Clinical Research Operations

Conversion Process from Civil Service to Commissioned Corps for Center for Cancer Research (CCR) Nursing Employees

Purpose:  To identify the steps Nursing staff are required to complete to apply for the conversion from a Civil Service position to a Public Heath Service (Commissioned Corps) position.

STEP 1. Employee Initiates Request for Conversion

1. Employee must discuss conversion from Civil Service to Commissioned Corps with immediate supervisor.
2. Employee must meet with the Commissioned Corp Liaison’s office (Ken Diepold) to discuss the full ramifications of obligations under the Commissioned Corps:
   • Personal standards of uniformed officer
   • Accept work standards of PHS (being called to supplement staff shortages in the event of sickness or inclement weather without pay differentials for nights or weekends
   • 0-4 (Lieutenant Commander) is the highest conversion rank possible
   • Professional series can transfer up to 5 years towards retirement
   • All PHS Officers will be required to be deployment-ready in case of a national emergency but final authority to release a PHS officer from their agency billet for deployment is retained by the agency.
3. If supervisor supports conversion, employee is responsible for providing all documentation to the supervisor.
4. The supervisor develops a concept approval package that includes a concept approval memo and a pay comparison chart.
   • The pay comparison chart will be partially completed by the NIH Commissioned Corps Liaison’s Office. The NIH Commissioned Corps Liaison’s Office will need the following information:
     • Marital status
     • Training and Education information
5. The Administrative Officer will review, sign off on the concept approval package and send it to the Director, CCR, NCI for approval.
6. The CCR Director’s office will approve or disapprove and return the application to the Administrative Officer.

STEP 2. Preparing the Form PHS-50, Application for Appointment as a Commissioned Corps Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service

1. Upon receipt of concept approval, employee will complete the Form PHS-50, Application for Appointment as a Commissioned Corps Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and mail it to the Office of Commissioned Corps Operations (OCCO):
   • Address is listed on the application
   • The Form PHS-50 can be obtained from the Public Health Service Web site at http://www.hhs.gov/forms/PHS-50.pdf
   • Although the application is available online, all applications must be mailed to OCCO. Currently, the function to submit the application electronically is not available.
   • Please note, there is a pre-screening application for individuals to complete to verify they have the minimum requirements to apply to the Commissioned Corps. This is not the application.
2. Once OCCO receives the Form PHS-50, the applicant will be sent an Applicant Packet to complete that includes the following:
   • Request to Apply to the Commissioned Corps
   • Education Transcripts
   • Nursing License
   • Four (4) References
   • Medical Physical Exam
3. The employee should complete all forms in packet from the OCCO as soon as possible and mail them back to the OCCO in a single packet.
   • The employee should follow up with their references to ensure timely return to the OCCO. Employees may check the status of their package on the OCCO Web site at http://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/
4. Upon receipt of the Applicant Packet, the OCCO will review for completeness and attach to the applicant’s PHS-50 form.
5. The complete package will be submitted for review and approval through the OCCO approval process.

STEP 3. CCR Administrative Package for Applicants Converting from Civil Service to Commissioned Corps

1. Employee will work with his/her branch administrative contact and supervisor to complete the following forms/documents to be submitted to CCR Senior Staff for approval for conversion from Civil Service to a Commissioned Officer in the Public Health Service:

• Administrative Officer will review package, sign off, and send the package through CCR Review and Approval Process for Commissioned Corps applicants.

STEP 4: CCR Review and Approval Process for Commissioned Corps Conversion Applicants

1. The Administrative Officer will forward and follow the progress of the package through CCR’s Review and Approval Process Routing:
   • Employee Supervisor
   • Branch Chief
   • Administrative Officer
   • ARC Manager
   • Director (or Designee), CCR, NCI
2. The Administrative Officer will make a copy of final approved package for employee’s file.
3. The Administrative Officer will send the original final approved package to the NIH Commissioned Corps Liaison, Ken Diepold, Building 31/B2B63, for review.
4. NIH Commissioned Corps Liaison will review and log in the Administrative Application package.
5. NIH Commissioned Corps Liaison will forward the following original documents from the administrative package to the OCCO:
   • Requesting Memo
   • Form PHS-1662, Request for Personnel Action – Commissioned Corps
   • Updated CV or Resume

STEP 5: OCCO Review and Approval Process for Commissioned Corp Applicants

1. The Nurse Appointment Board will review the applicant’s completed PHS-50 form and completed Applicant Packet to determine if the applicant has sufficient training, experience and personal characteristics necessary to serve as a Commissioned Officer in the Public Health Service.
2. Nurse Appointment Board will either recommend or not recommend the applicant for the Appointment to the Commissioned Corps.
3. If the Nurse Appointment Board recommends the applicant, the package and results will be forwarded to the Director, OCCO for final review and decision.
4. The OCCO Director will conduct final review and approval decision.
5. If application is approved, OCCO will prepare orders for the Commissioned Officer’s "Call to Active Duty".
   • OCCO will not prepare any orders unless they have received the completed PHS-1662 form, Request for Personnel Action – Commissioned Officer from the hiring agency.

STEP 6: Notification of Active Duty

1. Upon receipt of the requesting memo, Form 1662, and the CV or resume, the OCCO will complete the "Call to Active Duty" forms and notify the employee and the NIH Commissioned Corps Liaison.

2. Employee will receive, if eligible and/or applicable, the following pay contracts:

   Form PHS-7033 Special Pay Contract – Accession Bonus	This form will be initiated by the OCCO to the Employee
   Form PHS-6323 Nurse Special Pay (NDP) – Nurse Anesthetist/Nurse Practitioner (if applicable)	This form will be initiated by the OCCO to the Employee

3. The employee will complete the forms and submit to the supervisor for review and approval.
4. Branch administrative contact will forward the completed forms to the CCR Clinical Director for final signature.
5. Branch Administrative Officer will receive a copy of the employee’s orders from the NIH Commissioned Corps Liaison Office to be filed in employee’s personnel file.