USDA-ARS Research Biologist Postdoctoral Fellow

Organization
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Reference Code
USDA-ARS-2020-0145
How to Apply

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A complete application consists of:

  • An application
  • Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted. All transcripts must be in English or include an official English translation. Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts.
  • A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
  • Two educational or professional recommendations

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

Application Deadline
12/1/2020 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description

*Applications may be reviewed on a rolling-basis and this posting could close before the deadline.

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A postdoctoral research opportunity is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research Unit located in Hilo, Hawaii.

Research Project: This postdoctoral opportunity is intended to provide training and research experience in arthropod computational biology, and the research to be performed will be to support new projects related to the analysis of large data sets that are beyond the scope and capacity of current research projects.

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will be involved with research projects related to the study of tropical insect species that have negative impacts to agriculture in the United States. Potential projects range from population genetics and ecological niche modeling to comparative genomics of related taxa.

Learning ObjectivesThroughout this research opportunity, the participant will gain training and experience in insect genomics, third-generation sequencing and assembly, functional genomics, computational biology, and developing data analysis pipelines.

The participant will also be offered opportunities for intellectual and professional development through access to training webinars and courses through SciNet, an initiative set forth by the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to improve the USDA’s research capacity by providing scientists with access to high performance computer clusters, cloud computing, improved networking for data transfer and training in scientific computing.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Sheina Sim (sheina.sim@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: September 1, 2020.  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 annual stipend rate will be $66,002 and a health insurance allowance to cover the cost on an individual plan will also be provided. A relocation allowance of $5,000 and a travel/training allowance of $5,000 will also be provided.

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 have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.

Candidates with experience in computational biology, spatial data analysis, bioinformatics, genomics, or population genetics are encouraged to apply.

Preferred skills:

  • Previous experience in the analysis of large and complex data sets related to genomics, biotic characters, and abiotic characters
  • Fluency in an object-oriented programming language such as python or R
  • A background in computational biology, bioinformatics, or genomics
Eligibility Requirements
  • Degree: Doctoral Degree.
  • Academic Level(s): Postdoctoral.
  • Discipline(s):
    • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (16 )
    • Environmental and Marine Sciences (1 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (45 )
    • Mathematics and Statistics (2 )
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