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Vacancy Announcement
Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD)
Office of the Director
The Office of the Director (OD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking exceptional candidates for the position of Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD) to lead and oversee NIH efforts to improve biomedical research and the Nation’s health through a more diverse scientific workforce. The COSWD will report directly to the NIH Director, and will manage the development and execution of initiatives designed to enhance diversity throughout the biomedical research workforce, including the extramural and intramural components of the NIH.
The Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity serves as a member of the NIH Director’s senior leadership team and will also serve as the co-chair of the newly formed NIH Steering Committee on Diversity, and as co-chair of the Working Group on Diversity of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director.
This position offers a unique and exciting opportunity for a leader to develop and implement initiatives enhancing diversity and promoting equity in the biomedical research enterprise, including NIH and other health and medical research entities. This position is expected, through the development of new programs, policies and practices and through cultural change and shared responsibilities, to positively impact both the government and nongovernment workforces. This effort will involve working closely with and serving as a liaison between the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management, Office of Human Resources, Office of Extramural Research, Office of Intramural Research, and other stakeholders such as advocacy and advisory groups. The COSWD will also partner with the proposed Building Infrastructure leading to Diversity (BUILD) Consortium and the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) in order to enhance diversity in biomedical research.
Location
Bethesda, MD
Challenge
As the world’s foremost medical research institution, NIH consists of 27 Institutes and Centers, and is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. NIH's mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. With a budget of over $31 billion, NIH is the largest source of funding for medical research in the world, supporting the research of thousands of scientists in universities and research institutions in every state across America and around the globe. More than 80% of the NIH budget goes to more than 300,000 research personnel at over 3,000 universities and research institutions. In addition, about 6,000 scientists work in NIH’s own laboratories, most of which are on the NIH main campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The position of Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity was created by the NIH Director as part of NIH’s response to the advisory committee to the NIH Director (ACD) working group recommendations on the diversity of the scientific workforce. The COSWD will provide dynamic and innovative scientific leadership in achieving and sustaining diversity as a crucial tenet of NIH’s stature as a premier research institution. The COSWD will identify workforce diversity and equity issues, conduct studies, and develop policy recommendations for building and maintaining an inclusive scientific workforce, fostering an environment that respects the individual, and offering opportunities for candidates to develop full potential in the pursuit and support of science.
Required Qualifications
Applicants must possess an M.D. and/or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a scientific field related to biomedical research, plus expert stature in their discipline as demonstrated through their publication history and other contributions to their field. The strong candidate will have evidence of managerial, administrative, and mentoring ability. A demonstrated track record of training a diverse group of fellows, including trainees from underrepresented groups, at least some of whom have gone on to become research group leaders in academia, industry or government; therefore, showing evidence in the ability to lead by example is required. In addition, the strong candidate will have maintained expert stature in their research field and serve as an active Senior Investigator in the Intramural Research Program, as this is critically linked to promoting and advancing NIH workforce diversity initiatives.
Salary/Benefits
The COSWD will be appointed at a salary commensurate with his/her qualifications. Full Federal benefits will be provided including leave, health and life insurance, long-term care insurance, retirement, and savings plan (401k equivalent).
How To Apply
Applicants must submit a current CV and bibliography electronically to Lynnita Jacobs at SeniorRe@od.nih.gov (301-402-4077). In addition, applicants are strongly encouraged to prepare a supplemental narrative statement that addresses: (1) qualification requirements and (2) a clear research vision to advance cutting edge research to support the overall mission of NIH to improve the nation’s health and (3) provide the names, titles, and telephone numbers of 4-5 references.
The NIH encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.
Standards of Conduct/Financial Disclosure
The National Institutes of Health inspires public confidence in our science by maintaining high ethical principles. NIH employees are subject to Federal government-wide regulations and statutes as well as agency-specific regulations described at the NIH Ethics website. We encourage you to review this information. The position requires the incumbent to complete a public financial disclosure report prior to the effective date of the appointment.
Selection for this position will be based solely on merit, with no discrimination for non-merit reasons such as race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, age, or membership or non-membership in an employee organization.
Reasonable Accommodation
NIH provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation during any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
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