Supervisory Research Physiologist Job in Lexington, KY

Vacancy No. CBTG-12797089-25-ABJ Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $146,481.00 to $190,424.00 Grade 15 to 15
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/9/2025 Close Date 9/19/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Lexington, KY


Summary

The Associate Chief of Staff for Research and Development (ACOS Research) is a position established within the Research and Development Service under the Office of the Chief of Staff (COS). The employee works at the Veterans Medical Center (VAMC) in Lexington, KY, which is affiliated with the teaching hospital of the University of Kentucky (UK).

Duties

The VAMC is a two-division tertiary care facility that provides acute medical, surgical, neurological and mental health inpatient services with a 99-bed complement at the Cooper Drive Division as well as a 61- bed Nursing Home Care Unity and an additional 30-bed Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation unit at the Leestown Division. This large, complex, tertiary care, dual division and affiliated research facility has over 250 beds for medical and surgical care at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, along with psychiatry and extended care. The medical center has an extensive outpatient program with a workload of over 300,000 annual visits, provided via more than 900 clinics, in primary care and subspecialty clinics held at both divisions of the medical center and its Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) - which currently include Somerset, Morehead, Hazard, and Berea. The medical center's primary service area covers approximately 38 counties in central and southeastern Kentucky, with a veteran population of over 90,000.This medical center is affiliated with the University of Kentucky Colleges of Medicine and Dentistry for the training of approximately 500 medical and dental residents in 25 accredited specialty and subspecialty programs. Affiliations with 15 other institutions in Kentucky and elsewhere provide for training in 30 additional health professions involving more than 1100 students annually.Major Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Formulates the goals and objectives of the research program for the Lexington VA Health Care System.
  • Initiates all policies and procedures for the research program.
  • Continuously monitors new and revised legislation, VHA Directives and mandates from other agencies (OSHA, FDA, the JC, OIG, etc.) to identify changes.
  • Plans, develops, and directs the complex scientific and administrative activities necessary to advance LVAHCS program.
  • Responsible for all administrative and budgetary operations of the service.
  • Responsible for the supervision and evaluation of Service personnel through subordinate supervisors.
  • Responsible for compliance with both VISN- and VACO-mandated research policies including those issued by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the Office of Research Oversight (ORO).
  • Supervises activities to ensure ongoing accreditation for the human research program as well as the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) program.
  • Approves research program development initiatives.
  • Reviews all research proposals prior to their submission.
  • Determines the availability of necessary resources (equipment, space, animal needs), data management, biological and radioactive waste disposal, the use of investigational drugs, justification of additional or replacement equipment and personnel, and the impact of the proposed work on the institution.
  • Advises the investigator of the need to include budgetary requests for these items in their submissions.
  • Evaluates the need for approval of local funding for lab assays and pharmaceuticals used in investigator-initiated non- funded research.
  • Serves as alternate, ex-officio member, as appropriate, to the R&D Committee.
  • Prepares in-depth background and management information for review by the R&D Committee.
  • Mentors and assists research investigators in preparing proposals that meet R&D Committee and Sub-committee review process requirements.
  • Consults with PIs and serves as a resource for scientific and technical issues.
  • Works independently to plan, design and carry out programs, studies and audits.
  • Serves as the technical authority on program needs and makes appropriate changes as needed and are normally accepted without significant change.
  • Possesses full authority to interpret directives and mandates, to resolve conflicts and establish policy to meet VHA and other regulations.
  • Internally reviews fulfillment of program objectives' (goals) and the effect of the incumbents mentoring of other investigators and scientists in growing the program.
  • Conducts program assessments and prepares reports necessary to appraise the COS and R&D Committee of status of the program.
  • Identifies problems and negotiates corrective action concerning programmatic issues, basic administrative processes, and financial management concerns.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May Be Authorized to highly qualified candidates.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm
Telework: Adhoc Telework Available
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.

This occupation has Individual Occupational Requirements, basic requirement, that must be meet.

Basic Requirements:

Degree: in one of the basic animal sciences or physiology; or a related discipline or field of science that included at least 24 semester hours in the basic animal sciences, of which 10 semester hours were in animal physiology.

Evaluation of Education: Courses such as anatomy; cytology; invertebrate and vertebrate zoology; embryology; entomology; animal, dairy, and poultry husbandry; nutrition; genetics; and physiology may be used to meet the 24-semester-hour requirement in the basic animal sciences.

Courses in physiology, animal or human physiology, cellular physiology, or courses that were well oriented toward animal or human physiology, e.g., some advanced courses in biochemistry, are qualifying as animal physiology courses. Courses in related fields such as cytology and microbiology (including microbial physiology) may also be qualifying, provided the course work dealt directly with the application of scientific principles underlying animal physiology, or with the methodology and techniques applied in animal physiology work.

In addition to the time in grade requirement and the basic requirements listed above, you may qualify based on your experience as described below:

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-14 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include: Evaluates work in meeting the policy and regulatory standards as well as the overall quality of the research results as indicated by critical reviews and the continued approval of new research projects by the various funding entities. Directs the activities of multiple research teams comprised of professional clinical and scientific researchers as well as technical and administrative support employees. Manages the Research Program's teams, utilizing knowledge of quality improvement (QI) and demonstrating the ability to apply the QI process.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Research
  • Communications
  • Compliance
  • Financial Management
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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The employee works primarily in an office setting involving everyday risks or discomforts.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

IMPORTANT: If position has a positive degree requirement or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit transcripts with the application. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if position has a positive degree requirement, qualifying based on education alone or in combination with experience, transcripts must be verified prior to appointment. An accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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. Learn more about federal benefits.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

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

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • Resume
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.
  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • License
  • Other (1)
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Professional Certification
  • Proof of Marriage Status
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript
SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
  • Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
  • An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
  • Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
  • Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
    • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
    • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
    • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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.

How to Apply

The complete Application Package must be submitted before the closing of this vacancy.

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:1. Your Resume (your latest resume will be used to determine your qualifications). If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent (latest) version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent."

  • It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application.
  • If your resume includes photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, or personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., you will not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., hours per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position.
2. A complete Application Questionnaire
3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.

Agency contact information

Annette Johnson
Address
Lexington VA Health Care System
2250 Leestown Road
Lexington, KY 40511
US

Next steps

Once your application package is received an acknowledgement email will be sent.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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