(1) There shall be in the Public Health Service a Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research Service, not to exceed 500 members.
(2) The authority established in paragraph (1) regarding the number of members in the Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research Service is in addition to any authority established regarding the number of members in the commissioned Regular Corps, in the Reserve Corps, and in the Senior Executive Service. Such paragraph may not be construed to require that the number of members in the commissioned Regular Corps, in the Reserve Corps, or in the Senior Executive Service be reduced to offset the number of members serving in the Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research Service (in this section referred to as the "Service").
The Service shall be appointed by the Secretary without regard to the provisions of title 5 regarding appointment, and shall consist of individuals outstanding in the field of biomedical research or clinical research evaluation. No individual may be appointed to the Service unless such individual (1) has earned a doctoral level degree in biomedicine or a related field, and (2) meets the qualification standards prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management for appointment to a position at GS–15 of the General Schedule. Notwithstanding any previous applicability to an individual who is a member of the Service, the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 35 (relating to retention preference), chapter 43 (relating to performance appraisal and performance actions), chapter 51 (relating to classification), subchapter III of chapter 53 (relating to General Schedule pay rates), and chapter 75 (relating to adverse actions) of title 5 shall not apply to any member of the Service.
The Secretary shall develop a performance appraisal system designed to—
(1) provide for the systematic appraisal of the performance of members, and
(2) encourage excellence in performance by members.
(1) The Secretary shall determine, subject to the provisions of this subsection, the pay of members of the Service.
(2) The pay of a member of the Service shall not be less than the minimum rate payable for GS–15 of the General Schedule and shall not exceed the rate payable for level I of the Executive Schedule unless approved by the President under section 5377(d)(2) of title 5.
The Secretary may, upon the request of a member who—
(1) performed service in the employ of an institution of higher education immediately prior to his appointment as a member of the Service, and
(2) retains the right to continue to make contributions to the retirement system of such institution,
contribute an amount not to exceed 10 percent per annum of the member's basic pay to such institution's retirement system on behalf of such member. A member who requests that such contribution be made shall not be covered by, or earn service credit under, any retirement system established for employees of the United States under title 5, but such service shall be creditable for determining years of service under section 6303(a) of such title.
Subject to the following sentence, the Secretary may, notwithstanding the provisions of title 5 regarding appointment, appoint an individual who is separated from the Service involuntarily and without cause to a position in the competitive civil service at GS–15 of the General Schedule, and such appointment shall be a career appointment. In the case of such an individual who immediately prior to his appointment to the Service was not a career appointee in the civil service or the Senior Executive Service, such appointment shall be in the excepted civil service and may not exceed a period of 2 years.
The Secretary shall promulgate such rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this section, as may be necessary for the efficient administration of the Service.
(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title II, §228, as added Pub. L. 101–509, title V, §529 [title III, §304(a)], Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1427, 1463; amended Pub. L. 103–43, title XX, §2001, June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 208.)
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