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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. 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.

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

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A postdoctoral fellowship is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), within the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS), located in Washington, D.C.

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 Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides leadership and coordination to ensure that research supported by, and scientific advice provided to the Department and external stakeholders is held to the highest standards of intellectual rigor and scientific integrity.

The OCS strives to inform policy and programmatic decisions within the Department by providing the best available scientific advice and input; establishing appropriate linkages between the USDA and other science-performing organizations in government (U.S. and abroad), academia, and industry; and ensuring the dissemination of science performed by the Department to policy makers and decision leaders across the spectrum of policy making nationally and internationally. For more information, see,

About the Office of the Chief Scientist | USDA

Research Project: OCS is offering a Science Fellow the opportunity to expand their skills in honing their technical and project management expertise to support the office in improving the impact of USDA nutrition science.  Under the mentorship of a Senior Advisor, the Science Fellow will coordinate science initiatives, co-leading strategic planning to set science priorities, and developing projects/activities/communications to show the impact of USDA science in the areas of climate or nutrition science. The Science Fellow will participate at the intersection of science and policy to address challenges in agriculture, nutrition security, precision nutrition, and food systems. The Science Fellow will: 

• Learn to coordinate diverse teams and manage multiple projects under the relevant Senior Advisors mentorship
• Develop and carry out, with guidance from the Senior Advisor, independent projects to advance impact of USDA nutrition science
• Support day-to-day functions of the OCS nutrition science portfolios
• Conduct analyses of USDA nutrition science to identify where USDA science can have the most impact in these spaces
• Support the development of nutrition science strategic priorities and assist with the implementation of these priorities
• Identify opportunities where USDA science can collaborate or partner with others throughout the USDA or across the Federal Government to advance nutrition science
• Develop a variety of communication materials for different audiences, including briefings for USDA science leadership, blogs to inform the public, and roadmaps/strategic plans
• Represent USDA science on nutrition science across the USDA and the Federal Government

Learning Objectives: As a result of this training, the participant will improve their skills in networking, meeting facilitation, coordination across multiple agencies with different priorities, and science policy development at USDA.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Dr. Richard Derksen (rich.derksen@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the fellowship, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: As soon as a qualified candidate is identified.  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 USDA-OCS 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 yearly current stipend for this opportunity is $100,000 - $135,00 based on education, experience, and location. A health insurance reimbursement supplement up to $19,266 per year will be provided to defray the cost of health insurance coverage.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR).

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.Northeast@orau.org  and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past four years.

Preferred skills:

• Doctorate degree with post-doctorate experience in areas of nutrition science related to food and human health
• Nutrition science candidates should demonstrate a strong research and post-doctorate background in precision nutrition, impact of nutrition on disease risk and recovery, or dietetics
• Successful candidates should demonstrate proven ability to manage multiple projects and teams to address challenges, identify solutions, and monitor project progress
• Candidates should demonstrate excellent written and oral communication on scientific topics and translating technical scientific information for general audiences
• Ability to expand expertise and thinking to address a broad portfolio on topics of nutrition science
• Experience leading, facilitating, and influencing teams to carry projects to completion
• Candidates should be flexible and self-starters who support collaboration

• Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
• Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 48 month(s).
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (1 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (4 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 )