Summary

This is a Summer Research Trainee Program for Summer 2025. The ORD-sponsored Summer Research Trainee Program is vital within the facilities where research programs are conducted, and the student trainee is a key step in developing the next generation of VA researchers and clinician investigators who will contribute to innovations in healthcare for our Nation's Veterans. More information about the Summer Research Trainee program may be found at: https://www.research.va.gov/programs/dei/srp.cfm

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Duties

This position is being filled under the Pathways Internship Program. The program is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with paid work opportunities in agencies to explore Federal careers while still in school. The Internship provides managers a ready source of student employees and potential permanent employees upon completion of the program requirements. It also provides the student with work experience directly related to the curriculum studies or career goals while offering eligibility for non-competitive conversion to permanent employment upon completion. For more information on Internship opportunities within the Department of Veterans Affairs, please visit: https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/pathways-internship-program/.

Major Duties

Assist in performing health services and/or rehabilitation/clinical research experiments, which may include analysis of large data sets, performing data entry for research studies, and auditing of data for accuracy.
Perform research coordination activities, including, but not limited to maintaining participant lists, and identification of potential participants or screening of research participants.
Assistance in development and/or administration of survey instruments, functional assessments, or assistance in the development of research protocols.
Maintain research records and may assist in maintaining databases or records inventories.
Attend and participate in research group meetings, brainstorming sessions and relevant workshops and presentations
Assist with data analysis and preparation of figures and methods sections for research presentations and scientific journal articles
Deal diplomatically with various stakeholders (Research Administration, Oversight Committees, PIs, and research staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.
Use Microsoft Office Products (Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and must possess the ability to present work outcomes in both written and oral forms.
Other duties as assigned.

NOTE: Certain sites have are able to offer housing and reimbursement for travel to the site (for out-of-state students). This may be discussed during the interview/selection/onboarding process.

Work Schedule: Varies

Position Description Title/PD: Student Trainee (Medical and Health Sciences)/ PD91073A, PD91074A, PD91075A, PD99455T, and PD99456T

Compressed/Flexible Schedules: Authorized

Telework: Not Eligible

Remote: Not Eligible

Position requires filing a Financial Disclosure report: No

Physical Requirements: The work is not always sedentary due to the regular laboratory work where lifting, walking, standing, sitting, manual dexterity and a large degree of mental concentration are required. These will be above the average demands and levels of sedentary work.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
A complete application package, i.e., Resume, Transcripts, etc., as required by job announcement.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
Participation in the Seasonal Influenza Prevention Program for VHA Health Care Personnel (HCP) is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs HCP.
All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
Pre-employment physical examination/evaluation may be required.
Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/07/2025.

Internship Program: To be eligible, applicants must be accepted for enrollment or currently enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis as defined by the institution in which you are enrolled, or enrolled in a qualifying career or technical education program that awards a recognized postsecondary credential (such as a Registered Apprenticeship Program or Job Corps); and in good academic standing, at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 grading scale.

You may qualify based on education and/or experience as described below:

To qualify for a Pathways Internship as a GS-03, students must have completed one (1) full academic year of post-high school study.
To qualify for a Pathways Internship as a GS-04, students must have completed two (2) full academic years of post-high school study or have an associate's degree.
To qualify for a Pathways Internship as a GS-05, students must have completed four (4) four years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.
To qualify for a Pathways Internship as a GS-07, students must have completed one (1) full academic year of graduate level education; or Eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement Provision and completion of a bachelor's degree.

****NOTE: One full academic year of undergraduate; graduate; vocational; trades; technical or high school education is the number of credit hours determined by the college, university or school to represent 1 year of full-time study. The high school curriculum must be approved by a State or local governing body. All education beyond high school must be accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Superior Academic Achievement Provisions include the below: A Bachelor's degree in any field, plus at least one of the following superior academic achievement provisions:

A grade-point average (GPA) of B (3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale) for all completed undergraduate courses, or courses completed in the last two years of undergraduate curriculum; -or-
A grade-point average (GPA) of B+ (3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale) for the required courses in your major field of study, or required courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; -or-
Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; -or-
Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society, other than freshman honor societies. Honor societies that have been approved are listed in the American College of Honor Societies. Booklet of Information (1992-95) and/or Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1991).

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

Research
Computer Skills
Accountability
Interpersonal Skills
Oral Communication
Written Communication
Mathematical Reasoning

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/alph-ndx.asp.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Additional information

You are excluded from health benefits coverage if you are expected to work less than 130 hours per month for at least 90 days.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

Proof of Enrollment
Resume
Transcript

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, etc. You will not be contacted for additional information.

Cover Letter
DD-214/ Statement of Service
Disability Letter (VA)
First choice of SRP site
Personal Statement: (1-2 pages) briefly describing your short- and long-term career goals, how the program would support those goals, and specific research areas in Veteran health that you are interested in, as well as potential faculty mentors.
Proof of Enrollment
Resume
SF-15
Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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