§7657 Senior Scientific Research Service

Summary

Creates the Senior Scientific Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and lets the Secretary pick up to 100 members. To join, a person must have done outstanding agricultural or forestry research, hold a doctoral degree, and meet the Office of Personnel Management’s standards for a GS‑15 job. The Secretary can hire members without following many usual civil‑service rules, but those members still have the same right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board and to file complaints with the Office of Special Counsel as a GS‑15 employee. The Secretary must set up a performance review system to judge and encourage good work. The Secretary sets pay for members, but it must be at least the minimum for GS‑15 and not more than the rate for Executive Schedule level I unless the President approves under 5 U.S.C. 5377(d)(2). If a new member came straight from a college or university and can keep contributing to that school’s retirement plan, the Secretary may pay up to 10% of the member’s basic pay into that plan; if paid, the member won’t earn federal civil‑service retirement credit but the time will count for annual leave. If a member is involuntarily separated without cause, the Secretary may place them in a GS‑15 career job; if they were not a career appointee before joining, that placement can be in the excepted service and last no more than 2 years.