This position is with the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Healthy Body Weight Research Unit. Research scientists have open-ended promotion potential. Research accomplishments and their impact on the duties and responsibilities of positions are evaluated periodically. The grade level is limited only by the individual's demonstrated ability to perform research of recognized importance to science and technology. *Final grade level may be determined by a peer review panel.

Duties

Perform research addressing the roles of nutrition, dietary adherence, or physical activity adherence on human health, obesity prevention, and maintenance of healthy body weight; Share information regarding the roles of dietary adherence or physical activity adherence in the prevention of obesity and maintenance of healthy body weight with peers, government officials, scientific and academic communities, and organizations; Collect, analyze, and summarize technical information pertaining to weight maintenance obesity prevention approaches; Prepare written work products based on research to be reviewed and/or published in professional articles, publications, and technical abstracts.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Successful completion of a three year probationary period.

Qualifications

Incumbent serves as a Research Psychologist/Nutritionist/Physiologist in the research management unit "Food Systems and Dietary Guidelines Adherence Research Unit" at the USDA-ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center (GFHNRC) in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The mission of the GFHNRC is to serve the public through research to address the roles of foods, food factors, agriculture practices and physical activity on human health, obesity prevention, and maintenance of healthy body weight. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Education Education requirements are found in the OPM Qualification Standards Operating Manual for General Schedule Positions. Because of the education requirement, transcripts are required to show how you meet the course requirements. Psychologist 0180 - Degree: major or equivalent in psychology for all specializations except clinical psychology and counseling psychology. These two specializations have additional educational requirements, as stated below: Clinical psychology: For positions at grades GS-11 and above, satisfactory completion of all the requirements for the doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) directly related to full professional work in clinical psychology is required. Counseling psychology: For positions at grades GS-9 and above, satisfactory completion of 2 full academic years of graduate study directly related to professional work in counseling psychology, or satisfactory completion in an accredited educational institution of all the requirements for a master's degree directly related to counseling psychology is required. Physiologist 0413 - Degree: in one of the basic animal sciences or physiology; or a related discipline or field of science that included at least 24 semester hours in the basic animal sciences, of which 10 semester hours were in animal physiology. Evaluation of Education: Courses such as anatomy; cytology; invertebrate and vertebrate zoology; embryology; entomology; animal, dairy, and poultry husbandry; nutrition; genetics; and physiology may be used to meet the 24-semester-hour requirement in the basic animal sciences. Courses in physiology, animal or human physiology, cellular physiology, or courses that were well oriented toward animal or human physiology, e.g., some advanced courses in biochemistry, are qualifying as animal physiology courses. Courses in related fields such as cytology and microbiology (including microbial physiology) may also be qualifying, provided the course work dealt directly with the application of scientific principles underlying animal physiology, or with the methodology and techniques applied in animal physiology work. Nutritionist 0630 - Applicants must meet one of the following requirements for all grade levels: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in the fields of dietetics, food, nutrition, food service management, institution management, or related science. The educational program must have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. For dietitian positions, the curriculum must have been in accordance with the qualifying requirements established by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) (formerly American Dietetic Association (ADA) prior to January 1, 2012) in effect at the time of graduation. Completion of a coordinated undergraduate program, internship, or other clinical component approved by AND (formerly ADA) for dietitians or nutritionists. Professional registration as a Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). Note: Employees currently assigned to positions in this occupational series as of September 2017 will be considered to have met the basic requirements for the position occupied. Specialized Experience In addition to the education requirements described above, applicants must also meet qualification requirements for each grade as stated below. GS-12: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or possess an equivalent combination of graduate level education and experience. Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped applicants with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-12 level of this position are: Research experience that has produced publications addressing the impact of nutrition, dietary adherence, or physical activity adherence on human health, obesity prevention, and maintenance of healthy body weight; Experience developing information or providing technical support to research projects on obesity prevention and human health; Being recognized through citation as a contributor to projects, or peer-reviewed publications and papers in the identified field of research; Presenting information to professional societies within and outside of the organization in the area of specialization; Demonstrated responsibility for all phases of research; GS-13: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-13 level of this position are: Producing publications as the primary author that are of interest and value to the fields of nutrition, dietary adherence, or physical activity adherence on human health, obesity prevention, and maintenance of healthy body weight; Conceiving and formulating research ideas that support or produce studies by others; Developing products in the identified field of research that solve important scientific problems; Being invited to present information to professional societies within and outside of the organization on technical matters and practices in the area of specialization; Demonstrated independence as an investigator in research related to addressing culturally grounded weight maintenance approaches; Uses sophisticated as well as standard methods and a high degree of originality for the research. GS-14: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-14 level of this position are: Producing publications as the primary author for those that advance the field or are viewed as authoritative in the areas of dietary adherence or physical activity adherence on obesity prevention and maintenance of healthy body weight; Conceiving and formulating research ideas that advance the field of science or is used as a reference by other scientists; Experience participating in Symposia that define the state of the discipline or introduce new areas in the field; Demonstrated independence as an investigator in research related to addressing culturally grounded weight maintenance approaches. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To further support your qualifications, it is strongly recommended that you submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Failure to do so could result in loss of your consideration/referral.

Education

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 2150 Centre Avenue Building D, Suite 300 Fort Collins, CO 80526 US
• Name: Kent Amott
• Phone: 970-492-7037
• Email: [email protected]