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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 (Evaluation and Assessment Capability)

Office: Integrative Activities (OD/OIA)
Directorate: Office of the Director (OD)
Job Type:
STEM
Appointment Type:
Temporary / Rotator
Pay Grade/Scale:
AD-04
Salary Range:
$160,889 - $206,279
This job is open to the public

Application timeline

Date Posted:
Closing date: Open until filled

Position Summary

The Evaluation and Assessment Capability (EAC) Section within the Office of Integrative Activities (OIA) under the Office of the Director announces a Nationwide search to fill a Program Director position within EAC. Formal consideration of interested applications will continue until this position is filled.

Position Description

NSF was created “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense...” (1950, as amended). NSF seeks to achieve these goals through an integrated strategy that advances the frontiers of knowledge; cultivates a world-class, broadly inclusive science and engineering workforce; expands the scientific literacy of all citizens; builds the nation’s research capability through investments in advanced instrumentation and facilities; and supports excellence in science and engineering research and education. NSF is committed to evaluating the efficacy and efficiency of its strategy, leveraging evaluation to help the Agency achieve its mission.

The Evaluation and Assessment Capability (EAC) Section bolsters NSF efforts to make informed decisions and promote a culture of evidence. Located in the Office of Integrative Activities of the Office of the Director, EAC provides centralized technical support, tools, and resources to conduct evidence-building activities and to build capacity for evidence generation and use across the Agency. The EAC team is also responsible for leading the agency’s efforts to comply with certain requirements of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act). EAC is responsible for conducting, collaborating in, and managing evaluations and other studies of NSF investments in:

  • Fundamental science and engineering research. Most NSF funding supports basic research across all science and engineering disciplines and their interdisciplinary connections, including basic research about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
  • People. NSF helps train current and future scientists through a range of human capital development programs supporting students, post-docs and faculty, through scholarships, fellowships, research experiences, and early career awards.
  • Strategic and cross-cutting themes. NSF investments in research and people often address areas of national priority such as innovation.

The successful candidate will work closely with other members of EAC to expand the Agency’s research and evaluation capability and support the development of new, or adaptation of existing, methodological approaches to study the outcomes and impacts of investments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and drive program improvements. EAC is interested in supporting theoretically-grounded, empirical research that leverages advances in the social sciences—in particular the science of science—and in big data analytic techniques (artificial intelligence and machine learning) to catalyze benefits for the field of evaluation of investments in STEM. The rotator will have unparalleled opportunity and responsibility to ensure NSF-funded research and evaluation activities are at the forefront of advancing fundamental knowledge in studying of outcomes and impacts of investments in STEM.

Specific duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Review and contribute to innovative, robust, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches to evaluating research and education STEM programs, policies, and cross-cutting themes
  • Support a community of practice around the evaluation of discovery science through a robust grant program
  • Lead Technical Evaluation Panels to evaluate proposals and budget justifications
  • Contribute to EAC responses to Evidence Act requirements
  • Collaborate with other NSF directorates and offices and with Federal and professional bodies to identify and disseminate innovative and best evaluation practices
  • Represent EAC and NSF in the evaluation research community by attending conferences and increasing EAC’s network of collaborators
     

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.

Candidates must have (1) a Ph.D. in any field supported by NSF and (2) after award of the Ph.D., six or more years of successful research experience pertinent to the position.

Candidates must have a successful track record of scholarly work in the evaluation methods of scientific research and education activities or the field of science of science. Successful candidates will also have a demonstrated interest in the development and advancement of methods to measure the outcomes and impacts of federal investments in discovery science.

Applications will be accepted from U.S. Citizens. Qualified individuals who are women, ethnic/racial minorities, and/or persons with disabilities are strongly urged to apply.  No person shall be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability in hiring by the National Science Foundation. 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. 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 eligible.

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

For additional information on NSF's rotational programs, please see "Programs for Scientists, Engineers, and Educators" on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/careers/.

 

To apply, email a single PDF document that includes: 1) a cover letter explaining the reasons you are interested in the position, 2) CV, and 3) Citizen affidavit, as applicable. The cover letter should describe how your experiences fit with the position of an Evaluation and Assessment Program Director (referencing the CV). It is preferred that application materials and questions be sent to the Evaluation and Assessment Capability Section via email to EAC@nsf.gov with "EAC Program Director" in the subject line.

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