USDA-ARS Phytochemical Research Opportunity in Peoria, Illinois
*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), located in Peoria, Illinois.
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 mission of the Functional Foods Research (FFR) Unit is to develop bioactive food ingredients that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition and to create value-added food and nonfood products from low value agricultural resources. To fulfill one component of FFR's mission requires using techniques in analytical and natural products chemistry. Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will have access to liquid chromatography instruments and mass spectrometers for quantitatively and qualitatively characterizing the chemicals in agricultural products and co-products.
Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will learn how to:
- Operate liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry instruments.
- Perform statistical tests to compare chemical abundances.
- Extract and purify chemicals of interest from agricultural products and co-products.
- Cultivate agricultural crops in a greenhouse and/or the field.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Korey Brownstein (korey.brownstein@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: January 2026. 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. The anticipated stipend range is $70,000 to $74,000 annually.
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.Midwest@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years.
Preferred skills:
Knowledge in experimental design and understanding the scientific method.
Stipend
$70,000.00 – $74,000.00 Yearly
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.