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You are viewing a Dear Colleague Letter.

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.

Behavioral Scientist (Program Director, Human Environment and Geographical Sciences)

Division: Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (SBE/BCS)
Directorate: Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Job Type:
STEM
Appointment Type:
Temporary / Rotator
Pay Grade/Scale:
AD-04
Salary Range:
$169,430 - $204,000
This job is open to the public

Application timeline

Date Posted:
Closing date: Open until filled
Formal consideration of interested applicants will begin and will continue until a selection is made.

Position Summary

The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidates for several Program Director positions based in the Human Environment and Geographical Sciences (HEGS) Program in the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) within the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), Alexandria, VA.


BCS is a division within SBE and is responsible for the support of fundamental research in all behavioral and cognitive science fields. The Division is composed of standing programs in the Anthropological and Geographical Sciences, as well as the Cognitive, Psychological, and Language Sciences.


For more information on SBE please click here. 

 

For more information on BCS please click here.


Successful applicant(s) are expected to assume responsibilities as Program Director for Human Environment and Geographical Sciences as well as lead or participate in several cross-directorate programs and initiatives.

Fundamental tasks include the administration of the merit review process and proposal recommendations, program budget administration, participation in strategic planning for the program, division, directorate, and agency, the preparation of public-facing materials highlighting advances in the supported research, coordination with related programs in NSF or in other agencies and organizations, as well as active outreach engagement with HEGS-related communities for new research opportunities and directions.


The responsibilities of NSF Program Directors are dynamic and constantly evolving. Program Directors have an opportunity and responsibility to ensure NSF-funded research is at the forefront of advancing fundamental knowledge. In support of that, Program Directors are responsible for extensive interaction with academic research communities, 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 proposals, make funding recommendations, administer awards, and undertake interaction with research communities in their fields.

Position Description

We seek a Program Director who will cultivate a portfolio that addresses all aspects of Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences, including human-environmental interactions, human behavior and environmental change, adaptation, resilience, and sustainability. We also expect a successful candidate to utilize their expertise to engage with other programs in the division, the directorate, and across the agency in relevant cross-directorate programs and initiatives which advances research in support of behavioral science that supports building a resilient planet.


The Human Environment and Geographical Sciences (HEGS) Program supports fundamental scientific research about the nature, causes, consequences, or evolution of the spatial dimensions of human behaviors, activities, and dynamics as well as their interactions with environmental and social processes across a range of scales. Contemporary geographical research encompasses diverse research traditions and methodologies. Recognizing the breadth of the field’s contributions to science, the HEGS Program welcomes proposals for empirically grounded, theoretically engaged, methodologically rigorous, and generalizable research that advances geographical and geospatial sciences.


We also expect this Program Director to utilize their expertise to engage across programs, divisions, and directorate across the agency to support and develop new programs which advances behavioral research in support of building a resilient planet. For example, this Program Director may be asked to lead an existing SBE led cross-directorate program, Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI).

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. in an appropriate field plus six or more years of successful research after award of the Ph.D., and research administration, and/or managerial experience
pertinent to the position. 

Appropriate fields include Geography, Environmental Sciences, Geospatial Sciences, or other relevant disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields.


A successful candidate will also have effective oral and written communication skills. Familiarity with NSF programs and activities is highly desirable. The candidate is expected to function effectively as a member of crosscutting and interactive teams as well as be an individual contributor. The candidate should also demonstrate a capability to promote NSF activities and to work closely with a broad spectrum of behavioral and social sciences.


The Program Director is guided by the goals of NSF's Strategic Plan: (1) enable the United States to uphold a position of world leadership in all aspects of science, mathematics, and engineering, (2) promote the discovery, integration, dissemination, and employment of new knowledge in service to society, and (3) achieve excellence in U.S. science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education at all levels. The core strategies NSF staff employ include developing intellectual capital, strengthening the physical infrastructure, integrating research and education, and promoting partnerships.

To apply, send (i) a cover letter outlining qualifications and reason for interest in the position, and (ii) an up-to-date curriculum vitae to the chair of the search committee, Dr. May Yuan, mayuan@nsf.gov .

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