USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Research Biology Fellowship

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A postdoctoral research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center (DBNRRC) located in Stuttgart, Arkansas.

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 USDA-ARS Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center (DBNRRC) in Stuttgart, Arkansas seeks applicants for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow appointment focusing on rice biology and genetics, and biochemistry. Potential research topics include biotic and abiotic stress tolerance and novel grain traits that are beneficial to human health. Postdocs will be involved with assisting with proposal development, producing project reports, presenting research findings at conferences, and publishing peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals.

Learning Objectives: As a result of this training the participant will improve their skills in identification and characterization of genes underlying 1) plant yield, yield components, or 2) disease resistance and signaling pathways leading to immunity and/or c) health beneficial foods.

Mentor(s): The mentors(s) for this opportunity is Dr. Yulin Jia (yulin.jia@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 2023.  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.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.

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.Southeast@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g., Plant Biology, Plant Pathology, Biochemistry, Plant Breeding, Agronomy, Computational Biology).

Preferred Skills/Experience: