Life After Graduate School: WORKING IN GOVERNMENT

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Life After Graduate School WORKING IN GOVERNMENT

• Professional Skills Workshop on Careers in
  Nutritional Sciences March 31, 2001
• Experimental Biology 2001
• Sharon Ross PhD, MPH
• Program Director,
• Nutritional Science Research Group, Division of
  Cancer Prevention,
• National Cancer Institute

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http//www.hhs.gov/about/orgchart.html
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(No Transcript)
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http//dcp.nci.nih.gov/matrix.html
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NIH Introductory course "Orientation to NIH
Extramural Activities June 20, 2000, Dr. Ron
Geller OEP/OER/OD
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(No Transcript)
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Program Director Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide guidance and assistance to applicants in
  constructing grant applications
• Review applications and assure grant applications
  are responsive to NCIs mission
• Attend review meetings
• Discuss review outcome (i.e., summary statements)
  with applicants
• Work with Scientific Review Administrator in the
  resolution of appeals
• Resolve issues impeding the award process
• Monitor research progress and scientific
  advances, phase-out or termination of supported
  projects/programs

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Program Director Roles and Responsibilities

• Establish scientific goals and opportunities that
  are responsive to the health needs of the general
  public
• Identify biomedical problems and areas of
  research that are underserved or areas where
  ongoing research efforts should be further
  intensified
• Review and evaluate the state of the art of
  research in a specific program area and stimulate
  scientific investigations in that field through
  the issuance of Request for Applications (RFAs)
  and Program Announcements (PA)

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http//odoerdb2.od.nih.gov/oer/training/esa/cores_
02272001/life_cycle/sld001.htm
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Typical Day

• There is no typical day!
• Common elements to day include
• Communications email, phone, discussions with
  colleagues
• Meetings NSRG, project team, scientific
  seminars, training seminars, other groups, i.e.,
  USDA
• Reading scientific articles, grant applications,
  proposals, concepts, other
• Writing concepts, proposals, review articles,
  summaries of research program areas, statement of
  work for contract activities, other
• Grant management activities the paper pushing
  portion Databases to accept applications and
  assignment to program director
  databases/software for funding decision on
  grants
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• One current activity Diet, DNA Methylation
  Processes and Health Workshop

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Career PathOpportunities for Advancement

• Opportunities for challenge, growth, and learning
• Opportunities for advancement/promotion
• Develop plan for career development with
  supervisor
• Annual evaluation plan
• Rate of Pay permanent government employees who
  work in professional, administrative, technical
  and support positions are covered by the General
  Schedule Pay System

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BenefitsFull Spectrum

• Leave annual, paid holidays, sick
• Health Insurance Federal Employees Health
  Benefits Program
• Life Insurance Federal Employees Group Life
  Insurance
• Retirement Federal Employees Retirement System
  tax deferred retirement group and investment plan
  
• Training career development, computer,
  scientific

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Academic Experience Necessary for the Job

• Program Directors typically have education,
  training, knowledge, and research experience in
  the discipline of that program, e.g., nutrition,
  cancer prevention for the NSRG
• PhD in Nutritional Sciences other nutrition
  education
• Training in cancer prevention Cancer Prevention
  Fellow
• Research experience in nutritional sciences and
  cancer biology, prevention
• Intramural research experience at NCI
• Other government experience FDA
• Publications in nutrition

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How to Find a Position in the Field

• Basic personal contact, meeting and talking to
  people at meetings, getting to know others in the
  field- networking, in short is a way to find a
  job and is still a strategy in the job hunting
  jungle
• Grants experience
• Other academic/research experience
• Other government experience
• Geography/proximity to Washington, DC
• NIH post doctoral position 

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How to Find a Position in the Field

• The U.S. Government's official site for jobs and
  employment information (U.S. Office of Personnel
  Management) http//www.usajobs.opm.gov/
• NIH Jobs Website http//www.jobs.nih.gov/
• NIH Research Training Opportunities
  http//grants.nih.gov/training/index.htm
• Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program
  http//dcp.nci.nih.gov/pob
• Internships in the NSRG http//dcp.nci.nih.gov/ns
  rg/internships/index.html

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Three Recommendations

• Connect with as many professional scientists as
  you can and determine the best way your education
  can balance a career with your personality and
  skills
• Using web sites- hotjobs.com, monster.com,
  BioMedNet (sciencejobs.com), Bio online
  (bio.com), biospace.com- and emailing a resume
  with a cover letter are secondary avenues
• Develop marketing skills- talk about yourself in
  positive terms, emphasize and describe skills in
  addition to details about education, training and
  publications

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Grants Process

• Everything you wanted to know aboutthe NCI
  grants process.. butwhere afraid to ask
  http//www.nci.nih.gov/admin/gab/98GPB/98GPBtoc.ht
  m
• What happens to your research project grant
  application after it is received for peer review
  http//www.drg.nih.gov/REVIEW/peerrev.htm