Senior Biomedical Research Service (SBRS) Eligibility
Qualification Requirements
Members of the SBRS must meet the qualification standard requirements in ANY of the following categories:
- General Schedule GS-15 level, or
- Be in the Senior Executive Service, or
- Be at the 0-5 level or higher in the uniformed services, or
- Be a tenured NIH scientist appointed under Title 42 (f) or (g) with salary at the GS-15 step 1 level or above
Citizenship
Members of the SBRS must be U.S. citizens or citizens of an allied country.
- Please note that Foreign scientists who are not permanent residents must be employed under SBRS on a time-limited (rather than “indefinite”) basis consistent with their visa status.
Education and Experience
Scientist must have an earned doctorate degree in biomedicine or a related field, AND, Be involved in the full range of investigation on the basic life processes, including behavioral science and epidemiology/biostatistics.
In addition, one of the following criteria must be met:
- Individuals actively engaged in peer-reviewed original biomedical research who are considered by their peers to be outstanding in this work.
- "Outstanding in Peer-reviewed Original Research" is defined to mean, first and foremost, major accomplishments in or biomedical research that result in a steady and current record of highly cited publications in peer-reviewed journals of high stature. Secondary criteria include major prizes and awards (including visiting professorships, named lectureships, and honorary degrees) for original contributions to research; invitations to speak at, or to chair, major national or international meetings and symposia; membership on scientific committees with national or international impact; editorships of peer-reviewed journals of high stature, and/or elected membership in professional societies of high stature.
- Individuals actively engaged in clinical research evaluation who are considered by their peers to be outstanding
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"Outstanding in Clinical Research Evaluation" is defined to mean those scientists who, by force of their own technical expertise, are in a position to shape the course of drug or device evaluation, or exert a similar influence on the PHS handling of other agents that may affect the public health. These individuals would deal with complex, precedent-setting evaluation issues (e.g., evaluation of AIDS therapies) that involve significant scientific controversy, have far-reaching implications for clinical research or result in widespread economic effect in the health-care delivery system. Secondary criteria include authorship of major peer or regulatory review articles in the individual's specialty; development of regulatory or scientific guidelines for clinical research; invitations to speak at, or to chair, major national or international meetings and symposia; and/or specific requests to present the scientific basis of PHS programs to the U.S. Congress, the World Health Organization, and other bodies.
Current NIH Employees must meet the above requirements for SBRS and will be considered under one of the following categories:
- Laboratory Research -- research in which intact human subjects are not involved.
- Clinical Research or Clinical Research Evaluation -- re which involves patients or normal volunteers and is directed toward understanding a normal biological process, elucidating pathogenesis, or improving the diagnosis or treatment of disease. Although the clinical investigator utilizes the scientific method, the multitude of problems that uniquely arise in human studies requires the employment of ancillary strategies. These include the disciplines of epidemiology, biostatistics and preventive medicine, and the methodologies of the modern clinical trial.
- SBRS eligibility will be determined on a “rank-in-the-person” basis. Administrative and managerial responsibilities will not be a primary criterion for membership. The impact of the scientist will be considered on the basis of creative achievement, and not on the impact of the encumbered position. SBRS eligibility will relate mainly to individual quality, to be determined objectively and qualitatively by peer reviewers applying the same standards used for any member of the national/international scientific community. These standards will not relate to any specific Federal agency. Seniority will not be a significant criterion.
- The SBRS will be used to recruit and retain the most outstanding laboratory and clinical scientists. Because the number of SBRS positions available to NIH is very limited, scientists should be proposed for membership only when they meet the rigorous criteria cited above.
