IPA: Intergovernmental Personnel Act Program Manager

Work as DOE Temporary Staff from Your Home Institution

The Biological and Environmental Research program within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science has ongoing temporary staff opportunities for qualified individuals to join the Earth and Environmental Systems Sciences Division (EESSD) as an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Program Manager (similar to a National Science Foundation rotator). This position would be for up to 2 years.

An IPA would need to have a permanent position in a university, similar academic institution, or nonprofit research institution located in the United States. They would be “loaned” from their home institution to DOE for the performance period, supported as an award to the home institution for the individual’s effort. Salary would be provided to the home institution, in addition to travel and per diem.

An IPA position would not be a federal employee; however, the candidate would co-manage programmatic activities within the Division with specific duties, including:

  1. Co-writing/managing funding opportunity announcements.
  2. Assisting in project selection for funding support.
  3. Managing resulting research projects.
  4. Assisting in activity coordination at DOE national laboratories.
  5. Developing strategic plans and program workshops.
  6. Planning annual principal investigator meetings.
  7. Participating in federal interagency coordination committees, etc.

In addition to relevant program area expertise, candidates would be expected to have excellent communication skills involving both written and oral presentation. The position is limited to U.S. citizens and requires a PhD.

Candidates are invited to work within the following programmatic area:

  • Environmental System Science (ESS) – Ideal candidate would possess expertise relevant to the ESS program areas including terrestrial ecology, watershed systems, and coastal and other interfacial systems science. Specific expertise in one or more of the following focal areas is preferred: biogeochemistry, hydrology, microbial ecology, eco-hydrology, urban ecology, plant science, environmental data science, disturbance processes, greenhouse gas flux, etc. (Please see ess.science.energy.gov for more information on program activities and scope).

Fill out the form below to be considered: