USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Potato Pathogen (Fungi) Fellowship
*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.
ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Frederick, 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: Potatoes, a $4B U.S. crop, are vital to food security and trade. Synchytrium endobioticum (potato wart), a foreign regulated Select Agent, causes severe yield loss and long-term soil contamination, triggering strict trade bans. This project will develop validated diagnostics, pathogen resources, and containment strategies, advancing the goals of the National Farm Security Action Plan to protect producers, safeguard rural economies, and preserve U.S. market access. The approach will include metagenomics and bioinformatics to understand genetic diversity of the pathogen.
Learning Objectives: During this project, the participant will be involved in the following activities:
- Understand genetic diversity of Synchytrium endobioticum.
- Learning to Identify high priority geographical regions for continued sampling
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Alina Puig (alina.puig@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: April 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed 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 monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $80,000 - $85,447 annually.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.
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 a doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields (plant pathology, mycology, microbiology, or bioinformatics). Degree must have been earned within the past four years.
Preferred skills:
- Experience with nucleic acid extraction and metagenomics desired.
Stipend
$80,000.00 – $85,447.00 Yearly
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 48 month(s).