USDA-ARS Student Research Opportunity in Laboratory Analyses and Plant Evaluations

*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), within the Sugarcane Research Unit located in Houma, Louisiana.

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 Sugarcane Research Unit's mission is to provide research-based solutions that enhance the viability of sugarcane as a sugar and/or biofuels feedstock. The mission utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to develop improved varieties and environmentally friendly production strategies that will ensure industry profitability, expand the cropping range, and combat a constantly evolving pest complex that includes diseases, insects, and weeds. The student participant will take part in research conducted by the Sugarcane Variety Development team. This team leads the development of sugarcane varieties adapted to the temperate regions of Louisiana and which sustain one of the largest industries in the state. In addition, they support the development of energycane varieties aimed at supporting an emerging biofuel and bioproduct industry.  Assessment of different varieties of cane for yield and quality traits (e.g. cold tolerance, recoverable sucrose, biomass yield, disease resistance, etc.) will be conducted as part of this project under the guidance of a mentor.

Learning Objectives: The participant will take part in hands-on greenhouse, field, and laboratory evaluations and research to assess cane yield and quality traits as well as disease resistance. The objective of the internship is to expose the student participant to areas of agricultural science that are not seen or taught in the classroom. The participant will gain experience growing plants and conducting controlled greenhouse hybridizations of sugarcane. In addition, they will participate in field evaluations, learn about sample preparation, gain an understanding of experimental design of field, learn how to phenotype genetically variable sugarcane populations, and learn the proper way to collect, compile, and store data for analysis. This research opportunity will teach the participant skills necessary for future studies in the field of biological science.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Anna Hale (Anna.Hale@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: January 2024.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for five months, but may be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is part-time (20 hours per week).

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

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree and be interested in a career in science.

Preferred Skills:

• Ability to pay careful attention to detail
• Manual dexterity
• Ability to keep accurate notes.