HSA Additional Experience Requirements

Additional Experience Requirements For Applicants To The GS-12 Level

The basic requirements for fully qualifying at this level are one year of independent health research and one year of health research program administration experience (can be undertaken concurrently).  Qualifying professional experience may be obtained in one of the following environments.

Academic Environment: serving as principal investigator or equivalent on a grant or contract which may include institutional grant support or foundation funds, but should have been obtained competitively; independent research as evidenced by the development of a research project, and primary authorship of research publications in peer-reviewed journals; held the position of Instructor, Assistant Professor or equivalent.

Or

Intramural Environment: independent research, as evidenced by the development of research projects, and primary authorship of research publications in peer-reviewed journals; evidence of responsibility for significant aspects of laboratory/research unit; held the position of Staff Fellow, Senior Staff Fellow, Research Associate or equivalent.

Or

Private Sector (Profit/Nonprofit): conceptualization and implementation of a research project, primary authorship on internal research reports or patents, and/or publications in peer-reviewed journals; held the position of Research Scientist or equivalent.

Or

Extramural Environment: In order to qualify for the Health Science Administrator, GS-0601 position at the GS-12 level, you must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: review for completeness applications for research grants or contracts; study  scientific literature in order to place the proposed research project in its relationship to the research being done in the subject matter area; respond to issues and concerns about specific applications or proposals pertaining to assigned program areas.

Additional Experience Requirements For Applicants To The GS-13 Level

In addition to meeting the basic requirements of one year of independent health research and one year of health research program administration experience, applicants must possess at least one year of professional experience in one of the following environments.

Academic Environment: management of significant independent research projects (analogous to an RO1 and R29 grant) and supervision of graduate researchers or technicians; publications in refereed journals, presenting published work to scientific organizations and teaching graduate level courses in biomedical/behavioral or health-related disciplines; served as a reviewer on peer-review panels or journals; held the position of Assistant or Associate Professor or equivalent

Or

Intramural Environment: responsible for multiple scientific projects, supervising graduate researchers or technicians; publications in refereed journals, presenting published work to scientific organizations and teaching graduate level course in biomedical/behavioral or health related disciplines; served as a reviewer on peer-review panels or journals; held the position of Research Scientist (permanent position) or equivalent.

Or

Private Sector (Profit/Nonprofit): evidence of increasing responsibility in research or administration within the company; held the position of Senior Research Scientist/Project Manager or equivalent.

Or

Extramural Environment:In order to qualify for the Health Science Administrator, GS-0601 position at the GS-13 level, you must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: review the technical and scientific merit of applications and proposals received requesting grant or contract funds; provide advice in program planning, solicitation, and evaluation to perform day-to-day administrative functions related to research grants and interagency agreements supporting research projects in my scientific area; identify new basic, translational and clinical research concepts, projects and initiatives to appropriate advisory groups; and formulate and develop Program Announcements, RFAs, RFPs, or a combination of these, to achieve objectives. 

Additional Experience Requirements For Applicants To The GS-14 Level

In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must possess at least one year of professional experience that demonstrates extensive scientific expertise incorporating research experience with varied responsibilities for providing leadership in a scientific area, and functioning as a leader for a variety of efforts, such as directing research and coordinating committee and teaching activities, and organizing and chairing sessions at national scientific meetings.  Qualifying professional experience may be obtained in one of the following environments.

Academic Environment: serves as an appointed member of a scientific peer-review panel or editorial board; held the position of Associate Professor, Professor or equivalent

Or

Intramural Environment: responsible for at least two concurrent research projects with separate staff and budgets and supervising doctoral level staff; held the position of Section Chief or equivalent.

Or

Private Sector (Profit/Nonprofit): evidence of increasing responsibility in research or administration within the company; held the position of Senior Research Scientist/Project Manager or equivalent.

Or

Extramural Environment:  In order to qualify for the Health Science Administrator, GS-0601 position at the GS-14 level, you must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: organize and conduct workshops, conferences, symposia or similar activities to foster the aims of the program, to facilitate communication among investigators, or to advise on the status of progress and emerging directions of research in the assigned program area; manage the initial scientific and administrative review of center grant, program project grant, and training grant applications, as well as research project applications submitted in response to requests for applications, multicenter clinical trial applications, and contract proposals assigned to the program area; plan, advise, and evaluate program activities for a portfolio of research project, research program and other grants/awards, cooperative agreements, and/or contracts in the assigned program area and the discovery, development and evaluation of associated prevention and therapeutic strategies; review and evaluate periodic and interim progress reports to determine effectiveness of support and achievement of objectives; recommend  funding plans for initiatives; establish the criteria and standards for a review panel.

Additional Experience Requirements For Applicants At The GS-15 Level

In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must possess at least one year of professional experience that demonstrates the management of large and diverse research programs having national or international collaborations, scope, and impact. Managerial experience in organizational and program development includes having responsibility for the development of plans for the resolution of major organizational and operational problems and issues, and allocating funds among competing programs. Individuals should be recognized as distinguished scientists with major research experience and accomplishments, be members of prestigious national professional organizations or societies, and have published extensively in refereed journals. Applicants should have served as an organization's representative on permanent and ad-hoc committees established to evaluate research issues, and they should have experience that included management of extramural activities to include program planning, evaluation, and review assessment, and monitoring of major basic, clinical and/or applied research supported by the agency, company, or organization and which are of national or international scope and impact. Applicants should have published extensively in leading scientific journals. Qualifying professional experience may be obtained in one of the following environments.

Academic Environment: held position of Professor and/or Department Chair or equivalent.

Or

Intramural Environment: held position of Laboratory Chief or equivalent.

Or

Private Sector (Profit/Nonprofit): responsible for scientific administration of a small company or a division of a large company; held position of Director of Research or equivalent.

Or

Extramural Environment: I qualify for this position at the GS-15 level because I have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal service obtained in the public sector, performing the following types of review or program tasks: developing one or more funding solicitations and managing grant portfolios to support scientific research; establishing criteria and standards for others to follow in planning, reviewing, and evaluating research projects; evaluating the significance of emerging fields, and assessing the quality of research within the field in meeting an organization's mission and objective; initiating action among a variety of governmental and nongovernmental interests to bring research deficiencies, inadequacies, and new developments into sharper focus in order to redirect research efforts.