Research Veterinary Medical Officer/Research Microbiologist

Summary

This position is located in the Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit (FABADRU), at the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility (NBAF), in Manhattan, Kansas. The FABADRU mission is to protect animals from domestic, exotic, and emerging arthropod- borne animal pathogens and provide information to enhance U.S. competitiveness in international trade of livestock.

Duties

• Study factors that permit transmission of these viruses, and the other viruses studied by the FABADRU, to livestock hosts in order to break the transmission cycle and develop methods and countermeasures to prevent and control outbreaks of disease.
• Determine mammalian host susceptibility of target viruses through the analysis of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo viral infections.
• Elucidate mechanisms of how viruses are transmitted to hosts, between hosts, and maintained in host populations
• Validate existing and/or develop new countermeasures such as vaccines and diagnostic tests to control outbreaks.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. All applicants must meet one of the basic education requirements listed below in the Education section, in addition to meeting the following minimum qualification requirements. 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: independently implementing scientific principles, methods, and processes to conduct a systematic and objective inquiry into animal diseases and host-pathogen relationships dealing with the immunology against animal zoonotic viruses. 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. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-13 level of this position are experience in animal work collecting samples for immunological analysis in compliance with US government animal welfare regulations and experience independently researching the immunology of animal zoonotic viruses as evidenced thorough publications. Education for 0701 Series: In order to qualify at the GS-12 or GS-13 grade levels on the basis of education, applicants must successfully complete relevant graduate study or a dual DVM/graduate degree as described below at an accredited college or school, in addition to completing the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or an equivalent degree mentioned in the Education section. GS-12: Master's degree in an area of specialization, including but not limited to, animal science, avian medicine, food safety, infectious diseases, veterinary clinical sciences, pathobiology, biomedical sciences, veterinary anatomy, veterinary preventive medicine, comparative biological sciences, epidemiology, veterinary parasitology, molecular veterinary biosciences, public health, microbiology, pathology, immunology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, wildlife, zoological animal medicine, or sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position. OR Residency/Post-Graduate Training Programs--Successful completion of two years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position. GS-13: Ph.D. degree in an area of specialization, including but not limited to, animal science, avian medicine, food safety, infectious diseases, veterinary clinical sciences, pathobiology, biomedical sciences, veterinary anatomy, veterinary preventive medicine, comparative biological sciences, epidemiology, veterinary parasitology, molecular veterinary biosciences, public health, microbiology, pathology, immunology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, wildlife, zoological animal medicine, or sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position. OR Residency/Post-Graduate Training Programs--Successful completion of three years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position. OR Board Certification--Specialty boards that are recognized by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) certify eligible candidates as specialists in specific veterinary medical fields. Veterinarians who successfully complete all requirements for…

Education

0701 Degree: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA). The AVMA website, http://www.avma.org (external link), has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools. OR Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education (Refer to AVMA website, http://www.avma.org (external link)for information about schools in this category) must meet one of the following requirements. Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT). Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. Under this provision, equivalency is established only if an AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college accepts the graduate's final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g. residency or graduate program). Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also provide proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Exampl…