USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Microbiology
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis, and this opportunity could close before the application deadline.
ARS Office/Lab and Location: A postdoctoral research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) located in Beltsville, Maryland.
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency with a mission to find solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day from field to table. ARS will deliver cutting-edge, scientific tools and innovative solutions for American farmers, producers, industry, and communities to support the nourishment and well-being of all people; sustain our nation’s agroecosystems and natural resources; and ensure the economic competitiveness and excellence of our agriculture. The vision of the agency is to provide global leadership in agricultural discoveries through scientific excellence.
Research Project: The overall aims of the research projects are to generate scientific information on improving fresh produce safety. Current projects include characterization, prevention, and mitigation of foodborne pathogen survival and persistence on fresh produce and in the processing environments. Under the guidance of a mentor, the fellow will have the opportunity to be involved in the following research areas: 1) Assessing and improving fresh produce postharvest washing and storage practices; 2) Biofilm characterization and mitigation; and 3) Assessing and mitigating risks of foodborne pathogens in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems. Conventional microbiological, advanced molecular biological, and multi-omics approaches will be applied. The fellow will also collaborate on other research projects aimed at improving fresh produce safety.
Under the guidance of a mentor, the fellow's activities may include:
- Collaborating with mentors and team leader in designing studies;
- Executing studies based on research plan and modify research plans when necessary;
- Collecting and analyzing data to test hypotheses and to draw preliminary conclusions;
- Collaborating closely with mentor and team leader in reporting research findings.
Learning Objectives: In addition to learning how to conduct research and report research findings, the fellow will gain valuable experience by interacting with the fresh produce industry to understand the food safety challenges facing the industry.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Xiangwu Nou (xiangwu.nou@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2025; As soon as a qualified candidate is identified. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for two years but may be renewed additional years upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a yearly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The current stipend for this opportunity is $84,601 per year. An individual health insurance supplement will be provided. In addition, $2,000 dislocation allowance will be provided for moving expense to Maryland.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) only. A minimum of 3-year continuous US residency is required for LRP applicants. LPR applicants with citizenship from certain countries may be excluded.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and ARS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, ARS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, please email ORISE.ARS.Northeast@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received or be pursuing a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.
Preferred skills:
- Experience in bacteriology, biofilm characterization, food chemistry, DNA sequencing, and bacterial genomic analyses
- Statistical analyses of experimental data
- Designing detailed experimental plans and conducting microbiological assays
- Safely handling foodborne pathogens and hazardous chemicals
- Safely operating laboratory equipment such as autoclave, high speed centrifuge, produce cutting machinery
- Experience in metagenomic analyses of food or environmental microbiota, metatranscriptomic analyses for deciphering microbiological interactions, and advanced microscopy
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, with demonstrated capability of scientific presentations such as seminars and well-written manuscripts
Stipend
$84,601.00 Yearly
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
- Degree: Doctoral Degree.