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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 are reviewed on a rolling-basis.

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

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 mission of the Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases unit is to conduct basic and applied research on avian metapneumovirus, enteric viruses of turkeys, and Marek's disease herpesvirus. The goal of our research program is to produce new research knowledge and technology to develop or improve vaccines and vaccine delivery methods, determine the role of immunity during infections, develop engineering systems for reducing transmission, and development of disease. The participant will be part of the research team which is developing recombinant Marek's disease virus vaccines to prevent both Marek's disease and other poultry diseases. The project involves the construction of recombinant vaccines using Marek's disease virus as a vector platform and the evaluation of the vaccine efficacy against Marek's disease and targeted poultry disease. The participant will help construct the molecularly cloned Marek's disease virus genome, and recombinant Marek's disease vaccine expressing the foreign transgene. 

Learning Objectives: The participant will learn vaccine efficacy studies to verify the vaccine efficacy of recombinant vaccines including sample collection from animals, execution of viral genome detection, and data analysis.

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

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2025.  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.Southeast@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have received or be currently pursuing a doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields.

Preferred Skills/Experience:

• Virology and vaccine development 
• DNA, RNA amplification, molecular cloning, gene expression technique 

• Degree: Doctoral Degree.
• Discipline(s):
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (51 )

I affirm that:

• I am a US Citizen, OR
• I am a non-US Citizen currently living in the United States