SummaryThis position is located at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Bio and Agro Defense Facility (NBAF), Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU), Manhattan, Kansas.
Research scientists have open-ended promotion potential. The grade level is limited only by the individual's demonstrated ability to perform research of recognized importance to science and technology.
*Final grade level may be determined by a peer review panel.
DutiesHelp
- Serve as Research Leader for the Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU).
- Conduct basic and applied research on foreign, high consequence diseases of livestock that have high socio-economic consequences and that could be introduced naturally, accidentally, or deliberately into the United States.
- Provide leadership to the Unit and coordinates with other scientists, the Area Office, the NBAF Center Director and the Office of National Programs (ONP) to determine the most fruitful research directions under ARS.
- Maintain responsibility for personnel and facilities issues, such as select agent inspections, and prepares annual reports for the Unit.
- Serve as the Unit fund holder, manages, and directs resources, and develops program direction based on contacts with customers and partners within ARS, other federal agencies, and cooperators in universities and industry.
- Collaborates with APHIS and other federal agencies ensuring the most efficient and effective management of operations.
- Provides expertise and insight through reviewing, analyzing and evaluating the effectiveness of proposed program operations in terms of long- and short-range objectives and time schedules, utilization of resources, and other related considerations.
- Provides insights and lessons learned to any issues or problems and provides recommendations for resolution to the Director.
QualificationsBasic Requirements - Microbiology Series 0403:Degree: Microbiology; or biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent.
ORCombination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included courses as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Graduate Education: Microbiology, or specific area of study such as bacteriology, virology, mycology, algology, protozoology, parasitology, immunology, serology, microbial genetics, or soil microbiology; or specific applied fields of microbiology such as clinical and public health microbiology, food technology, production processes, industrial fermentation, pollution, etc. Graduate study in related fields such as experimental pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, biochemistry, animal or plant physiology, genetics, plant pathology, and insect disease control, may also be pertinent, provided it has direct application to microbiological work.
Evaluation of Education: Microbiology is a broad field of science encompassing a number of scientific disciplines or areas of science, the fields in which this science is applied, and related fields where the work is concerned with or involves microbiology. The scientific disciplines or areas of this science include bacteriology, immunology, serology, algology, mycology, parasitology, protozoology, rickettsi-ology, tissue culture, virology, and similar disciplines or areas of science. The applied fields include environmental, food, dairy, soil, industrial, public health, clinical, and agricultural microbiology, and similar areas in which microbiology is applied. Related fields include taxonomy and systematics, plant, animal, or human physiology or pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, ecology, and similar areas of science where the work is directly related or applies to microbiology. Except where the course work deals with a limited and specific segment of the science, where it might be limited in usefulness, most of the work, including that dealing with the development and use of microbiological methods, procedures, and techniques, is qualifying. In interpreting the substantive value of the course work, credit may be given for courses in related fields, depending on the degree to which the courses are related to micro-biological work.
Evaluation of Experience: For positions at GS-9 that involve a substantial amount of work in a specific specialized area or applied field of microbiology, at least 6 months of the experience must either have been in the appropriate area of specialization or applied field of microbiology or have direct application in the area for which the applicant is being considered. For the GS-11 and higher grade levels of such specialized positions, the experience must have been sufficiently specialized to ensure adequate familiarity with the area of specialization or applied field of microbiology or have direct application in the area for which the applicant is being considered.
Alternate requirement: For GS-14 clinical and public health microbiology positions, certification by the American Board of Medical Microbiology/American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology, or election to Fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology fully meets the experience requirement for such positions.
In addition to meeting the basic requirements described above, applicants must also meet Specialized Experience requirements as stated below.FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL (FOR BOTH SERIES): The qualification requirements for this position at the
GS-14 grade level include one-year specialized experience at the
GS-13 grade level, or its non-Federal equivalent that includes:
- Conducting research on diseases of livestock
- Conducting trials supporting countermeasures of research and development initiatives for the control of transboundary animal diseases
- Directly supervising and coordinating research activities of personnel and with cooperating agencies and organizations
FOR THE GS-15 LEVEL (FOR BOTH SERIES): The qualification requirements for this position at the
GS-15 grade level include one-year specialized experience at the
GS-14 grade level, or its non-Federal equivalent that includes:
- Managing a research program, including personnel, facilities and fiscal resources
- Managing and directing resources and developing program direction based on contacts with customers and partners within federal agencies, and cooperators in universities and industry
- Supervising a multidisciplinary team of scientists, synthesizing, coordination and guiding team efforts around short- and long-range targets of basic and applied research on diseases of livestock
To further support your qualifications, it is strongly recommended that you submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Failure to do so could result in loss of your consideration/referral. Also, please submit a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons familiar with your stature, contributions, recognition; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional or honor societies; invitations to make presentations at scientific/technical meetings; scientific society office and committee assignments; presentations (other than invitation); and publications.
Applicants must be available to report for duty at the time a selection is made. Selections are typically made within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.
EducationQUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS CONTINUED FROM ABOVE
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
Basic Requirements - Veterinary Medical Science Series 0701:Degree: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA). The AVMA web site, http://www.avma.org, has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools.
ORGraduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education (Refer to AVMA web site, http://www.avma.org for information about schools in this category) must meet one of the following requirements.
- Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG)
- Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT).
- Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. Under this provision, equivalency is established only if an AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college accepts the graduate's final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g., residency or graduate program).
Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also provide proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Examples of examinations that assess mastery of the English language are shown below:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores for the TOEFL are 560 for the paper-based version; 220 for the computer-based version; or overall score of 83 for the internet-based version (including 26 or higher in speaking, 26 or higher in listening, and 17 or higher in writing). For the computer-based and paper-based test versions, applicants must also complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and the Test of Written English (TWE). Minimum required scores are 55 for the TSE and 5.5 for the TWE.
- Academic tests (listening, writing, and speaking) offered by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 7.0 in speaking, 6.5 in listening, and 6.0 in writing;
ORCanadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 70, with at least 60 in speaking, 60 in listening, and 50 in writing.
This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series/position titles listed. In addition to the specialized experience requirements, applicants must submit proof that they meet the educational requirements for at least one of the series described in the announcement. Applicants may only be appointed to job series/position titles for which they meet all experience and educational requirements.
Additional information- This position requires the selectee to undergo a pre-employment check and a full background investigation. Any offer made is considered a tentative job offer pending the outcome of the pre-employment check. Retention in the position is based upon a favorable adjudication of the background investigation. The incumbent will be subject to periodic reinvestigations.
