USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Plant Pathology

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A complete application consists of:

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

3/31/2023 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A postdoctoral research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), within the Foreign Disease/Weed Science Unit (FDWSRU) 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 ARS-FDWSRU is a unique governmental research facility, comprising eleven independent PI labs conducting research on a multitude of foreign plant pathogens and invasive weeds, including USDA-APHIS Select Agents and other high-risk fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, and viruses. Our 43,000 square foot research facility provides a wide range of labs, greenhouses, and growth chambers, including a 10,000 square foot BSL3 containment facility, plus powerful computational and bioinformatic tools through the ARS SciNet platform.

Research Project: A post-graduate research opportunity is available to study downy mildew pathogens of cereals and grasses, conducting research with both domestic and foreign pathogens and the two species designated as Select Agents in the U.S. These graminicolous downy mildew pathogens (GDMs) of corn, sorghum, sugarcane, and millets cause some of the world's most destructive diseases. To improve capabilities for identification and detection of these high-risk foreign pathogens prior to their introduction into the U.S., researchers are working to generate a comprehensive toolkit of molecular and multi-media resources that enhance our ability to identify GDMs at the state and national levels and at U.S. ports of entry. The successful candidate for this postdoctoral research project will undertake both bioinformatic and in planta objectives, leveraging a large dataset of enriched barcode data, genome assemblies, and other resources to characterize diverse pathogen species, and to develop sensitive fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) tools to detect the pathogens in planta.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: Early Spring 2023.  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).

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.

The qualified candidate should have a doctoral degree or is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields to be received before March 31, 2023.

Preferred skills:

USDA-ARS-2022-0419