Chemist, GS-1320
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.
For GS-05:
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Chemist, all grade levels.
A. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours or the equivalent in physics. **OR B. A combination of education and experience-course work equivalent to a major as shown in "A" above (24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering), including at least 30 semester hours or the equivalent in chemistry, supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours or the equivalent of physics, plus appropriate experience and/or additional education for a total of 4 years. The education or combined education and experience must be comparable in type, scope and thoroughness to that acquired through successful completion of a 4-year course of study as described in "A" above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)
For GS-7:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-7 level:
**One year of successfully completed graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or the equivalent) in chemistry or other directly related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position to be filled.
**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 or related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-5 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position the position.
Examples of GS-5 level experience could include performing and conducting limited chemical analysis, tests and physical measurements and performing calculations such as determining the concentration or the amount of a substance of a total sample based on analysis of a known portion of the sample.
**OR a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described above, and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-09:
In addition to the basic education requirement stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-09 level: 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) leading to a master's degree in chemistry or other directly related field of study or master's or equivalent graduate degree in chemistry or other directly related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. **OR one year of appropriate professional experience in chemistry that is equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service. Examples of such experience may include performing relatively routine and limited chemical analyses and tests. This work experience would have involved following established methods and procedures, or detailed instructions; using some judgment in applying basic principles and procedures, and would have required a good general working knowledge of the principles and the theories of chemistry. **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 & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-11:
In addition to the basic education requirement stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-11 level: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education (54 semester hours or 81 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to a Ph.D. degree in chemistry or other directly related field of study or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in chemistry or other directly related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. **OR one year of appropriate professional experience in chemistry that is equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Examples of such experience include independent responsibility for performing established, standardized chemical tests and analyses on a broad range of samples in a laboratory setting. Implements new testing and analytical methods. Develops and suggests minor adaptations & fills in the gaps found in newly developed guidelines that govern the new testing methods. At this level, Chemists have a sound working knowledge of the principles of chemistry and the ability to independently perform moderately difficult and responsible scientific work. **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 stated above, the applicant must have one year of appropriate professional experience in chemistry that is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Examples of such experience include independently performing the full range of chemical analyses and tests. Receives samples or analytical requests that consist primarily of difficult or unusual chemical problems. Determines approach and methods to use. This work typically involves conventional methods & techniques though it requires going beyond clear precedents, and requires adapting methods to the problems at hand and interpreting findings in terms of their scientific significance. At this level, Chemists have a very good knowledge of the principles of chemistry and their application, and the ability to independently perform scientific work of considerable difficulty.
For GS-13:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in chemistry that is equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service.
Examples of such experience include planning, executing and reporting on original or ongoing studies in the field of chemistry requiring a fresh approach to resolve new problems. The complexity of this work typically required extensive modification and adaptation of standard procedures, methods, and techniques, and the development of totally new methods and techniques to address novel or obscure problems for which guidelines or precedents were not substantially applicable. At this level, Chemists have extensive knowledge of the principles of chemistry, exhibit a highly developed ability in their application, and have wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment to perform scientific work of marked difficulty and responsibility.
For GS-14:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in chemistry that is equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service.
Examples of such experience could include serving as a senior expert involved in the field of chemistry for which technical problem definitions, methods and/or data were highly incomplete, controversial, or uncertain and whose evaluations and recommendations were accepted by others as those of a technical expert in chemistry. At this level, Chemists typically represent an authoritative source of consultation for other scientists and program specialists, are called upon to resolve issues that significantly affect the organization’s programs, make long range and controversial proposals and defend their findings and recommendations in public or high level forums.
For GS-15:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in chemistry that is equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal service.
Examples of such experience could include conducting investigations that involved highly unstructured problems involving both difficult technology and complex human relations or programmatic issues. The results of these investigations had significant effects over a wide region of the United States, or may have included responsibility for new technology which is especially critical to the organization's programs. This work involved other recognized senior technical experts asking the scientist for advice or counsel due to his/her personal reputation in the field of chemistry.