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• An application
• Transcripts – 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.

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Albany, California.

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: Under the guidance of a mentor, this appointment will involve investigation of one or more of the following opportunities:

• Developing and testing of home-compostable adhesives for price look up (PLU) stickers used to identify produce. This will involve researching bio-based, food-safe components, formulating them into an adhesive, applying the adhesive onto a backing, transferring it to the sticker and evaluating its performance on produce and test controls.
• Transforming autoclaved agriculture residues, food waste and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into bioproducts. This will involve completing fiber preparation, executing chemical reactions and instrumental analysis.
• Using a respirometer to measure biodegradation. This will involve preparing samples and the soil or water used for the test, setting up the respirometer, monitoring the test, adjusting the moisture level, calculating theoretical values and analyzing data.
• New bioproducts research opportunities that are not yet started.

Note: Albany is near Berkeley, CA in the San Francisco Bay area.  Housing is expensive but public transportation is relatively abundant.

The projects will be hands-on and require you to be on-site at least 3-5 days a week. 

Learning Objectives: The participant will be helping to find solutions for big problems such as how to cut down on food waste, reduce municipal solid waste and food waste from going to landfills and reducing greenhouse gas formation from landfills.

The participant will learn what it is like to be a scientist, how to develop new products and product ideas, and how to manage research with outside research partners.

The participant will be mentored by experienced scientists and technicians, new post-docs, students and industry partners.

Mentor: The mentor for this opportunity is James McManus (james.mcmanus@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 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. 

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.

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.

Preferred Skills include:

• Knowledgeable of general laboratory skills such as measuring, calculations, data analysis, and scientific process.
• Understanding of basic biology and chemistry.
• Word, Excel and PowerPoint proficiency.

• Degree: Associate's Degree, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, or Doctoral Degree.
• Discipline(s):
  • Business (11 )
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
  • Communications and Graphics Design (6 )
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (17 )
  • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
  • Engineering (27 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (48 )
  • Mathematics and Statistics (11 )
  • Other Non-Science & Engineering (13 )
  • Physics (16 )
  • Science & Engineering-related (2 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (29 )
• Age: Must be 18 years of age