---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 237"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "237"
heading: "Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research and Biomedical Product Assessment Service"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/237"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter I — Administration and Miscellaneous Provisions"
  - "Part A — Administration"
---

# §237. Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research and Biomedical Product Assessment Service

- (a) **Creation; number of members—**
  - (1) There shall be in the Public Health [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) a Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research and Biomedical Product Assessment [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) (in this section referred to as the “[Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a)”), not to exceed 2,000 members, the purpose of which is to recruit and retain outstanding and qualified scientific and technical experts in the fields of biomedical research, [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) evaluation, and biomedical product assessment.
  - (2) The authority established in [paragraph (1)](#a-1) may not be construed to require the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) to reduce the number of [employees](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-5) serving under any other employment system in order to offset the number of members serving in the [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a).
  - (3) The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall assign experts under this section to [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) within the Department of Health and Human [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) taking into account the need for the expertise of such expert.
- (b) **Appointments; qualifications; provisions inapplicable to members—** The [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) shall be appointed by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) without regard to the provisions of [title 5](/usc/5.md) regarding appointment, and shall consist of individuals outstanding in the field of biomedical research, [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) evaluation, or biomedical product assessment. No individual may be appointed to the [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) unless such individual (1) has earned a doctoral level degree in biomedicine or a related field, or a doctoral or master’s level degree in engineering, bioinformatics, or a related or emerging 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](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), the provisions of subchapter I of [chapter 35](/usc/42/chch35.md) (relating to retention preference), [chapter 43](/usc/42/chch43.md) (relating to performance appraisal and performance actions), [chapter 51](/usc/42/chch51.md) (relating to classification), subchapter III of [chapter 53](/usc/42/chch53.md) (relating to General Schedule pay rates), and [chapter 75](/usc/42/chch75.md) (relating to adverse actions) of [title 5](/usc/5.md) shall not apply to any member of the [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a).
- (c) **Performance appraisal system—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) 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.
- (d) **Pay of members—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall determine, subject to the provisions of this subsection, the pay of members of the [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a).
  - (2) The pay of a member of the [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) shall not be less than the minimum rate payable for GS–15 of the General Schedule and shall not exceed the amount of annual compensation (excluding expenses) specified in [section 102 of title 3](/usc/3/102.md).
- (e) **Career and noncareer appointment of certain individuals—** Subject to the following sentence, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may, notwithstanding the provisions of [title 5](/usc/5.md) regarding appointment, appoint an individual who is separated from the [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) involuntarily and without cause to a position in the competitive civil [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) 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](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) was not a career appointee in the civil [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) or the Senior Executive [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), such appointment shall be in the excepted civil [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) and may not exceed a period of 2 years.
- (f) **Rules and regulations—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall promulgate such rules and [regulations](/usc/42/201.md?p=d), not inconsistent with this section, as may be necessary for the efficient administration of the [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a).

## Source credit

(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; Pub. L. 114–255, div. A, title III, § 3071(a), Dec. 13, 2016, 130 Stat. 1133.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The General Schedule, referred to in subsecs. (b), (d)(2), and (e), is set out under section 5332 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

The provisions of title 5 regarding appointments, referred to in subsecs. (b) and (e), are classified to section 3301 et seq. of Title 5.

### Amendments

2016—Pub. L. 114–255, § 3071(a)(1), inserted “and Biomedical Product Assessment” after “Research” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 114–255, § 3071(a)(2)(A), substituted “Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research and Biomedical Product Assessment Service (in this section referred to as the ‘Service’), not to exceed 2,000 members, the purpose of which is to recruit and retain outstanding and qualified scientific and technical experts in the fields of biomedical research, clinical research evaluation, and biomedical product assessment” for “Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research Service, not to exceed 500 members”.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 114–255, § 3071(a)(2)(B), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “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’).”

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 114–255, § 3071(a)(2)(C), added par. (3).

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–255, § 3071(a)(3)(A), substituted “, clinical research evaluation, or biomedical product assessment” for “or clinical research evaluation” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 114–255, § 3071(a)(3)(B), inserted “or a doctoral or master’s level degree in engineering, bioinformatics, or a related or emerging field,” after “related field,”.

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 114–255, § 3071(a)(4), substituted “and shall not exceed the amount of annual compensation (excluding expenses) specified in section 102 of title 3” for “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”.

Subsecs. (e) to (g). Pub. L. 114–255, § 3071(a)(5), (6), redesignated subsecs. (f) and (g) as (e) and (f), respectively, and struck out former subsec. (e). Prior to amendment, text of subsec. (e) read as follows: “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.”

1993—Pub. L. 103–43, § 2001(b), substituted “Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research Service” for “Senior Biomedical Research Service” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–43, § 2001(a), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “There shall be in the Public Health Service a Senior Biomedical Research Service (hereinafter in this section referred to as the ‘Service’), not to exceed 350 members at any time.”

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective on the 90th day following Nov. 5, 1990, see section 529 [title III, § 304(c)] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out as an Effective Date of 1990 Amendment note under section 212 of this title.