Frontier Initiative Lead (Senior Advisor)

Quick Facts

• Role: Frontier Initiative Lead (Senior Advisor)

• Duration: Up to 3 years

Description

Frontier Initiative Leads design and drive multidisciplinary, thesis-driven efforts aimed at major scientific frontiers through cross-disciplinary collaboration. The role includes identifying bottlenecks and emerging opportunities, assembling scientific portfolios across NSF components, and mobilizing research communities to achieve transformative breakthroughs. Initiative areas include Future of Intelligence, Frontiers of Quantum Phenomena, Advanced Materials and Matter, and Foundations of Biological Design.

Responsibilities

• Own the vision, strategy, and technical roadmap for a Frontier Initiative

• Identify critical scientific bottlenecks and establish agency-wide milestones and goals

• Connect and coordinate programs across NSF directorates and align with existing research agendas

• Build and manage a portfolio leveraging discipline-specific expertise to accelerate discovery

• Use appropriate NSF funding mechanisms, including grants, milestone-based funding, and prizes/challenges

• Coordinate partnerships with other federal agencies, the private sector, and philanthropy

• Report directly to the U.S. NSF Chief Science Officer

Requirements

• Advanced and/or senior-level professional or technical expertise with recognized stature or unique and extensive relevant experience

• Demonstrated research excellence and proven leadership experience

• Strong record of effective collaboration

• Ability to represent NSF with academic, industry, and international stakeholders

• Eligible for IPA assignment under the IPA Mobility Program and meet IPA eligibility requirements at application time

• U.S. citizenship

• Compliance with Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure (OGE-450)

Benefits

IPA assignees remain employees of their home institutions and are ineligible for federal employee benefits.