This internship program provides students enrolled in education environments (high schools, colleges, trade schools and other qualifying educational institutions) with paid opportunities to explore Federal careers. This position is established to provide a meaningful employment opportunity in the Biological Science Technician Occupation.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/27/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. To be eligible for this pathway position you must: 1) Be enrolled in a degree seeking program or a 1-year certificate program 2) Be enrolled on one half (1/2) time basis 3) Have a minimum 2.0 grade average 4) Attending an accredited educational institution 5) Provide transcripts with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. 6) Be enrolled for the next semester/quarter following the period of this vacancy. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience. To qualify for this position at the GS-04 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least six (6) months of general experience and six (6) months of specialized experience for a total of one year of experience. General experience is any type of work that demonstrates your ability to perform the work of the position or provide familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area. Specialized Experience is experience which demonstrates that you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience include conducting biological field studies and surveys and assembling the information. Follow standardized procedures to collect data on condition of resources. Use statistical methods and procedures to perform routine testing of field data collected. Assist in vegetation of soils mapping. Develop improved methods of controlling weeds and plant diseases or other related work. Must include hours worked per week on resume-OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least two (2) full years of college level study that includes at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, mathematics, etc. At least six (6) semester hours were directly related to this position (i.e. botany, forest ecology, silviculture, plant ecology, wildlife biology, zoology, ornithology etc.). You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts.-OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have six (6) months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) combined with one year of education as outlined above (50% of the education required to qualify), which included at least six (6) semester hours of scientific or technical courses, such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least three (3) semester hours of courses must be directly related to this position. Examples of directly related courses such as botany, forest ecology, silviculture, plant ecology, wildlife biology, zoology, ornithology etc. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week and transcripts. To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is that experience which demonstrates that you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position. Examples include conducting biological field studies and surveys and assembling the information. Follow standardized procedures to collect data on Wildlife, Fisheries, or plants. Use statistical methods and procedures to perform testing of field data collected. Install, operate and maintain resource management equipment (tools, sampling and monitoring photographic and laboratory equipment) prepare graphs, charts, and illustrations for reports and technical publications relating to biological management activities. Must include hours worked per week on resume-OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of a full four (4) year course of study (120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least twenty-four (24) semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, mathematics, etc. At least six (6) semester hours were directly related to this position (i.e., botany, forest ecology, silviculture, plant ecology, as wildlife biology, zoology, ornithology etc.). You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to 1 year of specialized experience. Determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level. Then determine education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for GS-5. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. For example, 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the specialized experience requirement) and 3 years of education above high school with at least 12 semester hours related to the position and 3 hours directly related to the position (50 percent of the education requirement) would be considered qualifying. You must include hours per week and transcripts. Volunteer Experience: 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, 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.
Major duties at the GS-04 level include, but are not limited to, Assist in conducting surveys and research on a variety of plants and animals. Monitor and identify species using field guides and dichotomous keys. Utilize methods such as pulling or cutting to remove high volumes of invasive plants. Capture geospatial data using handheld GPS devices and tablets. Operate power equipment while maintaining assigned equipment in working order. At the GS-05 level, duties will be more complex and have less supervisory oversight. You may also provide guidance to others as well as provide logistical support.