USDA-ARS Postdoc Fellowship to Study Flood-Induced Insect Resistance in Cereals
*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 Gainesville, Florida.
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: A Postdoctoral fellowship is available to help investigate the mechanisms underlying flood-induced insect resistance in cereals such as maize, rice, sorghum, wheat, oats and rye. The candidate will perform greenhouse-based plant-insect bioassays on cereals involving flooding and infestation with fall armyworm, analyze plant metabolites using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and isolate and characterize mutants in maize, rice and sorghum to explore the mechanisms underlying flood-induced resistance.
Learning Objectives: The participant will expand their skills in plant metabolite analysis, plant genetics, and plant stress biology. They will also receive mentoring in writing peer-reviewed journal articles, and research project design and management, with the goal of developing skills required to become a principal investigator.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Anna Block (anna.block@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: February 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 is $6,162.00 monthly.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) 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 have received or be currently pursuing a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years or is pursuing and anticipated to receive by 2/1/2026.
Preferred skills:
- Experience with plant molecular biology, analytical chemistry, plant-insect interactions, plant genetics, plant-abiotic stress biology, plant genetics, metabolite profiling by liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and gene expression analysis (RNAseq) and multiomics
Stipend
$6,162.00 Monthly
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
- Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 2/1/2026 11:59:00 PM.