USDA-ARS Postgraduate Fellowship in Molecular Biology and Arthropod Genomics

*Applications may be reviewed on a rolling-basis.

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A postgraduate research opportunity is available within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) with the Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit at the Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center located in Hilo, Hawaii. 

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: This opportunity is for a postgraduate (Master's degree in-hand) fellowship in arthropod genomics and molecular biology. The goal of the research project is to generate datasets and genomic resources for high priority species of insects and other arthropods to support agricultural genomics. 

Learning Objectives: Under guidance of a mentor, the participant will gain skills and experience in DNA extraction, library preparation, and next generation sequencing of insect and other samples to support development of reference genomes for pest and beneficial species. The fellow will also gain access and experience using command line high performance computing, data management, and record keeping.  

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is Scott Geib (scott.geib@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: August 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 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 current stipend for this opportunity is within the range of $4,000 - $4,500 per month ($48,000 - $54,000 annually) and is contingent on skills 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.PacificWest@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a master's degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred Skills include:

• Master's degree and experience in molecular methods and techniques.
• Experience using command line, linux and potentially high performance computing