At a glance
- Citizenship status and other factors may determine the hiring mechanism for fellows.
- Base pay and benefits can vary depending on hiring mechanism and locality.
Hiring mechanism choices
Incoming LLS fellows may have a choice of hiring mechanisms depending on citizenship status and other factors.
- U.S. citizens have two options:
- Civil Service (under Title-42 Fellowships and Other Training Programs)
- U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps
- Civil Service (under Title-42 Fellowships and Other Training Programs)
- U.S. permanent residents are eligible only for civil service
U.S. citizens and permanent residents
Civil service
Upon initial appointment, the Title-42 fellowship entry grade will be set comparable to the Federal Government General Schedule (GS) base pay rate. The rate will be equivalent to GS-12, step 3 regardless of previous experience and compensation. An additional locality pay is based on the location of the official duty station.
Additional incentives include:
- Thrift Savings Plan
- Federal Employees Retirement System Benefit Plan
- Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan
- Federal Employees Group Life Insurance
- Federal Employees Vision and Dental Insurance Program
- 4 hours of annual leave and 4 hours of sick leave every 2 weeks (13 days total of each)
LLS base pay
U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps (U.S. citizens only)
The USPHS is one of the seven Uniformed Services. It is a specialized career system designed to attract, develop, and retain health professionals to accomplish its mission.
Incoming LLS fellows must meet eligibility criteria for the Commissioned Corps:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Be less than 44 years of age (at date of entry into LLS)
- Have a degree in an appropriate health-related discipline
- Meet medical standards
USPHS Commissioned Corps Information
Steps to apply to the Laboratory Leadership Service program
Interested applicants should take the following steps to apply to become an LLS fellow.
- Check eligibility
- Review salary and benefits information
- Review informational webinars for Fellowship applicants
- Prepare application information and materials
- Complete the online application