Without Compensation (WOC) Research Computer Scientist

Full Job Description

Please note: There is no pay associated with this position. This position serves as Without Compensation Research Computer Scientist within the Office of Research and Development (ORD).

The VA Research Program strives to promote Veteran-centered care to improve patient experiences and outcomes across VA healthcare and community settings, and to advance value-driven care by providing Veterans the highest quality care at the lowest financial burden.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/01/2026.

Basic Requirements: Experience: You must possess general experience in any type of work that demonstrates (1) experience in constructing and managing databases relevant to research projects, with minimum supervision, (2) experience in validating data and programs through use of frequencies, listings, summaries, calculation of meaningful data metrics, and (3) experience developing and maintaining data statistical and database computer programs, reviewing analytical results for accuracy and completeness.

AND Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science.

At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus., plus appropriate experience or additional education.

This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (https://www.ed.gov/accreditation) at the time the degree was obtained.

You will be rated on the education and experience required for the position.

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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week.

Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities.

Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is predominantly sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work.

However, there will be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of items of moderate weight such as large binders, banker style file boxes, meeting materials, papers, books or small parts.

Hand and eye coordination for delicate testing procedures may be the only special physical demand required to perform the work.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Major Duties:

The duties of this position include, but are not limited to: Develops programming specifications, designs, writes, tests and validates a variety of custom software applications.

Applies rational databases and software development to research experience within the framework of health services research.

Resolves unusual, novel and difficult problems that surface relating to the collection of research data. Construct and manage datasets and databases relevant to research projects.

Validate data and programs through use of frequencies, listings, summaries, and calculation of meaningful data metrics.

Conduct univariate and multivariate statistical data analyses and regression analyses. Review analytical results for accuracy and completeness.

Develops and maintains data statistical and database computer programs to construct and manage datasets and databases on research projects.

Work Schedule: Intermittent (Without Compensation) Please note: There is no pay associated with this position.