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Technology Transfer and Patent Specialist

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Multiple Institutes or Centers

Summary

If you are an experienced Technology Transfer & Patent Specialist and you want to play a significant role in a dynamic organization, then consider joining the National Institutes of Health!

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/20/2026 to 04/24/2026
Salary
$85,447 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Montgomery County, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
NIH-SR-DE-26-12927361
Control number
865168500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration. This job is also open to USPHS Commissioned Corps Officers and Call-To-Active Duty (CAD) Candidates.

Duties

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  • Originate and draft complex Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) to document the terms of joint research and development projects.
  • Plan and negotiate CRADAs with profit and non-profit organizations.
  • Independently monitor the processes for handling CRADAs and potential inventions arising from CRADA research.
  • Advise on matters involving domestic and foreign patent rights, policies and procedures.
  • Participate in the development of new policies regarding the transfer of technologies.
  • Prepare and deliver educational programs designed to train scientific and administrative staff about technology transfer issues.
  • Contribute to analyses, interpretation, and evaluation of complex, or abstract information on licensing agreements.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • 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 qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • 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.
  • Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Based on your appointment, a one or two-year trial/probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period.
  • Position has an education requirement. Please submit transcripts.

Qualifications

Education Requirements: In order to qualify for a Technology Transfer and Patent Specialist GS-0601 position, you must possess a Bachelor's degree, or graduate/higher level degree with major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of this position. (This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained).

In addition, to qualify for a Technology Transfer and Patent Specialist GS-0601 position at the GS-11 level, you must have: at least one year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: researching technology transfer licensing requirements and preparing reports of findings; responding to routine technical inquiries regarding technology transfer licensing; reviewing documents related to technology transfer license agreements for completeness and compliance with basic requirements; and compiling information for briefing reports related to technology transfer licensing issues.
OR
have completed 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or, have a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field;
OR
have a combination of graduate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

In addition, to qualify for a Technology Transfer and Patent Specialist GS-0601 position at the GS-12 level, you must have: at leastone year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: responding to inquiries regarding the legal and regulatory requirements related to technology transfer agreements, patents, or inventions; reviewing technology transfer agreements for sufficiency regarding methods, techniques and justifications; reviewing reports of technology transfer agreements to determine adherence to performance measures; and participating in negotiating and executing technology transfer agreements for an organization.

In addition, to qualify for a Technology Transfer and Patent Specialist GS-0601 position at the GS-13 level, you must have: at least one year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: planning, negotiating, drafting, and executing a variety of technology transfer agreements, such as: Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), Materials-CRADAs (M-CRADAs) or equivalent kinds of agreements; resolving complex problems related to patents or technology transfer agreements; advising on matters involving domestic and foreign patent rights, policies and procedures; and developing royalty proposals based on analyses of the stage of development of technology, size of market, and availability of competing techniques.

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.

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 with 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 knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12927361

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

  • 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.
  • PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should apply online to this announcement to receive consideration.
  • Visit our Help Applying page for helpful information on the application process.
  • If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information.
  • We may make additional selections for similar positions within the commuting area(s) of the locations listed through this vacancy announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s). Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions.
  • 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/fd
  • At the supervisor's discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities: Alternative Work Schedules.
  • 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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your responses to the assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration


If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:
  • Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
  • Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
  • Qualified - for those who meet the minimum qualification requirements
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants.

How You Will Be Evaluated
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 be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 80 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the largest biomedical research funding organization in the world. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems. NIH employs approximately 18,000 employees in varied occupations, all supporting research efforts that improve health and save lives. For more information on NIH's mission and goals, and its 27 Institutes and Centers, visit the NIH website.

Virtually explore the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Bethesda campus, learn about scientific research, and get to know NIH community members who are working to help people live longer, healthier lives: https://www.nih.gov/virtual-tour/.

This recruitment will be filling multiple positions across NIH. The following Institute/Centers are seeking to fill positions:

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
  • NHLBI (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute)

Agency contact information

Rashad Gibson
Phone
3014350933
Email
gibsonrs@mail.nih.gov
Address
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at National Institutes of Health, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://hr.nih.gov/working-nih/work-life

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