipped you with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of the position described above.
To Qualify for the GS-12:
One year of specialized experience is defined as experience in supporting project planning of model organism research in areas of animal, molecular, cellular, microbial or systems biology; experience supporting/participating in one of the following: development, test, evaluation and/or operations of flight hardware and systems supporting biological research in space; experience involving a broad basic knowledge of biological science in combination with systems biology data analysis concepts, principles, and processing techniques.
OR
Completion of all requirements for a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) in an appropriate field.
Education
In order to qualify for this position you must meet Basic Education Requirement
Applicants must have successfully completed an undergraduate or graduate degree with a major in either a) engineering from a college or university that has ABET accredited engineering programs or b) Physical Science, Mathematics, Life Science, Computer Science*, Other fields of science.
*Note: Curriculum must include 30 semester hours of course work in a combination of mathematics, statistics and computer science. Of the 30 semester hours, 15 must be in any combination of statistics and mathematics which includes differential and integral calculus.
Required college majors for applicants qualifying on the basis of graduate education only:
a. Major study in biology (botany, zoology, biophysics, radiation biology, biochemistry, microbiology, physiology, toxicology), or in behavioral science (experimental, physiological or clinical psychology) or other appropriate field of life science, including or supplemented by at least 20 semester hours of physical science or engineering (undergraduate or graduate), or experience sufficient to provide a basis for understanding, use and interpretation of the highly specialized ground-based or in-flight measurement, environmental control, vehicle control and other equipment required for manned or organism bearing aerospace flights and voyages; or b. Major study in an appropriate engineering or physical science, including or supplemented by at least 20 semester hours of physiology, experimental or physiological psychology, or other appropriate life science, or experience in biotechnology, human factors engineering or other appropriate life science field.
Degrees in engineering technology are not considered to be qualifying for this position.
When there is a positive education requirement, or you are using education to qualify as a substitution for experience, official transcripts may be required at the time of selection to verify that you meet the educational requirement or substitution.
All degree(s) must have been awarded from colleges or universities that are accredited by recognized accrediting organizations. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. Engineering degrees must have been awarded from a college or university school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). To find out if a degree meets this requirement, go to http://www.abet.org.
All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements; ABET accreditation will apply to engineering degrees. Applicants must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Applicants MUST list the following REQUIRED information on submitted resume to assist with determining if the basic education requirements for this position have been met. If the required information is not provided you will be disqualified from consideration:
-College/University Name -State/Territory/Province/Country -City/Town -Degree/Level Attained -Completion date -Major/Minor -Related Coursework (optional) -GPA (optional)
The accreditation, type of degree, and course work taken will determine if the basic education requirement is met.
Additional information
This position is announced under Direct Hire authority. Recruitment for this position will follow guidelines established by the Office of Personnel Management for use of Direct Hire authority.
If you have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must:
Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position. The USAJOBS resume asks you to identify your ICTAP eligibility; the NASA Supplemental Information asks you to identify your CTAP eligibility.
Be well qualified for this position to receive consideration. See 'How You Will Be Evaluated' for NASA's definition of well qualified.
Be prepared to submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP if you are selected for the position. This includes copies of your agency notice, most recent Performance Rating and most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting current position, grade level, and duty location.
Identification of promotion potential in this position does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher level duties.
As identical vacancies are identified, additional selections may be made from this announcement.
You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
At NASA each organization is free to establish telework procedures that are compatible with mission requirements, while offering employees some options for work/life balance. Specific telework request will need to be approved by the immediate supervisor.
This is a term position NTE 4 years with an option to extend an additional 2 years, with no option to convert to permanent. DHA recruited on a temp or term basis cannot be made permanent. This appointment may be terminated at any time.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
This position is announced under Direct Hire authority. A Human Resources Specialist will review your resume to determine if you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements as listed in 'Requirements'.
CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be assessed using NASA STARS, an automated system that matches the competencies extracted from your resume to the competencies identified by the selecting official for the position. Based on the competencies you match, you are placed in one of three categories identified as 90, 80, or 70 point quality categories, which are defined as:
90 pt. Category - Tentatively meets (until subsequent confirmation upon referral) the basic qualification requirements identified in the vacancy announcement and has experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in the primary requirements of the position.
80 pt. Category - Tentatively meets (until subsequent confirmation upon referral) the basic qualification requirements identified in the vacancy announcement and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the primary requirements of the position.
70 pt. Category - Fails to meet criteria described in the 80 pt. category.
For the purpose of the CTAP and ICTAP, candidates rated in the top quality (90 pt.) category are considered well-qualified.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
NASA's application process has been specifically developed to ensure that we only ask you for the information we absolutely need to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility. In order to apply for this position, you only need to submit your resume and answer the screening questions and supplemental information. No additional documentation is accepted at the time of application. (For example you need not submit narrative 'KSA' statements; they are not required and will not be evaluated.) In this way we allow you to focus on preparing a resume that best describes your background and abilities. For assistance in preparing your resume, consult the Applicant Guide. Nothing further is required until requested by the Human Resources Office. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume. For example, we may ask you to provide academic transcripts or proof of Federal employment status. If you fail to provide the required documents within the stated time period, we may withdraw a job offer and/or remove you from further consideration.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Before you begin the application process, please read the vacancy announcement carefully and have all required information available. Failure to submit a resume that contains all of the required information may result in loss of consideration. Your application must be received no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
You may begin the process of submitting your resume by clicking on the 'Apply Online' link. In order to be considered, you must submit a resume completed on the USAJOBS site. When completing your USAJOBS resume, please remember that NASA limits resumes to approximately 32,000 characters including spaces.
NASA does not accept uploaded resumes created outside of the USAJOBS resume builder process. Additionally, NASA does not accept documents attached through the USAJOBS' document attachment feature.
Once you submit your resume to NASA, you will be transferred to a NASA website and asked to complete a short series of NASA-specific questions. Your answers will not be saved unless you finish the entire application. You may edit a previously-submitted application, if the announcement is still open.
If you successfully apply, USAJOBS will show your application status as 'Received'. If your status is 'Unavailable', you have not successfully applied. Do not rely on a USAJOBS email to confirm successful application. Only an email from NASA confirms a successful application.
If you are unable to apply electronically for this position, submit your resume and supplemental questions to: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 4200 Rideout Road Resume Operations Center/Mailstop: HS50 Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 DO NOT submit your resume directly to the Center advertising this vacancy. Mailed resumes must be received by the close of business on the closing date of the announcement. Hard copy resumes requirements are provided at:Hard Copy Resume Requirements.
If you are a first time applicant, we recommend that you review NASA's Applicant Guide to ensure that you are providing a complete resume. Failure to submit the supplemental data and a resume that contains all of the required information may result in loss of consideration for positions. All applications must be received no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
NASA's Resume Operations Center
4200 Rideout Road, Mailstop HS50
Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
US
Next steps
If you are found to meet the qualification and eligibility requirements, you will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. (In some cases, individuals with priority for special consideration must be considered and selected before other candidates.) Whether or not you are contacted for an interview depends upon the location of the position and the judgment of the selecting official. At NASA, we pride ourselves on efficient and timely recruitment actions, and you can normally expect to learn the outcome of the selection process in a fairly short period of time. In addition, to ensure that you can measure progress for yourself, NASA provides you with regularly updated information on the status of the vacancy announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
NASA's application process has been specifically developed to ensure that we only ask you for the information we absolutely need to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility. In order to apply for this position, you only need to submit your resume and answer the screening questions and supplemental information. No additional documentation is accepted at the time of application. (For example you need not submit narrative 'KSA' statements; they are not required and will not be evaluated.) In this way we allow you to focus on preparing a resume that best describes your background and abilities. For assistance in preparing your resume, consult the Applicant Guide. Nothing further is required until requested by the Human Resources Office. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume. For example, we may ask you to provide academic transcripts or proof of Federal employment status. If you fail to provide the required documents within the stated time period, we may withdraw a job offer and/or remove you from further consideration.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Before you begin the application process, please read the vacancy announcement carefully and have all required information available. Failure to submit a resume that contains all of the required information may result in loss of consideration. Your application must be received no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
You may begin the process of submitting your resume by clicking on the 'Apply Online' link. In order to be considered, you must submit a resume completed on the USAJOBS site. When completing your USAJOBS resume, please remember that NASA limits resumes to approximately 32,000 characters including spaces.
NASA does not accept uploaded resumes created outside of the USAJOBS resume builder process. Additionally, NASA does not accept documents attached through the USAJOBS' document attachment feature.
Once you submit your resume to NASA, you will be transferred to a NASA website and asked to complete a short series of NASA-specific questions. Your answers will not be saved unless you finish the entire application. You may edit a previously-submitted application, if the announcement is still open.
If you successfully apply, USAJOBS will show your application status as 'Received'. If your status is 'Unavailable', you have not successfully applied. Do not rely on a USAJOBS email to confirm successful application. Only an email from NASA confirms a successful application.
If you are unable to apply electronically for this position, submit your resume and supplemental questions to: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 4200 Rideout Road Resume Operations Center/Mailstop: HS50 Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812 DO NOT submit your resume directly to the Center advertising this vacancy. Mailed resumes must be received by the close of business on the closing date of the announcement. Hard copy resumes requirements are provided at:Hard Copy Resume Requirements.
If you are a first time applicant, we recommend that you review NASA's Applicant Guide to ensure that you are providing a complete resume. Failure to submit the supplemental data and a resume that contains all of the required information may result in loss of consideration for positions. All applications must be received no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
NASA's Resume Operations Center
4200 Rideout Road, Mailstop HS50
Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
US
Next steps
If you are found to meet the qualification and eligibility requirements, you will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. (In some cases, individuals with priority for special consideration must be considered and selected before other candidates.) Whether or not you are contacted for an interview depends upon the location of the position and the judgment of the selecting official. At NASA, we pride ourselves on efficient and timely recruitment actions, and you can normally expect to learn the outcome of the selection process in a fairly short period of time. In addition, to ensure that you can measure progress for yourself, NASA provides you with regularly updated information on the status of the vacancy announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
