USDA-ARS Zoonotic and Emerging Disease Postdoctoral Fellowship

3/27/2023 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS). This Location varies, our location Beltsville Maryland is one of our areas. It is not definitive where.

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 opportunity will directly support work being performed at or in support of work at https://www.usda.gov/nbaf.

How to Apply: In order to apply to any posting, you will need to make a profile account in Zintellect at https://www.zintellect.com/. Once your profile is made, you will be able to apply to postings.

Research Project: The opening is for doctoral level (Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M.) highly motivated scientists interested in researching zoonotic and emerging diseases posing a risk to human and animal health. Postdoctoral fellows will engage in advanced research at the forefront of immunologic, allergic, and infectious diseases while gaining access to outstanding career and professional support. The USDA facilities are not yet open in Kansas, and fellows will participate on research with scientists at other locations. Primary agents of interest will include crimean congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Nipah virus, Hendra virus. As necessary, fellows will gain experience in field studies and conduct research in maximum containment laboratories and/or cutting-edge technologies.  

Under the guidance of a mentor, fellows will be expected to develop scientific projects to address research gaps and to publish research in peer-reviewed publications in one of the following areas: Intervention Strategies to Prevent and Control Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever or Viral Ecology of Henipaviruses in Endemic Settings and Intervention Strategies to Prevent their Spread to Domestic Animals. Fellows may be required to undergo background investigations to obtain access to facilities.

Learning Objectives: The training will cultivate expertise in the identification of critical scientific questions and the development of scientific experiments to address identified questions. Participants will gain experience in scientific methods, scientific papers preparation, and experimental results presentation. Successful completion will prepare participants for jobs as independent research investigators.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: February 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 for up to two additional years 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.Plains@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within four years of the appointment start date.