Department:Department Of Health And Human Services

Agency:National Institutes of Health

The NIH is the premier biomedical research center for the world. Its 27 Institutes and Centers employ approximately 18,000 employees doing a vast array of jobs, all supporting efforts for a healthy nation. For information on the NIH mission, goals, and Institutes and Centers, visit NIH Overview

If you are a talented, motivated and intelligent individual with experience in researching and writing scientific and technical reports, articles, and policy papers in the areas of clinical, behavioral and/or social sciences, AND you want to play a significant role in a dynamic organization, then consider joining the Science Policy Branch within the Office of Science Policy and Communications, National Institute on Drug Abuse.  To learn more about the Public Information and Liaison Branch,  please visit:  http://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/organization/offices/office-science-policy-communications-ospc/science-policy-branch-spb

If selected for this position, you will serve as a senior scientific and technical writer with responsibility for researching and writing effective scientific reports, articles, policy papers, Congressional reports and other program material.  Specific duties include:  

• Prepares and edits written materials such as state-of-the-science reports, brochures, and pamphlets covering all aspects of drug abuse research and addiction. 
• Serves as production manager for a variety of nationwide projects related to drug abuse and addiction within the biomedical sciences field.
• Assists the Chief, SPB with overseeing and leading the implementation, planning, analysis, and evaluation activities related to biomedical sciences and drug abuse addiction with other components of the Institute or NIH.
• Collaborates with scientists, researchers, and medical professionals to conduct background research using published source materials and interviews with subject matter experts in order to present research and other technical and scientific information to various audiences.
• Provides full editorial support to management and professional staff on printed materials containing complex scientific or technical language intended for publication or presentation.
• Ensures accuracy of scientific, medical or technical terminology, and ensures the presentation of new findings or concepts is clear and concise to avoid misinterpretation by the intended audiences.

TO QUALIFY AT THE GS-13: 

You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private of public sector, performing the following types of tasks: editing complex scientific and technical material for printed or spoken media for a general scientific audience or informed laymen; this may include shifting of sentences within paragraphs; corrections of sentences for faulty syntax or poor choice of words; conformance to GPO required style, grammar, punctuation, and spelling; and organizing, designing, and preparing communication materials, audio presentations, and PowerPoint slide presentations. 

View Assessment Questions
Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with Selective Service.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and Selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:

• Best Qualified – for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
• Well Qualified – for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
• Qualified – for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements

Candidates determined to be Best Qualified will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. The Category Rating Process does not add veterans’ preference points, but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category.

If you are a veteran, CTAP or ICTAP eligible, or an individual with a disability, please refer to the following links for additional information and required documents:

• Veterans
• CTAP
• ICTAP
• Schedule A Appointments for the Disabled

All such documents MUST be received by 11:59pm ET of the closing date,  Sunday, September 29, 2013, to be considered.

The federal government offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.  For more information, check out New Employee Benefits at NIH and OPM’s Employee Benefits Information.

OTHER INFORMATION:

We are unable to pay relocation expenses.

A one-year probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.

NIH may repay certain outstanding Federally-insured student loans to facilitate the recruitment and retention of highly qualified people. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.

A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for prior work experience or active duty uniformed service that otherwise would not be creditable for the purpose of determining his or her annual leave accrual rate. All creditable service must be directly related to the duties of the position being filled and decisions to allow for such credit must be finalized prior to the selectee’s entrance on duty. The use of this service credit incentive is at the discretion of the selecting official and service credit is granted only for a position deemed hard-to-fill.

Additional selections may be made through this vacancy announcement. The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.

Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. You must provide a complete onlineApplication Package which includes:

• Your Resume (Please provide sufficient details in your resume to enable us to determine if you meet the requirement for qualifying experience (as stated in the Qualifications section) and to support your answers to the online questionnaire. Providing insufficient details in your resume may result in a lower or ineligible rating.)
• A complete Assessment Questionnaire, View Assessment Questions.
• Other required supporting documents (See the Required Documents section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required.)
• If you would prefer to submit a Curriculum Vitae (CV) for consideration, you may submit a skeletal online resume and Fax your CV. Submission of a resume/CV alone IS NOT a complete application. You must complete the online questionnaire that will appear when you begin your application on USAJOBS. (See the Required Documents section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required.)

To begin the online application process, click the “Apply Online” button at the bottom of this screen to log in to your existing USAJOBS account or to create an account if you do not already have one.

• Follow the prompts to complete the Assessment Questionnaire. Please ensure you click the “Submit My Answers” button at the end of the process.
• To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload, you must use the fax coversheet found at http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf . Include the vacancy announcement number for the job to which you are applying, 953952. Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.

If you have questions or require reasonable accommodation during the application process, please contact the HR staff member listed below. If you cannot apply online, these are the steps to follow:

1. Click the following link to view and print the assessment questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire, View Occupational Questionnaire.
2. Print this 1203-FX form to provide your response to the occupational questionnaire http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/OPM1203fx.pdf.
3. In Section 25 of the Occupational Questionnaire, you may notice that the numbering restarts with number one. When entering your responses on the 1203-FX form please continue to enter your responses on the next available number within this section. The numbers on the 1203-FX will not match the Occupational Questionnaire once it restarts with number one. This issue has been identified and will be resolved as soon as possible.
4. Fax the completed 1203-FX form along with any supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203-FX will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.

NOTE: Faxing paper applications will overwrite your prior online application responses and may result in you being found ineligible.

If you have difficulties with hearing and are seeking assistance, please call a relay operator at 1-800-735-2258 or visit Maryland Relay or AT&T Relay.

For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at 301-451-1436 or hrsystemssupport@mail.nih.gov.

Additional Information on How to Apply

Information on Reasonable Accommodation

We encourage you to verify that your application is complete. Log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

The following information must be received by 11:59pm ET on the closing date of the announcement,Sunday, September 29, 2013.  

1. Resume via USAJOBS.
2. Responses to online questionnaire.
3. If applicable, supporting documentation (including DD214 to support Veterans’ Employment, CTAP/ICTAP, Schedule A, or other information requested in the announcement such as transcripts). To ensure your information is secure, please block out any Social Security numbers (SSNs). Clean copies may be requested if you are hired.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Within 15 business days of the closing date, Sunday, September 29, 2013, you may check your status online at USAJOBS.  We will update your status after each key stage in the application process has been completed.