USDA-ARS Lactation Physiology Fellowship

*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A postdoctoral research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Animal Disease Center (NADC), located in Ames, Iowa.

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: Under the guidance of a mentor, the fellow will research the mechanisms of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle and analyze the ability of vaccines to protect lactating cows. The fellow will collaborate with a team of microbiologists, immunologists, bioinformaticians and animal scientists.

Learning Objectives: Throughout the course of this research project, the fellow will have the opportunity to learn how to characterize the cattle immune response to highly pathogenic avian influenza infection, identify and evaluate vaccine candidates, and compare immune responses between cattle genotypes.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Kaitlyn Sarlo Davila (kaitlyn.sarlodavila@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: August 2025. 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 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.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) 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.Midwest@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields (e.g. Animal Science, Dairy Science, or a related field). Degree must have been received within the past five years or anticipated to be received by start of appointment.

Preferred skills:

• Skilled in collecting and analyzing milk samples from lactating cows and BSL2/3 laboratory procedures.