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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, Division of Materials Research (DMR)

Directorate: Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
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 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. Individuals are sought with specific expertise applicable to the following areas:

Position Description

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 desirable. Formal consideration of applications will begin on October 17th, 2019 and will continue until selections are made.

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. Formal consideration of applications will begin in early 2020.

Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program (SSMC) – broad expertise in solid state and materials chemistry, covering synthesis as well as characterization techniques, which may include computational simulations. In-depth knowledge in organic or carbon-based materials and in physical chemistry is considered an advantage. Formal consideration of applications will begin in early 2020.

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. 

Temporary Excepted Service Appointment: Appointment to this position will be made under the Excepted Authority of the NSF Act. Candidates who do not have civil service status or reinstatement eligibility will not obtain civil service status if selected. Candidates currently in the competitive service will be required to waive competitive civil service rights if selected. Usual civil service benefits (retirement, health benefits and life insurance) are applicable for appointments of more than one year. Temporary appointments may not exceed three years.

Visiting Scientist, Engineer, and Educator (VSEE) Program: Appointment to this position will be made under the Excepted Authority of the NSF Act. Visiting Scientists are on non-paid leave status from their home institution and placed on the NSF payroll. NSF withholds Social Security taxes and pays the home institution's contributions to maintain retirement and fringe benefits (i.e., health benefits and life insurance), either directly to the home institution or to the carrier. Appointments are usually made for a one-year period and may be extended for an additional year 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 the chemical, materials, physical sciences, or a closely-related field, plus six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position after award of the Ph.D. degree.

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.

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