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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

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), in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) announces a nationwide search for temporary Program Directors at the National Science Foundation. Applications are due by July 15, 2019.

DRL seeks program officers with research and development expertise in one or more of the following areas at the pre-K-12 level: assessment of STEM learning; science education research (e.g., the learning and teaching of biology, chemistry, earth science, or physics); and mathematics or statistics education (e.g., the learning and teaching of mathematics or statistics).

DRL supports innovative research, development, and evaluation of learning and teaching across all science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in both formal and informal learning settings, and in any age group. A major goal of DRL research and development awards is to enhance the science of broadening participation in STEM. DRL programs support innovations in theory, methods, measurement, development, and applications in STEM education.

Successful candidates will be expected to work collaboratively with staff and other program officers primarily in the Discovery Research preK-12 (DRK-12) program but may be expected to work in other DRL programs. They will also be expected to work closely with staff across divisions and directorates on cross-cutting programs of importance to the mission of the Agency.

NSF Program Directors have an unparalleled opportunity and responsibility to ensure NSF-funded research and development activities are at the forefront of advancing fundamental knowledge. In support of that, Program Directors are responsible for extensive interaction with academic research communities, formal and informal educational organizations, industry, as well as interaction with other Federal agencies that may lead to development of interagency collaborations. Within this context, Program Directors solicit, receive and review research and education proposals, make funding recommendations, administer awards and undertake interaction with research communities in these fields. The position requires a commitment to the highest research standards and ethical conduct, a considerable breadth of interest, receptivity to new ideas, a strong sense of fairness, good judgment, 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. 

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.

Applicants must have a Ph. D or Ed.D. in a STEM related field, plus after award of the Ph.D. or Ed.D., six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience.

Experience in STEM education research, evaluation, statistics or measurement, or any of the behavioral, cognitive, or social science bases of STEM learning is highly desired. Successful candidates will have research or development expertise in the areas highlighted in this announcement. Ideal candidates will have strong research expertise in an area of STEM learning as well as expertise and experience using quantitative and/or qualitative research methodologies to support these learning goals.
 

    Applicants should submit a current curriculum vitae with statement of interest to Dr. Rob Ochsendorf, Program Director, rochsend@nsf.gov. Please indicate the number of this DCL in the subject line of the email.

    Along with your application, please provide responses to the following:

    Quality ranking properties:

    1. Knowledge of and contributions to research in the field of preK-12 STEM education in one of the areas listed above.
    2. Research, analytical, and/or technical writing expertise as evidence by publications, presentations or other documents.
    3. Ability to interact, on a peer basis, with practitioners, administrators, senior scientific and managerial personnel in governmental agencies, academia, non-profits, and the private sector.
    4. Ability to organize, implement and manage the review of proposals, articles or other documents related to STEM education.

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