Summary
The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidates for a Science Education Administrator (Program Director) position within the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU), Division of Research and Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL), Alexandria, VA.
For more information on EDU please click here.
For more information on DRL please click here.
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from all US citizens who meet citizenship and eligibility requirements. Please see the "Other Information" section for further information.
Duties
DRL is seeking a Permanent Program Director with expertise in Quantitative Research Methodology. DRL invests in projects to improve the effectiveness of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning for people of all ages. Its mission includes promoting innovative research, development, and evaluation of learning and teaching across all STEM disciplines by advancing cutting-edge knowledge and practices in both formal and informal learning settings. DRL also promotes the broadening and deepening of capacity and impact in the educational sciences by encouraging the participation of scientists, engineers, and educators from the range of disciplines represented at NSF. Central to DRL's efforts is the broadening of participation in STEM and preK-12 STEM education, with a focus on equity and inclusion. Priority will be given to candidates with expertise related to the perspectives and strengths of groups that are historically underrepresented in such fields. DRL's role in the larger context of Federal support for education research and evaluation is to be a catalyst for change-advancing theory, methods, assessment, development, practice, and equity in STEM education. The Division seeks to advance both early, promising innovations as well as larger-scale adoptions of proven educational innovations. In doing so, it challenges the field to create the ideas, resources, and human capacity to bring about the needed transformation of preK-12 STEM education for the 21st century.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Program Director(s) will work across programs in DRL, as all programs support research and development in areas related to this announcement. These programs may include but are not limited to Discovery Research preK-12 (DRK-12), EDU Core Research (ECR), Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) and Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL). The Program Director(s) will help to establish relevant research agendas that enhance current teaching and learning and catalyze new, more equitable, creative, and potentially transformative approaches in STEM education research. In addition, the Program Director(s) may represent the Division on Directorate- and Agency-wide programs with emphases on education research methodologies in the social sciences, evaluation, measurement, and assessment and/or statistics as applied to K-12 education.
The responsibilities of the NSF Program Director are constantly evolving. 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 STEM, 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.
Additional duties and responsibilities include:
PROGRAM PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
- Provide strategic support for all the needs of the STEM research and education enterprise.
- Manage program resources and exercises appropriate scientific judgment to ensure integrity and consistency in the proposal review process.
- Assume Directorate- and Agency-wide program administrative responsibilities as needed by the division and directorate.
- Manage an effective, timely merit review process, with attention to increasing the size, quality, and diversity of the reviewer pool.
- Provide scientific expertise, evaluation, and advice for other programs in NSF, including international programs, other research programs, and Directorate-wide activities.
- Advise and assist in the development of short-and-long range plans, establishing goals and objectives for support of research programs.
- Plan budgets for programs considering past, present, and future fiscal years, allocate resources within the budget by distributing scarce resources among major competitive programs, and manage post-award evaluation.
REPRESENTATION, COMMUNICATION, AND LEADERSHIP
- Represent the Foundation within the scientific community, accurately reflecting NSF policy and positions.
- Create and maintain linkages to other NSF units and other Federal agencies to support the overall NSF mission.
- Participate in meetings, providing input relevant to program area and Division.
- Pursue affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) goals.
- Pursue and be responsive to assignments on special projects.
- Contribute ideas and efforts to improve the quality of policies and NSF's performance of the overall mission.
- Prepare and disseminate a variety of informational documents.
Conditions of Employment
This position is outside the competitive civil service.
You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full/blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
This position is in the bargaining unit represented by AFGE Local 3403.
The Selected Candidate(s) may be subject to a background investigation.
Qualifications
Candidates must have a Ph.D. or Ed.D. in an Education, Quantitative Research Methodology, Measurement, Assessment, Evaluation, or Applied Statistics plus after award of the Ph.D., six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position.
Education
Please refer to the Qualifications section.
If your degree was obtained from a foreign institution, please also submit the certification from the Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals, or certification equivalency.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated on the extent and quality of your experience, expertise, education, and research activities relevant to the duties of the position. In some cases, additional assessment processes may also be used. We strongly encourage you to specifically address the Quality Ranking Factors below. This will ensure that you receive full consideration in the evaluation process.
Quality Ranking Factors
- Evidence of scholarly activity related to quantitative methods and research experience in the design and analysis of data from multi-level and longitudinal studies in preK-12 STEM education; and/or measurement or assessment of preK-12 STEM learning and learning environments (formal and/or informal).
- Demonstrated knowledge of methodological designs, including experimental and quasi-experimental designs in preK-12 STEM education, and/or expertise in psychometrics, measurement, and assessment in preK-12 STEM. Knowledge and experience in the use of mixed methods in STEM learning contexts is an asset.
- Ability to write, review, and analyze research proposals or articles in preK-12 STEM education research, and develop well-reasoned recommendations about funding or publications.
- Demonstrated ability to situate one's own research within field-wide scholarship regarding diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in STEM teaching and learning.
- Ability to work constructively with colleagues, scientific and managerial personnel, and the broader research, academic, and practitioner communities.
All applicants must submit a resume in any format and may also submit a cover letter.
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. 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.
You are strongly encouraged to upload a current performance appraisal and/or letter(s) of recommendation and a supplemental statement that describes how your background relates to the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) listed in the Qualifications and Evaluation Requirements section of this announcement. Additionally, you are encouraged to list all applicable awards either in your CV or in a supplemental statement. This information will be used in the evaluation process.
Transcripts are not required; however, please indicate the year that each degree was obtained on your application materials. If your degree was obtained from a foreign institution, you MUST submit the certification from the Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals, or certification equivalency.
All uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Applicants must complete and submit an application online at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) USAJOBS website at https://www.USAJOBS.gov. An account must be established at the OPM website following the instructions provided in order to apply for the position. Once you have completed the USAJOBS process, you will be re-directed to the USA Staffing system to complete your application process, answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. Applications submitted other than the USAJOBS online application WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED under this announcement.
- Your application and all supporting documents must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. Applicants applying online for this position will be able to apply until 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. Please allow adequate time to complete your application.
-If you encounter technical difficulties during the process, please submit a USA Staffing Help Ticket for assistance. If you have technical difficulties applying to the vacancy on the USAJOBS website, click on Contact USAJOBS. It is suggested that you do not wait until the last day to apply for a vacancy announcement. We will not accept applications other than those submitted through USAJOBS.
- As the applicant, it is your responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, and submitted is received and is accurate. Ensure that your application includes the required documents listed under "Required Documents" and that they are uploaded in the appropriate fields.
- If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of this application and hiring process, please notify the point of contact on this job opportunity announcement.
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR DATE OF BIRTH ON YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.
WARNING! Applications submitted online must have a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
Next steps
You may check the status of your application at any time on the USAJOBS website
Applicants should click 'Track this Application' in the Applicant Dashboard to receive application updates.
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