POLICY FELLOW

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens.

1. Introduction:
The mission of the National Defense University (NDU) is to educate joint warfighters and other national security leaders in critical thinking and the creative application of military power to inform national strategy and globally integrated operations, under conditions of disruptive change, in order to prevail in war, peace and competition. The Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) is the research arm of NDU. INSS provides strategic advice to decisionmakers throughout the Department of War (DoW), including the Joint Staff, Office of the Secretary of War (OSW), Combatant Commands (COCOMs), and Services. INSS Fellows conduct applied research, strategic analysis, and wargaming exercises in support of the warfighter. They engage regularly with DoW senior leaders and support the NDU educational mission by teaching, integrating research into the classroom, and mentoring students.

2. Major Duties:
The Policy Fellow for Biotechnology is a position within INSS. The Biotech Fellow has the following major duties and responsibilities:

• Research and Policy Analysis (50%). All INSS Fellows are required to conduct applied research in support of the warfighter. INSS Police Fellows publish this research in the form of books, journal articles, and/or policy reports provided to senior DoW officials. INSS Policy Fellows also are encouraged to promote their research at symposia, through blog posts, and opinion pieces. The Biotech Fellow should expect to focus his/her research on biological weapons, biothreats, and biomanufacturing as related to DoW priorities, as well as U.S. responses to deter, prevent, mitigate, counter, or eliminate these threats.
• Engagement (35%). All INSS Fellows are required to coordinate their research topics with, and present findings to, DoW officials at a rank commensurate with their own. INSS Policy Fellows disseminate their findings in the form of interim and final briefings, trip reports, and/or policy memoranda and are required to do so in a timely manner. INSS Policy Fellows also may be asked to participate in the design, development and execution of exercises, workshops and conferences. The Biotech Fellow should expect to engage regularly with action officers (05/O6-level or higher) from the Joint Staff, Office of Secretary of War, Strategic Command and/or Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
• University Service (10%). All INSS Fellows are required to support NDU-wide university service. These activities may include serving on university hiring or promotion boards, participating in the Institutional Review Board, maintaining an NDU-wide community of interest, supporting NDU leader engagements, or hosting an NDU-wide conference for NDU and DoW audiences. The Biotech Fellow should expect to contribute to NDU-wide service particularly as it relates to biological weapons, biothreats, and relevant biomanufacturing.
• Administrative Requirements (5%). INSS does not have designated administrative support staff. As such, all INSS Fellows are expected to comply with administrative requirements in a timely manner. This requirement includes completing monthly reports, travel request forms, country and theater clearancerequest forms, travel vouchers, conflict of interest paperwork, training requirements, and other administrative tasks. The Biotech Fellow should expect to adhere to these basic administrative requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or be exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.ssa.gov/)
• Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit
• The position is governed by 10 USC 1595 and NDUI 1416.0l dated March 2017.
• Must be able and willing to travel both domestically and internationally. Travel is seldom required. Less than 20 % of the time.
• The incumbent must be able to successfully obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCi clearance.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: Required qualifications for the Policy Fellow for Biotechnology are as follows:

• Education: Master's (at a minimum) in appropriate discipline or field from a regionally accredited institution of higher education (or international equivalent). Preference will be given to candidates with a doctorate.
• Research and Publications: Record of high-quality, peer-reviewed journal articles, books or policy papers related to biological weapons or other biothreats. Or five years (at a minimum) of professional, relevant experience in an appropriate discipline or field related to deterring, preventing, mitigating, countering, or eliminating biological weapons or other forms of biothreats, preferably in a position associated with or supporting civilian or military components of the U.S. government.
• Engagement: Experience presenting research findings and their implications for U.S. national security to DoW officials and/or other federal government audiences or foreign audiences. Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated excellence in the development and facilitation of experiential learning activities.

Desired Qualifications: Desired qualifications for the Policy Fellow for Biotechnology are as follows:

• Experience conducting applied research directly for, or in support of, DoW, to include DoW-wide research labs, PME institutions, or federally funded research and development centers.
• Experience conducting research on chemical, radiological, and nuclear threats.
• A demonstrated understanding of the inter-relationship between maturing and emerging technologies, and relevant scientific inquiries or discoveries, and the potential development (whether inadvertent or deliberate) of new forms or means of delivery of strategic threat capabilities.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

A screening panel will review your resume and narrative answers to the assessment questions to evaluate your qualifications for the position. NDU uses a multi-tier selection process for academic positions.

The following questions will be reviewed by the NDU screening panel https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12985950.

The Assessment Questionnaire collects information on your education, training and experience related to the following critical competencies:


Criminal History Inquiries- If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency @ dfas.indianapolis-in.zh.mbx.ssc-cc@mail.mil

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Resume: A two-page maximum resume is required. Applicant guidance on the two page resume requirement may be found at: Learn more about the new resume requirements.
2. Complete initial Eligibility Questionnaire: Your resume must demonstrate the quality of your work as it relates to the experience requirements outlined in the job announcement.
3. Other Supporting Documents - Refer to the eligibilities section for documents to submit.

NOTE: Transcripts are not required at time of application submission. Your resume and narrative answers to the hiring criteria will be reviewed by the NDU screening panel to evaluate your qualifications for the position. If selected for an interview, official transcripts will be requested at that time to verify educational requirements are met.

Eligibilities Information: The following supporting documents are REQUIRED to verify your individual eligibility status. Not all will apply for each applicant. They MUST be received by the closing date of the announcement.

1. SF-50: Current and former federal employees, including those currently working for the agency, must submit their SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) reflecting their highest grade held on a permanent basis for at least 52 weeks, tenure, and appointment type. Failure to provide this document may result in disqualification.
2. If you claim Veteran's Preference:
   - You must submit a copy of your DD Form-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty", showing the dates of active duty service, type of discharge and the character of service. Alternatively, If you are a current military member in active duty service and do not have a copy of your DD Form-214, you must submit a written documentation (certification) from your branch of service certifying that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application for this position. The certification should also include your rank, dates of active duty service and what they condition of discharge is thought to be.
   - If claiming 10-point preference and/or are a 30% or more Disabled Veteran, you must submit both a DD Form-214 or expected discharge documentation as described above AND a copy of a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or your branch of service certifying the presence of service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of disability
   - If you are claiming eligibility based on 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e. a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran claiming veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it), you must also submit a Standard Form 15 (SF-15) "Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference" and any required documents indicated on the SF-15 to substantiate the claimed preference.
3. Other documents identified in the announcement.

WARNING: Failure to submit a complete application package including any required documentation by the closing date of the announcement at 11:59 EST, or at the time of application for announcements with an extended closing date, may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and More Information. The Details page will display the status of your application.

It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered or uploaded is received, legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers submitted by an applicant.

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