Microbiologist, GS-0403
Definitions:
EXPERIENCE: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows: 2 yrs = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.)
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: A year of undergraduate education is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent of college study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Microbiologist, all grade levels.
A. Degree in microbiology; or biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hour in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent
** OR
B. Combination of education and experience - courses equivalent to a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)
For GS-07:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-07 level:
**One year of successfully completed graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or the equivalent) in microbiology, or specific area of study such as bacteriology, virology, mycology, algology, protozoology, parasitology, immunology, serology, microbial genetics, or soil microbiology, or specific applied fields of microbiology such as clinical and public health microbiology, food technology, production processes, industrial fermentation, pollution, etc. Graduate study in related fields such as experimental pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, biochemistry, animal or plant physiology, genetics, plant pathology, and insect disease control, may also be pertinent, provided it has direct application to microbiological work.
**OR
Superior Academic Achievement based on undergraduate study. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT).
**OR
One year of appropriate professional experience that is in microbiology or other related discipline that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position and that is equivalent to at least the GS-5 level in the Federal service.
Examples of GS-5 level experience could include assisting higher graded microbiologists in the application of standard protocols and approaches to assay the potency and purity of the antibiotic components of therapeutic products; to prepare and maintain cultures of tissues or cell lines in vitro; or to perform a variety of diagnostic tests and make macroscopic and microscopic examinations of cultures or numerous species of bacteria and fungi for the purpose of positive identification. At this level the work is closely controlled and the supervisor or higher graded specialist assigns the work with clear, specific, and detailed instructions as to the methods, procedures, and guidelines to use.
**OR
A combination of successfully completed progressive graduate level education, as described above, and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE).
For GS-09:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-09 level:
**Two years of progressively higher level graduate education (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to a master's degree or a master's or equivalent graduate degree in microbiology or specific area of study such as bacteriology, virology, mycology, algology, protozoology, parasitology, immunology, serology, microbial genetics, or soil microbiology, or specific applied fields of microbiology such as clinical and public health microbiology, food technology, production processes, industrial fermentation, pollution, etc. Graduate study in related fields such as experimental pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, biochemistry, animal or plant physiology, genetics, plant pathology, and insect disease control, may also be pertinent, provided it has direct application to microbiological work.
**OR
One year of appropriate professional experience in microbiology that is equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service.
Examples of GS-07 level experience could include performing standard tests to assay the potency and purity of the antibiotic components of therapeutic products; to prepare and maintain cultures of tissues or cell lines in vitro; or to perform a variety of diagnostic tests and make macroscopic and microscopic examinations of cultures of numerous species of bacteria and fungi for the purpose of positive identification. For positions involving a substantial amount of work in a specific specialized area or applied field of microbiology, at least 6 months of the experience must either have been in the appropriate area of specialization or applied field of microbiology, or have direct application in the area for which the applicant is being considered.
**OR
A combination of successfully completed progressive graduate level education, as described above, that is beyond the first year of graduate study and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)
For GS-11:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-11 level:
** Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in microbiology or other directly related field of study or 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education (54 semester hours, 81 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to a Ph.D. degree in microbiology , or specific area of study such as bacteriology, virology, mycology, algology, protozoology, parasitology, immunology, serology, microbial genetics, or soil microbiology, or specific applied fields of microbiology such as clinical and public health microbiology, food technology, production processes, industrial fermentation, pollution, etc. Graduate study in related fields such as experimental pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, biochemistry, animal or plant physiology, genetics, plant pathology, and insect disease control, may also be pertinent, provided it has direct application to microbiological work.
**OR
One year of appropriate professional experience in microbiology that is equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service.
Examples of GS-9 level work may include an assignment to study the effects of irradiation on immunity and susceptibility to infection, to develop by known methods a strain of microorganism resistant to a given antibiotic or to study the effects of commonly known pathogenic bacteria and fungi, a group of viruses, serology, pollution work, a recognized group of soil bacteria, or a specific segment of an industrial process which involves collecting specimens and making tests to determine what forms are present or absent, establishing data to support other work, and ascertaining readily identifiable relationships that have an important bearing on the work. The assignment may include portions of the overall experiment under the guidance of the microbiologist responsible for the research project. For positions that involve a substantial amount of work in a specific specialized area or applied field of microbiology, at least 6 months of the experience must either have been in the appropriate area of specialization or applied field of microbiology, and have been sufficiently specialized to insure adequate familiarity with the area of specialization or applied field of microbiology, or have direct application in the area for which the applicant is being considered.
**OR
A combination of successfully completed graduate level education as described above that is beyond the second year of progressive graduate study and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-12:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must possess one year of appropriate professional experience in microbiology that is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service.
Examples of GS-11 level work may include: veterinary microbiological diagnostic services in a reference laboratory serving other laboratories; maintaining technical surveillance over microbiological activities; preparing standards of identity, strength, quality and purity, as well as test methods for antibiotic drugs; conduct of non-standard tests/assays; inspection of antibiotic production facilities.
For GS-13:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must possess one year of appropriate professional experience in microbiology that is equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service.
Examples of GS-12 level work may include: handling a scientific program for regulatory evaluation/control of germicidal or pesticidal agents involving development of analytical methods of agent efficacy; providing enforcement officials authoritative advice on germicidal agents; conducting special investigations, presenting expert testimony; providing full range of laboratory microbiological services.
For GS-14:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must possess one year of appropriate professional experience in microbiology that is equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service.
Examples of GS-13 level work may include: leadership/guidance of a major segment of applied microbiology requiring highly specialized, intensive subject matter knowledge; carrying out in vitro assay of regulatory controlled antibiotics; assay method development; interpretation/report of findings; recommendation of industry standards; handling laboratories with standardization, control of reference function beyond usual scope.