USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Seed Pathology
*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.
The Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland provides responsive high-containment research that secures the nation’s food supply, agricultural economy, and environmental health against the threat of invasive foreign plant diseases and weeds.
Research Project: The fellow will participate in research on the characterization and detection of seed-borne plant pathogens or other microbes whose presence in harvested seeds have biodefense, biosecurity, or international trade implications. They will collaborate with ARS scientists to develop innovative approaches to describe, identify, and detect microbes found in crop and/or weed seeds. This research will help to unravel key indicators of biological relevance during seed quality testing procedures and contribute to a healthy national and international seed trade economy.
Learning Objectives: Under guidance of a mentor, the participant will:
- Acquire or improve their ability to predict important plant-microbe associations based on computational data and supplemental bioassays;
- Learn to conduct research using advanced DNA sequencing technologies;
- Understand the biology and ecology of invasive weed pathosystems and;
- Improve their written and oral communication skills.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Michael Fulcher (michael.fulcher@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 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 $84,600 - $84,601 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 one of the relevant fields (plant pathology, plant science, weed science, molecular biology, or a related field). Degree must have been received within the past four years.
Preferred skills:
- Favorable research experiences may include those involving: fungal, bacterial or viral plant pathogens, microbial community characterization, plant tissue culture, diagnostic assay development, high-throughput sequencing, multi-omics research, and/or bioinformatics.
- Experience using advanced scientific technologies to creatively solve agricultural challenges is especially favorable.
Stipend
$84,600.00 Yearly
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 48 month(s).