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Health Scientist Administrator (Program Officer & Scientific Review Officer)

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Join one of the 24 Institutes and Centers within the NIH that awards extramural grants! Extramural grants account for approximately 80 percent of NIH's budget and are awarded to investigators at more than 2,500 universities, medical schools, and other research organizations around the world. To learn more about the grants process, types of grant programs, and the peer review process, visit the website for the Office of Extramural Research.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
09/18/2023 to 09/27/2023
Salary
$136,908 to - $183,500 per year

Salary displayed is the absolute maximum and minimum allowed. Pay will be set using the appropriate locality upon selection.

Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Montgomery County, MD
NIH - US Locations,
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy. NIMH and NINDS are able to pay relocation expenses.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NIH-GR-MP-23-12097228
Control number
747856000

Duties

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This announcement will be used to fill the following positions within the NIH:As a Health Scientist Administrator (Program Officer), you will perform the following tasks:

  • Manage workload and project priorities and ensure timelines are adhered to.
  • Direct work so that it remains focused on the research goals.
  • Coordinate with higher level management for needed resources..
  • Perform scientific and administrative reviews and analysis of applications/proposals from a programmatic viewpoint.
  • Consult with and advise grantees/contractors during preparation of applications/proposals and provide guidance on program issues.
  • Develop, coordinate, and administer grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts established to fulfill the mission of the Brand and Division.
  • Organize and conduct workshops, conferences, symposiums, or similar activities.
  • Visit universities, research institutions, commercial organizations, other government agencies, and public and private organizations to promote and explain the objectives of the program.
As a Health Scientist Administrator (Scientific Review Officer), you will perform the following tasks:
  • Assume responsibility for administering the review of applications assigned by the Chief of the Review Branch.
  • Provide leadership and direction in the review of grants for programs of national and international scope and impact.
  • Develop recommendations on the formulation and articulation of the NIH business policy, in effectively communicating pertinent aspects of nationally-recognized administrative matters.
  • Develop policies and plans for strengthening agency and national programs of scientific and public urgency related to the review of various grant applications.
  • Manage the initial scientific and administrative review of center grant, program project grant, and training grant applications.
  • Appoint and manage review panels, including identification of qualified reviewers to evaluate all applications and proposals.
  • Act as a liaison member of review panels and as a participant in national conferences, develop close working relationships with scientists in the field of interest.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Some positions in this announcement are eligible for remote work. Please select the "NIH - US Locations" location when applying if you wish to be considered for remote work. All other location(s) are not eligible for remote work. Remote is a position designation where little to no onsite presence is required (e.g., once or twice annually). You may work anywhere in the U.S., including any of the territories. Worksites outside of the U.S. are prohibited. Your pay is determined by the geographically defined pay locality applicable to your approved worksite (e.g., home residence). Reporting to an NIH location may also be required during the onboarding process. Visit NIH's Remote Work page for more information and requirements.
  • At the discretion of the IC, some positions are eligible for local remote work, a position designation where onsite presence is required only on an irregular or infrequent basis, not to exceed two days or 16 hours every two weeks. Your worksite (e.g., home residence) must be within the same geographically defined pay locality as the location in this announcement or the location(s) you choose to be considered for when applying. Visit OPM's page for pay locality definitions. Visit NIH's Remote Work page for more information and requirements.
  • Remote employees must adhere to all requirements at NIH and in the federal government, including the signing and recertifying of a remote work agreement, and completion of any training. Remote employees may be required to report to an NIH physical location to complete onboarding requirements and while employed at certain times based on agency need. Visit our Remote Work page for information
  • U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
  • Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
  • Applicants must meet all qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement, including time in grade.
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • The position has a positive education requirement.
  • Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement.

Qualifications

Basic Education Requirements:

Applicants for all grades must be U.S. Citizens and must meet the requirement described below:

Successful completion of a bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from an accredited college or university, in an academic field of the health or pertinent sciences (i.e., biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, etc.) allied to health or health related research.

Requirements for Applicants at the GS-15 Grade Level:

In addition to the education requirements, to qualify at the GS-15 level, you must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector. This experience must meet either the Direct/Independent Research or the Research Administration/Extramural sections below. Choose the one answer that best describes how you meet the additional qualification requirements for a Health Scientist Administrator, GS-0601-15 as described in the vacancy announcement.

A. Direct/Independent Research Qualifying Experience - Applicants must meet all experience requirements in this section:

  • responsible for managing large and diverse health-related research programs having national or international collaborations, scope, and impact;
  • responsible for the development of plans to resolve major organizational and operational problems, and the allocation of funds among competing programs;
  • recognized as a distinguished scientist with major research experience and accomplishments, including membership in prestigious national professional organizations or societies;
  • served as an organization's representative on permanent and ad-hoc committees established to evaluate research issues; and
  • published extensively in leading scientific journals.
Typical qualifying positions include Professor and/or Department Chair, Laboratory Chief, Director of Research or equivalent.

B. Research Administration/Extramural Qualifying Experience - Applicants must meet at least three (3) experience requirements in this section:
  • established criteria and standards for others to follow in planning and evaluating research projects;
  • evaluated the significance of emerging fields, trends and the quality of research within the field in meeting an organization's mission and objectives related to program planning or review administration;
  • initiated action among a variety of governmental or nongovernmental interests to bring research and research administration deficiencies, inadequacies, and new developments into sharper focus to redirect research programs and/or review efforts;
  • managed a unit focused on scientific programs or scientific review to include leading or supervising staff.
You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12097228

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.


Additional information

Visit our Health Scientist Administrator web page for more information on the positions. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

  • A one-year probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.
  • This position is designated as a "non-emergency/teleworker" position and the selected candidate will be considered a "non-emergency/teleworker" employee. In the event of a closure, you must be available to telework or request leave.
  • NIH may repay certain outstanding Federally-insured student loans to facilitate the recruitment and retention of highly qualified people. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for prior work experience or active duty uniformed service that otherwise would not be creditable for the purpose of determining his or her annual leave accrual rate. All creditable service must be directly related to the duties of the position being filled and decisions to allow for such credit must be finalized prior to the selectee's entrance on duty. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • A newly appointed or reappointed individual may receive a recruitment incentive. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • A current federal government employee may receive a relocation incentive if moving from a different geographic location. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • At the supervisor's discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities.
  • PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should apply online to this announcement to receive consideration.
  • This announcement will be used to fill positions across NIH. We may subsequently advertise targeted announcements to fill specific positions if there is a need. To be considered under any other announcement we advertise, you must apply directly.
  • If selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450 to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest and your prospective position with the agency. This information is required annually. For information, visit the NIH Ethics website: https://ethics.od.nih.gov/topics/fd.htm.
  • Veterans' Preference applies only to Schedule A (disability appointment) and Veterans Recruitment Appointments (if applicable).
  • The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
  • The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
  • Visit our Applicant FAQs page for helpful information on the application process.
  • Visit our Total Compensation page and this sample for a detailed look into the benefits, awards, leave, retirement, and other incentives employees may receive as part of a rewarding work environment.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Ability to communicate complex scientific topics.
  • Knowledge of policies, procedures, rules and regulations related to management and review of grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.
  • Knowledge of the principles, practices and theories applicable to biomedical, behavioral health, or health-related research.
  • Skill in providing leadership to others.


Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Ensure you support your self-ratings by the information you provide in your application. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as having knowledge of your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin prior to receiving an offer. To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 85 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

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