Job Vacancy Announcement – Social and Behavioral Sciences Administrator/Health Scientist Administrator (Program Officer)

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR)
Services Research and Clinical Epidemiology Branch (SRCEB)

Program Overview

The NIMH Services Research and Clinical Epidemiology Branch (SRCEB) in the Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR) seeks motivated and experienced health services researchers to develop and manage portfolios of innovative grant-supported research.  Competitive applicants will have expertise in at least two of the following areas:

1. Health disparities research that aims to understand and eliminate mental health disparities in access, continuity, quality, and outcomes of care, in minority, marginalized, and vulnerable populations, across a range of settings where care is or could be delivered.  This program also seeks to expand understanding of the social, structural, behavioral, cultural, and environmental health determinants.
2. Services research for people with early psychosis, clinical high risk, and/or serious mental illness (e.g., bipolar disorder or schizophrenia) that includes services interventions to reduce morbidity and premature mortality associated with severe mental illness.
3. Mental health policy and health economic research that seeks to generate evidence that has promise to directly influence policy/rulemaking at federal, state, and local levels, and that includes large commercial third-party payers.  This program ultimately seeks to increase affordability and improve outcomes for people with or at risk for mental illness. 
4. Child and adolescent services research that aims to improve access, engagement, quality, equity, utilization, effectiveness, and delivery of mental health services for children and adolescents with mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, and/or autism spectrum disorder.
5. Research to improve the organization, coordination, and collaboration within and across relevant service sectors and settings whose primary mission is not mental health care delivery.  These sectors and settings include criminal justice/law enforcement, housing and employment programs, adult social services, educational settings, and rehabilitation programs. 
6. Services research to address access, service, and other policy barriers to evidence-based practices for the mental health of older adult and geriatric populations. Areas of interest include research to understand care transitions due to insurance coverage, workforce development, research in nursing homes and other settings serving older adults, and research on systems-level interventions to improve the quality of mental health care for aging populations.

The ideal candidates will have a strong background in research methods.  Examples include but are not limited to the following: analyzing large data sets, quasi-experimental techniques that utilize “natural experiments,” testing systems-level (multi-level) services interventions, randomized and comparative effectiveness trials, mixed method approaches, community-engaged research, and/or hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs.

Position Duties

DSIR offers a stimulating and collegial work environment with opportunities to influence mental health research priorities, develop new research initiatives, and contribute to advancing a national program of health services research.  

General responsibilities for Program Officers in SRCEB include administering and managing a portfolio of extramural research grants; collaborating with researchers and Program Officers from related scientific programs within NIMH, NIH, the Department of Health and Human Services, and other public and private funding agencies; and communicating SRCEB research priorities via outreach to the scientific community (e.g., conference presentations, workshops, and special journal issues).

The successful candidate will have primary responsibility for planning, supporting, and administering programs of research, research training, and research infrastructure development, on all mental health services research issues. These include service organization, delivery (process and receipt of care), and related health economics at the individual, clinical, program, community, and systems levels in specialty mental health, general health, and others (such as the workplace).

Additionally, the incumbent will also support SCREB research areas including interventions to improve the quality and outcomes of care, (diagnostic, treatment, preventive, and rehabilitation services), dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions into service settings, and clinical epidemiology of mental disorders across all clinical and service settings.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (e.g., MD, DSW, ScD) from an accredited college or university, with graduate and/or postdoctoral training in health services, policy, and/or health economic research. Experience in the conduct of research, research management/coordination, and a history of relevant data-based publications are required. Strong organizational, oral, writing, and communication skills are required. Experience with the grants process is preferable. The successful candidate is subject to a background investigation and public financial disclosure requirements.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens. The NIH encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities. HHS and NIH are Equal Opportunity Employers. The work site is in Rockville, Maryland. A full package of federal Civil Service benefits is available, including retirement, health, and life insurance, leave, and a Thrift Savings Plan (401K equivalent). Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

How to Apply

A global Social and Behavioral Sciences Administrator (Program Officer) announcement will be available through www.usajobs.gov from March 18, 2024, through March 27, 2024. 

Candidates must apply through USAJOBS - The Federal Government's official employment site . Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to also send a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to NIMHsearch@mail.nih.gov.

Please set up notifications via USAJOBS for future announcements that fit your criteria. Visit the NIH Federal Resume Tips website for guidance on creating a federal resume at https://hr.nih.gov/jobs/how-apply/tips-writing-federal-resume .

HHS and NIH are equal opportunity employers.

The Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health encourage the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities. HHS and NIH are equal-opportunity employers. Applications from women, persons from underrepresented groups, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged.