The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidates for a Biological Science Administrator (Program Director) position for the Population and Community Ecology Cluster within the Directorate for Biological (BIO), Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) in Alexandria, VA. For more information on BIO please click here. For more information on DEB please click here.

Duties

The Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) supports fundamental research on populations, species, communities, and ecosystems. Scientific emphases range across many evolutionary and ecological patterns and processes at all spatial and temporal scales. Areas of research include biodiversity, phylogenetic systematics, molecular evolution, life history evolution, natural selection, ecology, biogeography, ecosystem services, conservation biology, global change, and biogeochemical cycles. Research on origins, functions, relationships, interactions, and evolutionary history may incorporate field, laboratory, or collection-based approaches; observational or manipulative experiments; synthesis activities; as well as theoretical approaches involving analytical, statistical, or simulation modeling. The Population and Community Ecology Cluster supports research that advances the conceptual or theoretical understanding of population ecology, species interactions and community dynamics in terrestrial, wetland, and freshwater habitats. Topics supported include population dynamics of individual species, demography, and fundamental ecological interactions affecting populations, communities, and their environments. Themes include but are not limited to population regulation; food-web structure and trophic dynamics; competition, predation, mutualism and parasitism; mechanisms of coexistence and the maintenance of species diversity; community assembly; paleoecology; landscape ecology; conservation and restoration biology; behavioral ecology; and macroecology. The cluster encourages projects that integrate theoretical, modeling, and empirical approaches, or that promote synthesis across spatial and temporal scales. The cluster seeks to fund projects that are transformative -- that is, those that will change the conceptual bases of population and community ecology and have broad implications for future research. Proposals that develop research questions within the context of existing theory, consider alternate mechanisms, and design critical tests to distinguish among mechanisms are particularly encouraged, as are those that use contemporary approaches to develop new paradigms. The responsibilities of the Program Director include long-range planning and budget development for the areas of science represented by the program or program cluster, the administration of the peer review process and proposal recommendations, the preparation of press releases, feature articles and material describing advances in the research supported, and coordination and liaison with other programs in NSF, other Federal agencies and organizations. Additional duties and responsibilities include the following: PROGRAM PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT Maintains a healthy balance of support for all the needs of the research and education enterprise through program, division, directorate, Foundation, or interagency activities. Manages program resources to provide optimal appropriate scientific judgment to insure integrity and consistency in the grant/declination process without conflicts of interest, and with balance among appropriate sub-fields and institutions, and participation of all qualified scientists. Manages an effective, timely merit review process, with attention to increasing the size and quality of the reviewer pools and insuring participation by women, minorities and disabled scientists. Provides scientific expertise, evaluation and advice for other programs in NSF, including international programs, and other research programs, and cross-directorate programs. Advises and assists in the development of short-and-long range plans, establishing goals and objectives for support of research programs. Plans the budget for the program considering past, present and future fiscal years, allocates resources within the budget by distributing scarce resources among competitive projects, and manages post-award evaluation. Controls waste, fraud and abuse. REPRESENTATION, COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP Represents the Program, Division and the Foundation within the scientific community, with other NSF Divisions, with other appropriate agencies and organizations, and with the public, accurately reflecting NSF policy and positions. Creates and maintains linkages to other NSF units and other Federal agencies in pursuit of the overall NSF mission. Participates in staff, panel, committee and other meetings, providing input relevant to program area and/or Division. Pursues affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) goals. Pursues and/or is responsive to assignment on special projects and temporary function teams across the Foundation to solve problems, improve staff communication, and effect coordination for special programs. Contributes ideas and effort to improving the quality of policies and NSF's performance of the overall mission.

Requirements

Qualifications

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Biology or a 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.

Education

Please refer to the Qualifications section.

If your degree was obtained from a foreign institution, please also submit the certification from the Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals, or certification equivalency.

Contacts

• Address NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY 2415 Eisenhower Ave Alexandria, VA 22314 US
• Name: Staffing and Classification Branch
• Email: [email protected]