5 C.F.R. § 316.301 : Administrative Personnel — OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT — CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS — TEMPORARY AND TERM EMPLOYMENT — TERM EMPLOYMENT — Purpose and duration

(a) An agency may make a term appointment for a period of more than 1 year but not more than 4 years to positions where the need for an employee's services is not permanent. Reasons for making a term appointment include, but are not limited to: project work, extraordinary workload, scheduled abolishment, reorganization, contracting out of the function, uncertainty of future funding, or the need to maintain permanent positions for placement of employees who would otherwise be displaced from other parts of the organization. Agencies may extend appointments made for more than 1 year but less than 4 years up to the 4-year limit in increments determined by the agency. The vacancy announcement should state that the agency has the option of extending a term appointment up to the 4-year limit.
(b) OPM may authorize exceptions beyond the 4-year limit when the extension is clearly justified and is consistent with applicable statutory provisions. Requests to make and/or extend appointments beyond the 4-year limit must be initiated by the employing office and sent to the appropriate OPM service center.
(c)
(1) An agency may make a term appointment for a period of more than 1 year but not more than 10 years to a covered position defined in (2) when the need for an employee's services is not permanent. An agency may extend an appointment made for more than 1 year but fewer than 10 years up to the 10-year limit in increments determined by the agency. The vacancy announcement must state that the agency has the option of extending a term appointment under this section up to the 10-year limit. No appointment made under this section may last longer than 10 years from the date of the initial appointment.
(2) An agency may make a term appointment for more than 1 year but not more than 10 years to the following positions (as described in OPM's Handbook of Occupational Groups and Series):
(i) Social Science Series, 0101;
(ii) Economist Series, 0110;
(iii) Psychology Series, 0180;
(iv) Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Group ( i.e., 0400 group);
(v) Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group ( i.e., 0600 group);
(vi) Engineering and Architecture Group ( i.e., 0800 group);
(vii) Physical Science Group ( i.e., 1300 group);
(viii) Mathematical Sciences Group ( i.e., 1500 group); and
(ix) Information Technology Group ( i.e., 2200 group).

5 C.F.R. §316.301

63 FR 63783, 11/17/1998
63 FR 63783, 11/17/1998; 87 FR 73632, 1/3/2023