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Science Education Administrator (Program Director)

National Science Foundation
Division of Research and Learning in Formal and Informal Settings
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidates for a Science Education Administrator (Program Director) position within the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU), Division of Research and Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL), Alexandria, VA.

For more information on EDU please click here.
For more information on DRL please click here.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/03/2024 to 05/03/2024
Salary
$169,430 to - $204,000 per year
Pay scale & grade
AD 4
Location
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Alexandria, VA
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—Relocation MAY be paid contingent upon the availability of funds.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DRL-24-12355530
Control number
784920100

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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DRL is seeking a Permanent Program Director with expertise in Quantitative Research Methodology. DRL invests in projects to improve the effectiveness of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning for people of all ages. Its mission includes promoting innovative research, development, and evaluation of learning and teaching across all STEM disciplines by advancing cutting-edge knowledge and practices in both formal and informal learning settings. DRL also promotes the broadening and deepening of capacity and impact in the educational sciences by encouraging the participation of scientists, engineers, and educators from the range of disciplines represented at NSF. Central to DRL's efforts is the broadening of participation in STEM and preK-12 STEM education, with a focus on equity and inclusion. Priority will be given to candidates with expertise related to the perspectives and strengths of groups that are historically underrepresented in such fields. DRL's role in the larger context of Federal support for education research and evaluation is to be a catalyst for change-advancing theory, methods, assessment, development, practice, and equity in STEM education. The Division seeks to advance both early, promising innovations as well as larger-scale adoptions of proven educational innovations. In doing so, it challenges the field to create the ideas, resources, and human capacity to bring about the needed transformation of preK-12 STEM education for the 21st century.


RESPONSIBILITIES

The Program Director(s) will work across programs in DRL, as all programs support research and development in areas related to this announcement. These programs may include but are not limited to Discovery Research preK-12 (DRK-12), EDU Core Research (ECR), Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) and Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL). The Program Director(s) will help to establish relevant research agendas that enhance current teaching and learning and catalyze new, more equitable, creative, and potentially transformative approaches in STEM education research. In addition, the Program Director(s) may represent the Division on Directorate- and Agency-wide programs with emphases on education research methodologies in the social sciences, evaluation, measurement, and assessment and/or statistics as applied to K-12 education.

The responsibilities of the NSF Program Director are constantly evolving. The Program Director is guided by the goals of NSF's Strategic Plan: 1) enable the United States to uphold a position of world leadership in all aspects of STEM, 2) promote the discovery, integration, dissemination, and employment of new knowledge in service to society, and 3) achieve excellence in U.S. science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education at all levels. The core strategies NSF staff employ include developing intellectual capital, strengthening the physical infrastructure, integrating research and education, and promoting partnerships.

Additional duties and responsibilities include:

PROGRAM PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

  • Provide strategic support for all the needs of the STEM research and education enterprise.
  • Manage program resources and exercises appropriate scientific judgment to ensure integrity and consistency in the proposal review process.
  • Assume Directorate- and Agency-wide program administrative responsibilities as needed by the division and directorate.
  • Manage an effective, timely merit review process, with attention to increasing the size, quality, and diversity of the reviewer pool.
  • Provide scientific expertise, evaluation, and advice for other programs in NSF, including international programs, other research programs, and Directorate-wide activities.
  • Advise and assist in the development of short-and-long range plans, establishing goals and objectives for support of research programs.
  • Plan budgets for programs considering past, present, and future fiscal years, allocate resources within the budget by distributing scarce resources among major competitive programs, and manage post-award evaluation.

REPRESENTATION, COMMUNICATION, AND LEADERSHIP
  • Represent the Foundation within the scientific community, accurately reflecting NSF policy and positions.
  • Create and maintain linkages to other NSF units and other Federal agencies to support the overall NSF mission.
  • Participate in meetings, providing input relevant to program area and Division.
  • Pursue affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) goals.
  • Pursue and be responsive to assignments on special projects.
  • Contribute ideas and efforts to improve the quality of policies and NSF's performance of the overall mission.
  • Prepare and disseminate a variety of informational documents.

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

Candidates must have a Ph.D. or Ed.D. in an Education, Quantitative Research Methodology, Measurement, Assessment, Evaluation, or Applied Statistics plus after award of the Ph.D., six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position.

Education

Please refer to the Qualifications section.

If your degree was obtained from a foreign institution, please also submit the certification from the Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals, or certification equivalency.

Additional information

Relocation expenses MAY be paid contingent upon the availability of funds.

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

This announcement is open to All US Citizens 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.

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. Evidence of scholarly activity related to quantitative methods and research experience in the design and analysis of data from multi-level and longitudinal studies in preK-12 STEM education; and/or measurement or assessment of preK-12 STEM learning and learning environments (formal and/or informal).
  2. Demonstrated knowledge of methodological designs, including experimental and quasi-experimental designs in preK-12 STEM education, and/or expertise in psychometrics, measurement, and assessment in preK-12 STEM. Knowledge and experience in the use of mixed methods in STEM learning contexts is an asset.
  3. Ability to write, review, and analyze research proposals or articles in preK-12 STEM education research, and develop well-reasoned recommendations about funding or publications.
  4. Demonstrated ability to situate one's own research within field-wide scholarship regarding diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in STEM teaching and learning.
  5. Ability to work constructively with colleagues, scientific and managerial personnel, and the broader research, academic, and practitioner communities.

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