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A Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) is an informal correspondence which is written by a Requesting Office and distributed to communities within a specific program area, to attract individuals eligible under a Visiting Scientist, Engineer, and Educator (VSEE) appointment, an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignment and/or a Federal Temporary appointment. These letters may be circulated in paper form through internal mail, distributed electronically using listservs or accessed through NSF.gov’s Career Page.

Computer Scientist (Program Director)

Division: Information and Intelligent Systems (CISE/IIS)
Directorate: Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)
Job Type:
STEM
Appointment Type:
Temporary / Rotator
This job is open to the public

Application timeline

Date Posted:
Closing date: Open until filled

Position Summary

The Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS) within the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) announces a nationwide search to fill a Program Director position in the areas of artificial intelligence and machine learning. 

The responsibilities of the position include support for the Robust Intelligence program, which encompasses foundational computational research needed to understand and develop systems that can sense, learn, reason, communicate, and act in the world; exhibit flexibility, resourcefulness, creativity, real-time responsiveness, and long-term reflection; use a variety of representation or reasoning approaches; and demonstrate competence in complex environments and social contexts. The Robust Intelligence program is fully described on the Robust Intelligence program webpage. That page also identifies current Program Directors, who may be contacted for additional information.

Formal consideration of applications begins immediately and will continue until a selection is made.

Position Description

Program Directors are responsible for specific research areas. They solicit, receive, and review research and education proposals; make funding recommendations; administer awards; and interact with relevant research and education communities. They also provide service to NSF-wide activities and often work across government agencies to enable interagency collaborations. Program Directors contribute to the accomplishment of NSF's strategic goals to (1) expand knowledge in science, engineering, and learning; (2) advance the capability of the Nation to meet current and future challenges; and (3) enhance NSF's performance of its mission.

The position recruited under this announcement will be filled under the following appointment option(s):

Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Assignment: Individuals eligible for an IPA assignment with a Federal agency include employees of State and local government agencies or institutions of higher education, Indian tribal governments, and other eligible organizations in instances where such assignments would be of mutual benefit to the organizations involved. Initial assignments under IPA provisions may be made for a period up to two years, with a possible extension for up to an additional two-year period. The individual remains an employee of the home institution and NSF provides the negotiated funding toward the assignee's salary and benefits. Initial IPA assignments are made for a one-year period and may be extended by mutual agreement. 

It is NSF policy that NSF personnel employed at or IPAs detailed to NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign government talent recruitment programs.  Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General. https://www.nsf.gov/careers/Definition-of-Foreign-Talent-HRM.pdf.

Applications will be accepted from U.S. Citizens. Recent changes in Federal Appropriations Law require Non-Citizens to meet certain eligibility criteria to be considered. Therefore, Non-Citizens must certify eligibility 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 eligible. Non-Citizens are not eligible for positions requiring a security clearance.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in science or engineering, plus after award of the Ph.D., six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position.

Outstanding knowledge of the relevant research area and related areas are highly desired; as well as commitment to fairness, ethical conduct, and personal integrity; receptivity to new ideas; a strong work ethic and initiative; excellent interpersonal skills; and expert communication ability. Familiarity with NSF activities is desirable.

For additional information on NSF's rotational programs, please see information about Temporary/Rotator Programs on the NSF website at https://www.nsf.gov/careers/rotator/.

Applications should be submitted electronically and must include: (1) a cover letter outlining the candidate's background that specifically relates to the appropriate program objectives, availability time frame; (2) a curriculum vitae with contact information and list of references; (3) Citizen affidavit, as applicable.  Please make electronic submissions to Joydip Kundu, Deputy Division Director, at jkundu@NSF.gov.

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