Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

Basic Requirements
Degree: plant pathology; or a related scientific discipline that included at least 20 semester hours in basic botany or plant science, and 10 semester hours in plant pathology.

Graduate Education: must have been in plant pathology, or in one of the recognized subject-matter fields of plant pathology, or have followed a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on plant pathology or one of the recognized subject-matter fields of plant pathology, such as those dealing with particular types of pathogens, diseases of particular kinds of crops, or chemical or biological controls. Graduate study in related fields such as microbiology, entomology, plant physiology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, or chemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on plant pathology.

Evaluation of Education: courses in botany, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, agronomy, forestry, horticulture, or similar subjects may be used to meet the 20-semester-hour requirement in basic botany or plant science. To meet the specific 10-semester-hour requirement in plant pathology, the courses must have been in plant pathology, or have dealt with specific subject matter areas of plant pathology such as those concerned with viruses, fungal or bacterial diseases, host-plant relationships, biotic or chemical controls, environmental or physiological diseases, parasitic diseases, etc.

Additional Requirements
In addition to meeting the basic requirements described above, applicants must also meet additional qualification requirements as stated below.

GS-12: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or possess an equivalent combination of graduate level education and experience. Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped applicants with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-12 level of this position are:

• Experience using the principles, theories, and practices of disease diagnosis, agronomy, and plant pathogen etiology, epidemiology, and taxonomy to conduct research on the detection, spread, and control of plant pathogens and diseases;
• Experience with molecular methods to research the diversity and adaptation of plant pathogens;
• AND
• Experience completing research in the defined areas that result in peer-reviewed publications, scientific presentations at conferences, and oral reports to commodity and grower associations.

GS-13: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-13 level of this position are:

• Experience using the principles, theories, and practices of disease diagnosis, agronomy, and plant pathogen etiology, epidemiology, and taxonomy to conduct research on the detection, spread, and control of plant pathogens and diseases;
• Experience with molecular methods to research the diversity and adaptation of plant pathogens;
• Experience integrating diverse sources of information into models or concepts that advance the state of plant pathology and lead to improved disease control;
• Experience proposing, conducting, and completing research in the defined areas that resulted in primary authorship in peer-reviewed publications, scientific presentations at conferences, and oral reports to commodity and grower associations that are of considerable interest and value to the field of research; AND
• Experience working in scientific collaborations that were successful in developing new knowledge, products, or methods.

GS-14: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-14 level of this position are:

• Experience using the principles, theories, and practices of disease diagnosis, agronomy, and plant pathogen etiology, epidemiology, and taxonomy to conduct research on the detection, spread, and control of plant pathogens and diseases;
• Experience with molecular methods to research the diversity and adaptation of plant pathogens;
• Experience integrating diverse sources of pest, disease, crop and natural resource management information into models, concepts and decision aids that advance the state of crop production;
• Experience proposing, conducting, and completing research in the defined areas that lead to primary authorship in peer-reviewed publications, scientific presentations at conferences, and oral reports to commodity and grower associations which have had a major impact on advancing the field or are accepted as authoritative in the field; AND
• Experience leading scientific collaborations that were successful in developing new knowledge, products, or methods.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Supervisory/Managerial Competencies – the following KSAs will also be used to evaluate candidates in the interview and selection process:
1. Ability to lead and accomplish work through others (i.e. team building, conflict management, cultural awareness, strategic thinking, technology management, and political savvy.)
2. Ability to communicate with individuals or groups from diverse backgrounds in a variety of situations.

To further support your qualifications, it is strongly recommended that you submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Failure to do so could result in loss of your consideration/referral. Also, please submit a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons familiar with your stature, contributions, recognition; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional or honor societies; invitations to make presentations at scientific/technical meetings; scientific society office and committee assignments; presentations (other than invitation); and publications.

Applicants must be available to report for duty at the time a selection is made. Selections are typically made within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.