USDA-ARS Human Nutrition Research Centers and FoodData Central Fellowship

*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available in the Food for Health of People and the Environment Laboratory (FHPEL), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center located in Beltsville, 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 mission of FHPEL is to support and conduct multidisciplinary research that will address food composition, the impact of the environment and food production systems on nutrient/bioactive components in food, and the metabolic/physiologic responses of humans and animals to food and its components. FHPEL provides leadership and promotes international cooperation in the development of food/nutrient databases such as the USDA FoodData Central (FDC) and application of state-of-the-art methods to acquire, evaluate, compile and disseminate data on the nutrients and biologically active compounds in foods. FDC is an integrated database system with distinct data types that can be linked to multiple other databases.

Research Project: The objective of this project will be to identify specific themes/research areas common to all six human nutrition research centers within the Agricultural Research Service and likely to enhance the USDA FoodData Central. The candidate will help to facilitate the development of a briefing document describing the strengths and abilities at each center as related to human nutrition and food composition and contribute to communication materials that would engage people from agricultural communities or those experiencing diet-related health disparities to collaborate with investigators to enhance information available in FoodData Central to help to promote wellness and sustainable food production systems. Assisting with ARS’s Nutrition Hubs will be an important component of the holistic approach to food production, nutrition and health of people and the planet.

Learning Objectives: 

• Understand ARS Human Nutrition Research Center programs and how help to optimize center interactions and collaborations based on research projects.
• Acquire knowledge about food composition and relevant factors impacting variability in food components and the subsequent impact on health disparities and health outcomes.
• Learn about analytical chemistry approaches to determine components in foods.

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

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 2024. 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 can be part time or full time (30-40 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, 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 USDA-ARS@orau.org  and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master's or doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree should be received prior to start of appointment or by 12/31/2024.

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
• Academic Level(s): Graduate Students, Postdoctoral, or Post-Master's.