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This blog series is designed to assist the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Hiring Managers with meeting their workforce representational diversity aims by providing resources specific to the Native American community. This segment focuses on hiring veterans to be a part of your team.

Section One | Special Hiring Authorities provides resources on special appointment authorities that may be used to appoint specific groups of individuals who meet the respective eligibility requirements for positions at the NIH.

Veterans’ Preference

There are several types of hiring authorities that apply specifically to veterans. These options may enable hiring managers to utilize more traditional hiring procedures to select the best person for the job. This section will address the following:

  • 30 Percent or More Disabled Veteran Authority
  • Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA)
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act of 1998, as amended (VEOA)
  • Veterans Hiring Authorities Resources

Q: What is 30 Percent or More Disabled Veteran Authority?

A: The 30 Percent or More Disabled Veteran Authority allows any veteran with a 30 percent or more service-connected disability to be non-competitively appointed.

Q: What are the benefits of using the 30 Percent or More Disabled Veteran Authority?

A: This authority is a good tool for filling positions at any grade level quickly. A 30 Percent or More Disabled Veteran appointment is an effective way to quickly appoint eligible disabled veterans to any position for which they are qualified without issuing a vacancy announcement.

Q: Who is eligible?

A: Candidates who are retired from active military service with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more or candidates that have a rating by the Department of Veterans Affairs showing a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more.

Q: What is the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act of 1998, as amended (VEOA)?

A: VEOA is a competitive service appointing authority that can only be used when filling permanent, competitive service positions. It can’t be used to fill excepted service positions. VEOA allows veterans to apply to announcements that are only open to “status” candidates, which means “current competitive service employees.”

Q: What are the benefits of using VEOA?

A: VEOA allows managers to consider highly qualified, non-status preference eligible and Veterans without using more restrictive competitive examination procedures.

Q: Who is eligible for VEOA?

A: To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a candidate’s latest discharge must be issued under honorable conditions (this means an honorable or general discharge), and the candidate must be either:

  • A preference eligible (defined in title 5 U.S.C. 2108(3)), or
  • Veterans who substantially completed 3 or more years of active service.

Q: What is the Veterans’ Recruitment Appointment (VRA)?

A: VRA is an excepted authority that allows agencies to appoint eligible veterans without competition.

Q: What are the benefits of using VRA?

A: VRA can be a good tool for filling entry-level to mid-level positions. It allows a manager to fill positions quickly by appointing eligible Veterans to positions for which they are qualified, up to and including GS-11 or equivalent, without issuing a vacancy announcement.

Q: Who is eligible for VRA?

A: To be eligible for a VRA appointment, a candidate’s latest discharge must be issued under honorable conditions (this means an honorable or general discharge), and the candidate must be either:

  • Disabled veterans;
  • Veterans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during a war declared by Congress, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized;
  • Veterans who, while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces, participated in a military operation for which the Armed Forces Service Medal was awarded; and
  • Veterans separated from active duty within 3 years.

Veterans Hiring Authorities Resources

The NIH OHR Corporate Recruitment Unit utilizes innovative recruitment technologies to deepen the candidate pool of high caliber diverse talent using:

  • • LinkedIn, Medzilla, Vet Tech, and others
  • • Virtual Career Fairs
  • • Webinars - GoToWebinar platform
  • • Professional Diversity Network
  • • Candidate Sourcing Databases

NIH Selective Placement Program Coordinator:
Sheila Monroe at Seila.Monroe@NIH.gov

NIH Veteran Recruitment program Manager:
Sebastian Lemus at Sebastian.Lemus@NIH.gov

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AIAN Guidance Resources