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A Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) is an informal correspondence which is written by a Requesting Office and distributed to communities within a specific program area, to attract individuals eligible under a Visiting Scientist, Engineer, and Educator (VSEE) appointment, an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignment and/or a Federal Temporary appointment. These letters may be circulated in paper form through internal mail, distributed electronically using listservs or accessed through NSF.gov’s Career Page.

Program Director, Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL)

Division: Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (EDU/DRL)
Directorate: STEM Education (EDU)
Job Type:
STEM
Appointment Type:
Temporary / Rotator
This job is open to the public

Application timeline

Date Posted:
Closing date: Open until filled

Position Description

The Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) within the Education and Human Resources (EHR) directorate announces a nationwide search for a full time temporary Program Directors at the National Science (NSF) with expertise in research and development in the broad area of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce preparation and development. This includes, but is not limited to, expertise and experience in one or more of the following areas related to STEM career and workforce learning:

  • Learning for or within the workplace, in industry settings, for example related to instructional systems design/development for adult learning or workplace-based training.
  • Learning for or within the workplace, with broad expertise in a field such as organizational development, industrial psychology, or occupational analysis.
  • Career and technical education (CTE), for K-12 age groups in formal or informal settings, including research on K-12 pathways to the STEM workforce and connections between CTE and STEM education.
  • Workforce of teachers, including analysis of factors that contribute to recruitment, preparation, professional development and retention of PreK-12 teachers of STEM, such as policies related to certification, differential pay, and professional growth opportunities for teachers.

DRL is interested in applicants with prior experience in industry, non-profit non-government organizations (NGOs), government agencies, schools and universities, and other work settings.

The incumbent for this Program Director position will work in one or more of the following programs: Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL), Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12), Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST), EHR Core Research, Advanced Technology Education (ATE, in partnership with the Division of Undergraduate Education), Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier (FW-HTF, in partnership with other NSF directorates), Cyberlearning for Work at the Human-Technology Frontier (in partnership with other NSF directorates). These programs support research and development including the development of theory, methods, measurements and applications. NSF programs emphasize intellectual merit as well as broader impacts, including the goal of broadening participation in STEM education and the STEM workforce

NSF Program Directors have an unparalleled opportunity and responsibility to ensure NSF funded activities are at the forefront of advancing fundamental knowledge. In support of that, Program Directors are responsible for extensive interaction with informal and formal educational organizations, academic research communities, industry as well as interaction with other Federal agencies that may lead to development of interagency collaborations. Within this context, Program Directors solicit and receive and review proposals, make funding recommendations, administer awards, and undertake interaction with research communities in these fields. They are also responsible for service to the Foundation-wide activities and initiatives that together accomplish NSF's strategic goals to 1) Transform the Frontiers of Science and Engineering, 2) Stimulate Innovation and Address Societal Needs through Research and Education, and 3) Excel as a Federal Science Agency. The position requires a commitment to high intellectual and ethical standards, a considerable breath of interest, receptivity to new ideas, an understanding of and commitment to broadening participation, and a strong sense of fairness, good judgement, and a high degree of personal integrity.

The position recruited under this announcement will be filled under the following appointment option(s):

Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Assignment: Individuals eligible for an IPA assignment with a Federal agency include employees of State and local government agencies or institutions of higher education, Indian tribal governments, and other eligible organizations in instances where such assignments would be of mutual benefit to the organizations involved. Initial assignments under IPA provisions may be made for a period up to two years, with a possible extension for up to an additional two-year period. The individual remains an employee of the home institution and NSF provides the negotiated funding toward the assignee's salary and benefits. Initial IPA assignments are made for a one-year period and may be extended by mutual agreement. 

Temporary Excepted Service Appointment: Appointment to this position will be made under the Excepted Authority of the NSF Act. Candidates who do not have civil service status or reinstatement eligibility will not obtain civil service status if selected. Candidates currently in the competitive service will be required to waive competitive civil service rights if selected. Usual civil service benefits (retirement, health benefits and life insurance) are applicable for appointments of more than one year. Temporary appointments may not exceed three years.

Visiting Scientist, Engineer, and Educator (VSEE) Program: Appointment to this position will be made under the Excepted Authority of the NSF Act. Visiting Scientists are on non-paid leave status from their home institution and placed on the NSF payroll. NSF withholds Social Security taxes and pays the home institution's contributions to maintain retirement and fringe benefits (i.e., health benefits and life insurance), either directly to the home institution or to the carrier. Appointments are usually made for a one-year period and may be extended for an additional year by mutual agreement.

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 and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General. https://www.nsf.gov/careers/Definition-of-Foreign-Talent-HRM.pdf.

Applications will be accepted from U.S. Citizens. Recent changes in Federal Appropriations Law require Non-Citizens to 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 eligible. Non-Citizens are not eligible for positions requiring a security clearance.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Candidates must have a Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent degree in an appropriate field plus after award of the degree., six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position; OR a Master's degree in an appropriate field plus after award of the degree, eight or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position.

In order to be considered for federal appointments, Non-Citizens must affirm that they meet the Appropriations Law eligibility criteria by signing and attaching this Citizenship Affidavit to their application. This also applies to individuals considered for Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignments to NSF. Non citizens who do not provide the affidavit at the time of application will not be considered. Non Citizens who are exempt from the Appropriations Law requirements due to their status as officers or employees of the U.S. government on December 16, 2009 must provide a statement with their application noting their exemption with documentation of proof of status as officers or employees of the U.S. government on that date

For questions, please write to DRLrecruit@nsf.gov.

To apply, submit a current curriculum vitae or resume and cover letter to DRLrecruit@nsf.gov.

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