Health Scientist Administrator (Scientific Review Officer)

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

Job Overview

Summary

The NIH is the premier biomedical research center for the world. Its 27 Institutes and Centers employ approximately 18,000 employees doing a vast array of jobs, all supporting efforts for a healthy nation. For information on the NIH mission, goals, and Institutes and Centers, visit NIH Overview

The National Institutes of Health is recruiting for multiple Health Science Administrators (Scientific Review Officers) in the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Center for Scientific Review (CSR).

The National Institute on Aging (NIA)– several positions is seeking innovative scientists to provide technical leadership and guidance and serve as a Scientific Review Officer (SRO) for the coordination of review activities involving aging research. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) leads a national program of research on the biomedical, social, and behavioral aspects of the aging process; the prevention of age-related diseases and disabilities; and the promotion of a better quality of life for all older Americans. Please visit the NIA Careers website https://www.nia.nih.gov/about/careers for more information on our Health Scientist Administrator featured job openings which includes detailed position descriptions for each of our opportunities.

Center for Scientific Review (CSR) – several positions in the broad areas of social, behavioral, and population science (including demography and epidemiology) across the life span. The Center for Scientific Review is the gateway for NIH grant applications and their review for scientific merit. CSR organizes the peer review groups or study sections that evaluate the majority (75%) of the research grant applications sent to NIH. CSR also receives all grant applications for NIH, as well as for some other components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). For more information, visit http://www.csr.nih.gov.

Duties

As a Health Scientist Administrator (Scientific Review Officer) you will:

Serve as a Health Scientist Administrator with responsibility in providing policy direction and coordination for the planning and execution of initial scientific and technical review conducted within the Institute;

Utilize scientific knowledge and expertise to perform a variety of management functions associated with the scientific peer review of IC research and research training support activities and other contract activities;

Manage the initial scientific and administrative review of grant, program project grant, and training grant applications as well as research project applications submitted in response to requests for applications;

Appoint and manage review panels, including the identification of qualified reviewers to evaluate all applications and proposals and upon own knowledge as a scientist and any recommendations from IC and NIH program officials, to assemble a balanced group of experts and consultants;

Establish the criteria and standards for the review panel to follow based upon expert knowledge of the relevant scientific fields, NIH, and IC review policies and procedures;

Provides information to the consultants on each committee assembled as a basis for reviewing and evaluating grant applications, contract proposals; collects and provides essential information for committee members;

Prepares summary statements of review committee findings and recommendations for use by the IC advisory committee; attends committee meeting and responds to impromptu questions related to the review of the assigned application; and

Act as the sole Federal official and agency representative by guiding the activities of a review committee by orienting new review members and ensuring continuity in their approach toward evaluating applications, proposals, and adherence to peer review policies and procedures.

Travel Required

Not Required

Relocation Authorized

Job Requirements

Key Requirements

U.S. Citizenship requirement met by closing date.
Position is subject to a background investigation.
Education Required. Please submit transcripts.
Financial Discloure Required.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Applicants for all grades must be U.S. Citizens and must meet the requirements described in paragraphs A or B below:

A.Successful completion of all requirements for a Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree), in an accredited college or university, including acceptance of the dissertation, in an academic field of the health or pertinent sciences (i.e., biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, etc.) allied to health or health related research.

B.Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university, leading to a bachelor’s or higher degree, with major study in an academic field of the health or pertinent sciences which have been applied and utilized by the applicant in health or health-related research and, in addition, at least 1 year of qualifying progressively responsible experience; or any equivalent combination of graduate study and research experience in these fields. This education and experience must demonstrate that the applicant has acquired the scientific knowledge, skills and abilities to apply and utilize them successfully in health or health-related research at a level which is the qualitative equivalent of that acquired in meeting all the requirements for the Ph.D. degree (or equivalent doctoral degree), including the dissertation as indicated above. The appropriate doctoral equivalency must be supported by publications in health or health-related research accomplishment in appropriate scientific journals; or other objective evidence in such form that it may be reviewed and evaluated.

Applicants must demonstrate that they have worked independently in planning, organizing, and conducting biomedical behavioral health, or health-related research; served effectively, in research program administration in these fields; and acquired an understanding of the history, interests, internal dynamics, and relationships of organizations in which health research is conducted. This experience may be gained as a principal investigator of a grant or contract, or may otherwise be gained through active involvement in initiating research projects, developing protocols, conducting studies, documenting findings, interpreting results in a published report (journal), supervising staff, and managing the budget.

Requirements for Applicants to the GS-12 level

The basic requirements for fully qualifying at this level are one year of independent health research beyond the doctoral degree and one year of health research program administration experience (can be undertaken concurrently). Qualifying professional experience may be obtained in one of the following environments.

Academic Environment: serving as principal investigator or equivalent on a grant or contract which may include institutional grant support or foundation funds, but should have been obtained competitively; independent research as evidenced by the development of a research project, and primary authorship of research publications in peer-reviewed journals; held the position of Instructor, Assistant Professor or equivalent.

Private Sector (Profit/Nonprofit): conceptualization and implementation of a research project, primary authorship on internal research reports or patents, and/or publications in peer-reviewed journals; held the position of Research Scientist or equivalent.

Extramural Environment: I qualify for this position at the GS-12 level because I have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in the public sector, performing the following types of review or program tasks: review for completeness applications for research grants or contracts; study scientific literature in order to place the proposed research project in its relationship to the research being done in the subject matter area; respond to issues and concerns about specific applications or proposals pertaining to assigned program areas.

Requirements for Applicants to the GS-13 level:

In addition to meeting the basic requirements of one year of independent health research beyond the doctoral degree and one year of health research program administration experience, applicants must possess at least one year of professional experience in one of the following environments.

Academic Environment: management of significant independent research projects (analogous to an RO1 and R29 grant) and supervision of graduate researchers or technicians; publications in refereed journals, presenting published work to scientific organizations and teaching graduate level courses in biomedical/behavioral or health-related disciplines; served as a reviewer on peer-review panels or journals; held the position of Assistant or Associate Professor or equivalent

Intramural Environment: responsible for multiple scientific projects, supervising graduate researchers or technicians; publications in refereed journals, presenting published work to scientific organizations and teaching graduate level course in biomedical/behavioral or health related disciplines; served as a reviewer on peer-review panels or journals; held the position of Research Scientist (permanent position), Section Chief, or equivalent.

Private Sector (Profit/Nonprofit): evidence of increasing responsibility in research or administration within the company; held the position of Senior Research Scientist/Project Manager or equivalent.

Extramural Environment: I qualify for this position at the GS-13 level because I have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service obtained in the public sector, performing the following types of review or program tasks: review the technical and scientific merit of applications and proposals received requesting grant or contract funds; provide advice in program planning, solicitation, and evaluation to perform day-to-day administrative functions related to research grants and interagency agreements supporting research projects in my scientific area; identify new basic, translational and clinical research concepts, projects and initiatives to appropriate advisory groups; and formulate and develop Program Announcements, RFAs, RFPs, or a combination of these, to achieve objectives.

Requirements for Applicants to the GS-14 level:

In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must possess at least one year of professional experience that demonstrates extensive scientific expertise incorporating research experience with varied responsibilities for providing leadership in a scientific area, and functioning as a leader for a variety of efforts, such as directing research and coordinating committee and teaching activities, and organizing and chairing sessions at national scientific meetings. Qualifying professional experience may be obtained in one of the following environments.

Academic Environment: serves as an appointed member of a scientific peer-review panel or editorial board; held the position of Associate Professor, Professor or equivalent

Intramural Environment: responsible for at least two concurrent research projects with separate staff and budgets and supervising doctoral level staff; held the position of Section Chief or equivalent for at least 2 years.