Scientific Reviewer

Axle • Bethesda, MD

12h • $91,000 - $94,000

About The Position

Axle is seeking a Scientific Reviewer to support the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Scientific Review (CSR) in Bethesda, Maryland. The role provides qualified scientific and operational services for planning, coordinating, conducting, and documenting NIH peer-review activities in accordance with applicable NIH and CSR policies, procedures, guidance, schedules, and federal regulations. The Scientific Reviewer collaborates with Scientific Review Officers (SROs), CSR leadership, reviewers, review support staff, and program staff to complete assigned activities and deliverables accurately and on time.

The position supports NIH application scientific reviews through panel formation, reviewer recruitment and training, administrative compliance screenings, critique quality control, meeting documentation, and preparation and finalization of summary statements. The reviewer analyzes applications and proposals, identifies scientific and administrative issues, assesses reviewer expertise and conflicts of interest, coordinates critiques, documents committee deliberations, and prepares high-quality review materials. The role may also provide ad hoc support, develop training resources, and mentor staff and reviewers. Work must be clear, objective, professional, confidential, and consistent with NIH policies and CSR best practices; deficient deliverables must be corrected and resubmitted at the Government’s direction.

Requirements

• Ability to support NIH scientific peer-review activities in accordance with NIH and CSR policies, procedures, guidance, schedules, and federal regulations.
• Knowledge of the peer-review process for grants.
• Ability to conduct literature and database searches.
• Knowledge of grants and contract mechanisms.
• Ability to prepare administrative summaries and other review documentation.
• Ability to analyze scientific content and evaluate research concepts, proposals, protocols, and reports.
• Ability to identify reviewer expertise and assess potential conflicts of interest.
• Ability to obtain and evaluate written critiques and produce clear, objective, accurate summary statements.
• Ability to collaborate professionally with Government leadership, reviewers, program staff, and review support staff while maintaining ethics and confidentiality.
• Relevant field of study may include General Medical and Health Services, General Social Sciences, Miscellaneous Psychology, Physical Sciences, General Engineering, or Miscellaneous Biology.
• No certification is needed.

Responsibilities

• Identify administrative and scientific issues in grant applications and contract proposals, including hypotheses and rationale.
• Review application content and assess its relevance to the scientific interests and mission of the Institute.
• Identify expertise needed for peer-review panels, search databases and other resources, and recommend potential reviewers.
• Match reviewers to applications and assign applications to reviewers based on scientific expertise.
• Make initial determinations on grant assignments and resolve assignment conflicts based on knowledge of Institute scientific interests.
• Perform administrative reviews of research grant applications and identify deficiencies that must be addressed before review.
• Work with staff to manage scientific peer review of assigned grant, cooperative agreement, and contract applications.
• Serve as an internal source of information on application receipt, referral, and grants-management policies and procedures.
• Assess potential conflicts of interest by reviewing personnel, institutional affiliations, letters of support, and other relevant information; consult program staff as needed.
• Determine appropriate meeting formats, including in-person, teleconference, and Internet-assisted meetings.
• Obtain, evaluate, coordinate, and assess reviewer critiques for completeness, accuracy, and quality.
• Prepare preliminary summary-statement drafts, synthesize reviewer comments, and edit and finalize summary statements and technical evaluation reports.
• Attend peer-review meetings, capture committee deliberations, and prepare meeting documentation.
• Validate and enter information into databases and work with staff to enter reviewer data into the Committee Management system and prepare peer-review rosters.
• Critically review literature and evaluate research concepts, proposals, protocols, and reports.
• Apply scientific knowledge relevant to the Institute’s mission and the NIH peer-review process.
• Mentor and train staff on scientific peer-review processes and procedures.
• Assess organizational training needs and develop training programs, materials, job aids, and instructions for peer reviewers.
• Mentor and coach peer reviewers in the performance of reviews.
• Correct and resubmit deficient deliverables at the Government’s direction.

Benefits

• 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• 401(k) match up to 5%
• Educational benefits for career growth
• Employee referral bonus
• Flexible spending accounts, including healthcare FSA, parking reimbursement, dependent care assistance, and transportation reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed