Health Science Policy Analyst (GS-11/13)
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD · $85k–$158k a year · Posted October 26, 2026
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About the job
Summary
The incumbent serves as a Health Science Policy Analyst developing and evaluating policies related to biomedical research, public health programs, and scientific initiatives. These positions are located within several Institutes/Centers within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), in Montgomery County, MD.
Duties
Contributes to a range of staff functions involving planning, policy development, and analysis necessary for key policy and program decisions by the division leadership. Develops reports and other staff documents on policies, programs, plans, research accomplishments, and other activities. Maintains awareness of scientific and legislative developments and issues having implications for current and planned health and bioethics research and research training programs. Consults with a wide range of individuals who are involved in scientific research to identify major issues, roadblocks, and potential actions necessary for policy development and interpretation.
Qualifications
In order to qualify for a Health Science Policy Analyst, GS-0601, position you must have successfully completed bachelor's degree or graduate/higher level degree with major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. (This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained). AND To qualify for a Health Science Policy Analyst, 0601 at the GS-11 level, you must have at least 1 year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1.) Summarizing and explaining health-related (e.g., biomedical) research findings for various audiences (e.g., general public, scientists). 2.) Assisting with the development of programs/procedures to guide health-related (e.g., biomedical) research. AND 3.) Analyzing health-related (e.g., biomedical) research findings using qualitative (e.g., content analysis) and quantitative (e.g., regression) methods; OR B. Completed 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or, have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field; OR C. A combination of graduate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. To qualify for a Health Science Policy Analyst, 0601, at the GS-12 level, you must have at least one year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1.) Summarizing and explaining health-related (e.g., biomedical) research findings for various audiences (e.g., general public, scientists). 2.) Assisting with the development and implementation of programs, policies, or procedures to guide health-related (e.g., biomedical) research. 3.) Collaborating with organizational stakeholders to develop/establish health-related (e.g., biomedical) research plans. AND 4.) Evaluating health-related (e.g., biomedical) research findings using qualitative (e.g., content analysis) and quantitative (e.g., regression) methods. To qualify for a Health Science Policy Analyst, 0601, at the GS-13 level, you must have at least one year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1.) Summarizing and explaining health-related (e.g., biomedical) research findings to various audiences (e.g., general public, scientists). 2.) Developing and/or implementing policies, programs, or procedures to guide health-related (e.g., biomedical) research. 3.) Collaborating with senior-level leadership (e.g., chief scientist, directors) to develop plans for conducting health-related (e.g., biomedical) research. 4.) Evaluating health-related (e.g., biomedical) research findings using qualitative (e.g., content analysis) and quantitative (e.g., regression) methods. AND 5.) Designing and/or implementing strategies to improve the effectiveness (e.g., timeliness, goal accomplishment) of a health-related (e.g., biomedical) research program. You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer. Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13090856
Education
This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education. If you qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application packages. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies: Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. The positions advertised in this announcement are covered by the agency's Reemployment Priority List (RPL). RPL candidates will be rated, placed into one of the quality categories below, and referred to the hiring office, once veterans' preference is applied. Qualified Well Qualified Best Qualified Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS. To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least 80 points on the assessment(s) and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.
How to apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete and submit all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click Apply Online button. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. See the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required. Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim. You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Veteran, Schedule A, etc.) you respond in the affirmative to, regardless of what documentation you submit. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package. Complete the application questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. We will only consider you for the grades, series, locations, specialties, and other considerations that you self-identify as being qualified for or interested in. Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13090856 After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about 2 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the application questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit a cover letter, copy of your transcripts, and any applicable certifications or licenses. Even though this information is not required at the time of application, we may request this information later. We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., troubles navigating the application process, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements. For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at hrss@nih.gov. For reasonable accommodations not related to USA Hire, please contact NIH HR Service Desk Branch B at OHRCSDBRANCHBSRVDSK@od.nih.gov . Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made before the announcement closing date. Visit our site for information on NIH's EEO program, Reasonable accommodation procedures, laws, policy statements, and the operation of the EEO complaint process.
Other information
This position is designated as a "non-emergency/teleworker" position and the selected candidate will be considered a "non-emergency/teleworker" employee. In the event of a closure, you must be available to telework or request leave. PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should apply online to this announcement to receive consideration. Visit Help Applying for helpful information on the application process. Military Spouses selected from this announcement will remain in their current duty location (i.e., the official duty station of the military service member. If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: Reasonable Accommodation Information. Veterans' Preference only applies to Schedule A (disability appointment), HHS Reemployment Priority List (RPL) Eligibles, HHS Priority Reemployment List (PRL) Eligibles, and Veterans Recruitment Appointments (if applicable).