Clarification from the agency

This position is open for an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignment. Please see the "Additional Information" section for further information. Applications will be accepted from all US citizens who meet citizenship and eligibility requirements. Please see the "Additional Information" section for further information.

The frontiers of science, the institutions conducting research, and the tools available to researchers are changing rapidly. NSF has long supported exceptional researchers and opened up new frontiers of knowledge through rigorous merit review, broad engagement with the scientific and engineering enterprise, and adaptation to new fields and new modes of discovery. The Office of Metascience will strengthen this tradition by helping NSF determine how its policies, processes, and funding mechanisms can better identify exceptional ideas, empower talented researchers, reduce unnecessary friction, and accelerate discovery.

The Office will use the Agency's portfolio as a testbed for understanding how scientific communities respond to funding-design choices, apply what it learns to NSF programs, and disseminate findings to the broader federal research enterprise where appropriate. Working across NSF's Directorates and offices, the Office will identify consequential questions about how the Foundation structures, funds, and conducts science; design rigorous studies, pilots, and controlled experiments; curate and analyze administrative and award data; and help NSF leaders translate reliable findings into improved policies and practices.
Furthering NSF's mandate to pursue scientific merit and broader impact, the Office of Metascience may examine, among other subjects:

• Approaches to identify and support high-risk, high-reward research;
• Methods to solicit, review, and select proposals;
• The speed, cost, and administrative burden of research funding processes;
• Structures, durations, sizes, and management practices for awards;
• Mechanisms to support investigators, early-career researchers, teams, institutions, and science performing organizations;
• Measures of scientific, technological, economic, and public impact;
• The impact of emerging technologies on scientific workflows and processes;
• The diffusion, replication, and translation of research results; and
• Methods for evaluating the impact of NSF programs and funding mechanisms over appropriate time horizons.

INAUGURAL HEAD

The Office of Metascience Head will report to the NSF Director and have full responsibility for developing and implementing a vision, strategy, and workplan for the Office. The Head will help manage the Office's independent budget and dedicated staff, and will work collaboratively with Directorate Heads to conduct experiments and analyses that allow leaders to identify and scale improvements. They will have a rare opportunity to build a new office at the center of the Federal scientific enterprise, empowered to translate the Office's findings into concrete changes that help the Foundation better identify and support meritorious research, reduce review timelines, and close gaps in the scientific ecosystem.

Conditions of employment

This position is outside the competitive civil service.

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

Qualifications

A successful candidate will be a leading authority on metascience and/or related fields (e.g., the science of science) and have a track record of research excellence, demonstrated experience in outcome-based leadership, and exceptional collaborative skills. A successful candidate will also represent the NSF when engaging with the broader research community, including academia, industry, and philanthropy about the Office and its work.

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, education, and research relevant to the duties of the position.