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Science Assistant (Interdisciplinary)

National Science Foundation
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Science Assistants works with the senior management in a designated Office/Directorate within the National Science Foundation, providing services of value to the division/office and NSF and simultaneously developing an understanding of key aspects of the science and engineering enterprise that will be valuable to a future professional scientific career.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open date: 08/24/2023
Closed date: 09/08/2023
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$42,870 - $102,166 per year
Pay scale & grade
AD 1
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Temporary - not to exceed 13 months with potential extension for 11 additional months. Appointment cannot exceed 2 years.
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
NSF-23-12094075
Control number
745310700

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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In the role of a Science Assistant, you will:

  • Conduct analyses and provide reports and related presentations of information on the Division's (or Office's) scientific programs.
  • Provide scientific input to relevant aspects of the merit review process, including developing solicitations; reading proposals for responsiveness to the solicitation and preliminary grouping of proposals.
  • Attend panel meetings and provide feedback on completeness of panel summaries and/or minutes of the scientific discussion.
  • Provide assistance to program officers and division management in overseeing scientific progress on awards, including working with principal investigators and program officers to collect high quality, scientifically accurate highlights and results.
  • Develop data and report on scientific portfolios for Committees of Visitors and other results-oriented activities.
  • Provide assistance to Division (or Office) management in enhancing interactions with the scientific community, including interactions with Advisory Committees.
  • Participate in outreach meetings, including activities with schools and interacts with relevant elements of the National Academies.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

This position is outside the competitive civil service.

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

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

This position is in the bargaining unit represented by AFGE Local 3403.

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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, candidates must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited institution leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in one of the following:

  • For the 0101 series, a degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
  • For the 0401 series, a degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
  • For the 0801 series, a degree in engineering to include those specialty engineering fields.
  • For the 1301 series, a degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics.
  • For the 1501 series, a degree in mathematics, statistics, or actuarial science.

Transcripts (official or unofficial) that include the degree date of conferral must be upload prior to the closing date of the vacancy in order to be considered for this position.

Additional information

Relocation expenses WILL NOT be paid.

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 & including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment & referral to the Office of Inspector General. Foreign Talent Definitions

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Candidates will be evaluated based on the relevance of their academic degree(s) to the primary discipline of the position being filled. To preview questions please click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12094075. Ratings will be assigned based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire. In some cases, additional assessment processes may be used.

National Science Foundation

NSF is one of the best places to work! In 2022, NSF was ranked No. 2 among mid-sized agencies in the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government? Rankings. Come join our talented and diverse workforce and help us keep NSF at the frontier of discovery!
NSF is on the leading edge of discovery in areas from astronomy to geology to zoology. In addition to funding research in traditional academic areas, the agency also supports innovative ideas, novel collaborations and numerous projects that may seem like science fiction today, but become the reality of tomorrow.

NSF ensures that research is fully integrated with education so that today's revolutionary work will also be training future scientists and engineers. We are also at the forefront of federal business and operations best practices, ensuring accountability and efficacy of the work we do.

Become a part of our mission to maintain and strengthen the vitality of the US science and engineering enterprise. For over 70 years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has remained the premier Federal agency supporting basic research at the frontiers of discovery across all fields, as well as science and engineering education at all levels.

Agency contact information

Staffing and Classification Branch
Email
erecruit@nsf.gov
Address
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
2415 Eisenhower Ave
Alexandria, VA 22314
US

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