This document has been archived.

January 16, 2014

Dear Colleagues:

The Policy Office, within the Division of Institution and Award Support (DIAS) in the Office of Budget, Finance & Award Management (BFA), announces an opportunity for an individual with demonstrated experience in grant administration and management to assist the Policy Office in development and implementation of policies and procedures for the Foundation's assistance programs.

This position is a temporary assignment under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) for one year, with a possibility of renewal for a second year. The appointee will need to relocate to the Washington D.C. Metro area for the term of the assignment. The position will be filled at the equivalent of a Policy Specialist, GS-13, Federal Government employee salary (range of $89,924 to $116,901).

Under the IPA provisions, the appointee remains on the payroll of his/her home institution and the home institution will continue to administer pay and benefits. NSF will reimburse the home institution for NSF's negotiated share of the cost of the assignment. Individuals eligible for an IPA assignment include employees of State and local government agencies, institutions of higher education, Indian tribal governments, federally funded research and development centers and qualified nonprofit organizations.

The appointee will assist with the full range of Policy Office responsibilities which include the development, coordination, and issuance of NSF pre- and post-award policies that govern the assistance programs of the National Science Foundation. The Policy Office also is responsible for:

• Providing guidance on policies and procedures related to NSF's electronic proposal and award systems;
• Reviewing and approving all NSF proposal-generating documents;
• Coordination of outreach programs for external stakeholders and NSF staff; and
• Coordination for the release of timely and relevant information regarding NSF policies and procedures that cover proposal preparation, merit review, and award management.

The incumbent will work closely with BFA staff, NSF Program Officers, the Office of the General Counsel and other NSF staff responsible for the management and oversight of NSF programs. Specific duties will include:

• Assisting with implementation of the new Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards recently issued by the Office of Management and Budget at 2 CFR Part 200 into NSF's policy and procedural documents. This will require a thorough analysis of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and the full suite of NSF Terms and Conditions (T&Cs), to identify necessary updates. In addition, the incumbent will work on an interagency initiative to develop a new version of Research Terms and Conditions that are necessitated by issuance of the new uniform administrative requirements. Implementation of 2 CFR Part 200 will result in a significant additional workload increase for an already fully-committed Policy Office staff. Therefore, it is anticipated that this project will be the IPA's primary focus during their tenure in the Policy Office;
• Providing expert assistance to questions posed by researchers, Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) administrators, and NSF staff; and
• Development and implementation of strategies to improve communication of changing policies and procedures to the research community.

Additional special projects may include:

• Serving on, and providing input to, intramural and interagency working groups addressing important topics in the field of grants management. Focus areas may include assisting with integration of the Final Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) in external and internal user documentation, implementation of a standard biographical information format for use by the research agencies (i.e., SciENcv), open access to the results of Federally Funded scientific research and enhancement of NSF's automated proposal compliance validation efforts. In addition to providing analytical support to the working groups, the incumbent would develop implementation briefing materials and presentations for the National Science Board, senior management and NSF staff.

Applicants should possess in-depth knowledge of pre- and post-award policies and regulations at the federal level. They should have five or more years of experience in a position with responsibility for grants management and administration. Additionally, applicants should possess excellent oral and written communication skills.

Applications accepted from US 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 be considered as an IPA only.

The desired starting date for the position is negotiable, although it is expected that the IPA selectee would begin the appointment in late May/early June of this year. Formal consideration of applications will begin on February 24, 2014 and will continue until a selection is made. We look forward to receiving and reviewing applications for this exciting and mutually beneficial employment opportunity in the BFA/DIAS Policy Office.

Applicants should e-mail a letter of interest, a resume or curriculum vitae, and a brief (no more than 3 page) writing sample to ipa_policy@nsf.gov no later than close of business March 7, 2014.

NSF IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITTED TO EMPLOYING A HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF THAT REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF OUR NATION.