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You are viewing a Dear Colleague Letter.

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.

Program Director (Multiple Programs)

Division: Materials Research (MPS/DMR)
Directorate: Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
Job Type:
STEM
Appointment Type:
Temporary / Rotator
Pay Grade/Scale:
AD-04
Salary Range:
$148,933 - $190,947
This job is open to the public

Application timeline

Date Posted:
Closing date: Open until filled
Formal consideration of interested applicants will begin and will continue until a selection is made.

Position Summary

The Division of Materials Research (DMR) announces a nationwide search for senior-level researchers to serve as Program Directors. The Applicants must be familiar with a broad spectrum of the materials research community, as well as with the issues being addressed in the field. Applicants with accomplishments in the integration of research and education and with multidisciplinary experience and interests are desired.

Position Description

Individuals are sought with specific expertise applicable to the following areas:

Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future Program (DMREF) – broad expertise and demonstrated experience in fundamental materials research, with emphasis on the synergies exemplified under the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI). Ability to lead cooperation across relevant divisions and directorates within NSF as well as with other Federal Agencies under the MGI umbrella is desired. Expertise and/or interest in advanced computational approaches and data-centric techniques are highly desirable.

Electronic and Photonic Materials Program (EPM) – broad expertise in the fundamental understanding of phenomena and mechanisms associated with the synthesis/growth, processing, and integration of electronic and photonic materials at atomic and molecular levels. Experience in utilizing electronic and photonic materials and their integration towards advancing new paradigms in electronics, optoelectronics, photonics, and plasmonics is desirable.

Condensed Matter Physics Program (CMP) – broad expertise in experimental condensed matter physics, which may include computational simulations.

For the DMR mission statement and additional information about the above programs, please see https://www.nsf.gov/materials.

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. This also applies to individuals considered for IPA assignments to NSF. Non-citizens who do not provide the affidavit at the time of application will not be considered eligible.

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 the physical sciences or a closely related field, plus after award of the Ph.D., six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position.

In addition, research administration and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position would be highly desirable. The incumbent should also have an appreciation for interdisciplinary research.

All positions require an individual with broad knowledge and demonstrated success in the specific area(s) of materials research indicated above. The position requires effective oral and written communication skills; familiarity with NSF programs and activities is highly desirable. The incumbent is expected to work effectively both as an individual within the specific NSF program as well as a member of crosscutting and interactive teams. The incumbent must also demonstrate capability to work across government agencies to promote NSF activities and to leverage program funds through interagency collaborations.

Applicants should indicate which program they are applying to within their cover letter and the subject line of the email. Please submit the curriculum vitae to dmr-recruit@nsf.gov. Applications are reviewed by DMR's Division Director and Deputy Division Director. A few candidates are selected for telephone and/or NSF on-site interviews. Applicants will receive an acknowledgment of their application and a status update by email when selections occur. For more information about these openings, you may send an inquiry to dmr-recruit@nsf.gov or contact Alex Klironomos.

Nominations from the community are also encouraged. A nomination email can be sent to dmr-recruit@nsf.gov.

Apply by Email
This job is open to the public

Application Timeline

Date posted: October 27, 2021
Closing date:
Open until filled
Formal consideration of interested applicants will begin and will continue until a selection is made.

This is a rotator position.

NSF offers a chance for scientists, engineers, and educators to join us as temporary program directors - called rotators. Rotators make recommendations about which proposals to fund; influence new directions in the fields of science, engineering, and education; support cutting-edge interdisciplinary research; and mentor junior research members. As a rotator, you will be in a prime position to collaborate with others and increase your visibility as you survey the entire breadth of U.S. and international science, engineering, and education in real time. In addition, as a temporary program director, you can retain your ties to your current institution and return to it with new insights and experience for your team.

Learn more about rotator programs at NSF

NSF is an Equal Opportunity Employer Committed to Employing a Highly Qualified Staff that Reflects the Diversity of Our Nation.

Announcement Number:
DMR-2021-15023