Scientific Reviewer

Axle • Bethesda, MD

10h • $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 scientific and operational services for planning, coordinating, conducting, and documenting NIH peer review activities, in accordance with applicable NIH and CSR policies, procedures, guidance, and schedules. The Scientific Reviewer collaborates with Scientific Review Officers (SROs), CSR leadership, reviewers, and review support 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 screening, critique quality control, meeting documentation, and preparation and finalization of summary statements. It also provides ad hoc support. Deliverables must be clear, objective, professional, and consistent with NIH policies, CSR best practices, and federal regulations. The contractor must maintain professional collaboration and strict ethics and confidentiality standards; deficient deliverables must be corrected and resubmitted at the Government’s direction.

Requirements

• Experience or skills related to the peer review process for grants.
• Knowledge of literature and database searches.
• Knowledge of grants and contract mechanisms.
• Ability to prepare administrative summaries.
• Subject matter expertise relevant to the work.
• Ability to complete work accurately, professionally, and within established requirements and deadlines.
• Ability to uphold ethics and confidentiality standards.

Responsibilities

• Identify administrative and scientific issues in grant applications and contract proposals, including their hypotheses and rationale.
• Match reviewer expertise to the science in applications, identify and recommend potential reviewers, and prepare lists of candidates using databases and other resources.
• Review application content and assess its relevance to the scientific interests of the Institute.
• Perform administrative reviews of research grant applications and make initial and final assignment decisions, resolving assignment conflicts as needed.
• Manage scientific peer review of grant and cooperative agreement applications and contract proposals assigned for primary merit review.
• Serve as an internal source of information on application receipt, referral, and grants management policies and procedures.
• Obtain, coordinate, and evaluate reviewer critiques for completeness and accuracy, and ensure high-quality written reviews.
• Prepare preliminary summary statement drafts; review and synthesize comments; and compile and edit summary statements and technical evaluation reports into final documents.
• Validate and enter information into databases, including reviewer information in the Committee Management system, and prepare peer review rosters.
• Determine appropriate meeting formats, including face-to-face, teleconference, and Internet-Assisted meetings.
• Identify potential conflicts of interest by assessing reviewers against applications and examining key personnel, institutional affiliations, and letters of support; consult program staff as needed.
• Attend peer review meetings, take notes, capture committee deliberations, and document meeting proceedings.
• Analyze scientific content and critically review literature, 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 and peer reviewers on scientific peer review processes and procedures.
• Assess organizational training needs and develop training programs, materials, job aids, and instructions to improve peer review accuracy and performance.
• Provide ad hoc support and 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 for healthcare, parking reimbursement, dependent care assistance, and transportation reimbursement.

What This Job Offers

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