Research Health Scientist

Summary This position is located in the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) Service, Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, South Texas Veterans Healthcare System (STVHCS), San Antonio, TX. Learn more about this agency Duties ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 10 years). Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration (more than 1 year up to 10 years). Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without further competition (up to the 10-year maximum). The appointment to a Term position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment. NOTE: This is a part-time position (15 hours/week). The salary listed represents full-time employment and will be pro-rated based on the actual number of hours worked each pay period. Likewise, benefits and time-off accrual will also be prorated and based on your part-time work schedule. The primary purpose of this Research Health Scientist position, employee will serve as an independent Principal Investigator and Team Leader of an original research program investigating the methodologies of cellular signaling and metabolic diseases of aging as they relate to geriatrics and gerontology. Duties will include but may not be limited to the following: Evaluates Research and Training Advising Others: Conducts investigations into the involvement of intracellular calcium signaling in the pathophysiology, complications, and treatment of metabolic diseases of aging, cellular disease mechanism, and signal transduction research. Maintains funding for research activities. Originates independent research with full responsibility for the management and operation of research activities. Leads staff/teams in diverse research areas, coordinates research program functions in a cost effective, efficient, and productive manner. Trains and advise other researchers at graduate and postdoctoral levels of training. Coordinates and conducts educational activities, including didactic and informal presentations at local, regional, and national levels. Collaborates with investigators from a variety of disciplines, including geriatrics, gerontology, chemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, metabolism, immunology, and pathology. Administrative and Research Grants/Funding: Serves as a researcher with responsibility for conducting collaborative and independent research in the above areas of research. Leads teams of professional, technical, and support staff and trainees. Performs all administrative aspects of his/her research as outlined above. Coordinates the expenditure of support funding and ensures that the laboratory functions in a cost efficient and effective manner. Obtains research grants from grant funding agencies. Administers all aspects of funding for his/her research and executes grant budgets. Presentation, Manuscripts, Education: Presents papers at meetings of regional and national scientific societies and prepares and submit manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Coordinate and conduct research educational activities (including didactic and informal presentations at local, regional, and national levels). Conducts teaching sessions for postdoctoral fellows, residents, medical and graduate students, and other trainees. Perform other duties as necessary. Work Schedule: Compressed/Flexible Work Schedule will be discussed during interview. Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Basic Requirement: Applicants must meet the Basic Education Requirement to qualify for this Research Health Scientist. Basic Education: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) AND Selective Placement Factor (screen-out) - Selective Placement Factors (SPF) have been identified for this position. Selective Placement Factors (SPF) are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the SPF are ineligible for further consideration. The SPFs for this position are: SPF 1: Completes investigations and dissemination of active research funding in the specialized fields of geriatric pathophysiology, complications, and treatment of metabolic age-related diseases, cellular disease mechanisms, and signal transduction research. SPF 2: Experience in managing a grant funding project team of diverse staff at all levels through collaboration to ensure effective, efficient, and productive geriatric research efforts (e.g. grants options available from the organization, National Institute of Health (NIH), government, and/or public/private sector). AND In addition to meeting the basic requirement and the SPFs, applicants must meet the specialized experience described below to be qualified for this position. Specialized Experience:Requires at least one year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Providing direction and guidance regarding critical and complex geriatric problems; developing new methods, approaches, and procedures for grant funding research projects; these efforts include both clinical and translational studies; and Pursing aging based funding opportunities through National Institute of Health, local, and public/private sector grant approval; and Administering all aspects for funding research, including complete execution of assigned project grant salaries, equipment, protocols, and budgeting. NOTE: Resume(s) must clearly support the required experience to be eligible for this GS-13 level position. We will not make assumptions regarding experience. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: work is primarily sedentary but involves some walking and extended hours for the completion of experiments. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform portions of the work. However, there is periodic walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as equipment, instructional material, books, and manuals. No special physical demands are required to perform the work, although it is recommend the employee is physically capable of lifting 40 pounds. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. There is no educational substitution for the specialized experience at this grade level. 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 Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. Expand Hide  additional information 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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our 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.