General Information: In order to be eligible to receive consideration for this position, you must be able to: (1) report to the duty station location listed in this vacancy announcement, if selected; and (2) be available to work the schedule identified. Salary: $37,696 (Step 01) to $49,009 (Step 10); NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

Duties

The USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center is seeking (undergraduate, graduate level) student working towards a degree in (Biology) to gain practical experience in (Biological investigations that affect fish, wildlife and/or habitat conditions, water sampling, water quality, etc.). As a Student Trainee (Biology) you will serve in a trainee capacity, performing routine and recurring development assignments to acquire knowledge and understanding of functions, principles, practices, and methods used in the area of Biology. Duties will include:

Requirements

Qualifications

Eligibility Requirements In order to be eligible for an appointment under the Pathways Internship Program: You must be a student accepted for enrollment or enrolled in a degree or certificate program on a full- or half-time basis as defined by the school (certificate program means post-secondary education, in a qualifying educational institution, equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum); AND Enrollment is with a qualifying educational institution such as a high school or state-approved homeschool; or accredited technical or vocational school; a 2- or 4-year college or university; a graduate or professional school (e.g., law school, medical school); or a post-secondary home school curriculum; AND Students currently enrolled must be in good academic standing maintaining a 2.0 grade point average on a cumulative basis; AND The duties of this position should be related to your academic or career goals. You must continue to meet these eligibility requirements throughout the duration of your appointment under the Pathways Internship Program. Students who successfully complete the internship program may be eligible for conversion to a permanent appointment or a term (1-4 years in duration) appointment without further competition. Eligibility requirements for conversion: must be a U.S. Citizen; complete at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program (*may waive up to a total of 320 hours under specific conditions); successfully complete your degree or certificate requirements from a qualifying institution; meet the qualification requirements for the position to which you will be converted; meet agency-specific requirements as outlined in the Participant's Agreement; and must have performed successfully in your position as documented through performance evaluations. *NOTE: To learn more about the conditions under which a portion of the work experience hours may be waived, visit https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/students-and-recent-graduates. Qualification Requirements This internship is geared toward students majoring in one of the following areas of study: (Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, and Natural Resources Management, etc.). For GS-05: Applicants must have one of the below requirements in order to meet the experience and/or education requirement: A. Possess at least 1-year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level. Examples of such experience may include 1) recording instrument readings; 2) collecting a specified amount, quantity, and type of samples; 3) taking measurements; 4) operating basic equipment when performing standardized tests in the laboratory; 5) assisting higher level scientists with the operation of sophisticated equipment; 6) assisting higher level scientists with water sampling and water quality analysis. Work is supervised closely, and the supervisor will make continuing assignments by initially indicating such criteria as the amount of work expected, a general explanation of what is to be done, advice on the location of reference material or samples, and the nature of the limits applicable to the assignments. Recurring assignments are carried out independently, within established procedures and with minimal instruction. New, difficult or unusual work assignments will be given with specific instructions. *OR* B. Have completed 4 years above the high school level or a bachelor`s degree that included 24 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical course work such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours were in courses directly related to the position to be filled. *OR* C. Combination of education and experience--a combination of undergraduate course work and experience that equates to 100% of the qualification requirement.. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE) You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

• Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
• Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs .

Contacts

• Address COLUMBIA ENVIRONMENTAL RES CTR 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Mail Stop 600 Reston, VA 20192 US
• Name: Misti Wankel
• Phone: 303-236-9194
• Email: [email protected]