To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY.

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.

Connect with ORISE...on the GO!  Download the new ORISE GO mobile app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to help you stay engaged, connected, and informed during your ORISE experience and beyond!

*Applications are 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), Northwest Irrigation & Soils Research Lab (NWISRL) located in Kimberly Idaho.

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: The sugar beet research program at the NWISRL develops genetic resources to help improve resistance to disease and abiotic stress. The research project with which you will participate will focus on the evaluation of diverse germplasm, with special interest in responses to the beet curly top virus, Rhizomania disease, as well as early seedling freezing tolerance. As part of this project, you will have the opportunity to characterize diverse accessions of cultivated and wild through multifaceted, modern techniques (genomic, expression analyses, proteomics, metabalomics, etc). This project aims to use these techniques to understand stress response and resistance mechanisms and identify valuable accessions and genetic haplotypes for future breeding and genetic interventions. This mentorship opportunity offers research training in plant genomics and breeding techniques, plant pathology, bioinformatics as well as the statistical analysis of collected data. You will also be able to improve science communication experience through the drafting and publishing of scientific manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, as well as present research at scientific conferences.

Learning Objectives: During the appointment, you will:

• Learn to evaluate diverse sugar beet germplasm for resistance to beet curly top virus, Rhizomania disease, and early seedling freezing stress.
• Develop skills in genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic techniques to characterize cultivated and wild accessions.
• Build knowledge in plant stress-response and resistance mechanisms and how these inform breeding and genetic-improvement strategies.
• Gain hands-on experience in plant genomics, plant pathology, bioinformatics, and statistical data analysis within an applied agricultural research context.
• Build proficiency in scientific communication, including drafting manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and presenting research at scientific conferences.

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

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: January 4, 2027. 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 anticipated stipend range is $5,500 - $6,300 monthly.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

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 a doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five (5) years or anticipated to be received by the start date of January 4, 2027. It is desired that the candidate have academic experience in agricultural science with at least some previous experience performing research in one of the following settings: greenhouse/field experiments, molecular/benchtop analyses, and bioinformatic analyses.

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 1/4/2027 12:00:00 AM.
• Discipline(s):
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (7 )
• Age: Must be 18 years of age