USDA-ARS Graduate Student Research Fellow (CERCA)
Application Deadline
7/3/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description
*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 Raleigh, North Carolina.
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 CERCA (Circular Economy that Reimagines Corn Agriculture) project is a large multi-institutional project aimed at transforming US grain farmland into a net-negative component of a circular bio-economy and reducing global greenhouse gases. The ultimate aim of the project is to develop corn that can survive and thrive in early season plantings and has reduced environmental impacts.
Research Project: The participant will collaborate closely with the mentors to design and conduct experiments that examine how variation in candidate proteins influences cold tolerance and nitrogen dynamics in corn plants. Through this process, they will gain hands-on experience in experimental design, data collection, statistical analysis, and scientific publishing. As a fellow in the CERCA project, they will actively participate in weekly virtual meetings with collaborators from across the United States, strengthening their skills in interdisciplinary teamwork and scientific communication. They will also have opportunities to travel for in-person meetings and collaborative work, further expanding your professional network and experience in multi-institutional research.
Learning Objectives: Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will gain experience and training in:
- Designing, identifying, and evaluating CRISPR and transgenic lines of candidate genes in maize.
- Designing and evaluating candidate genes using heterologous expression of recombinant proteins
- Utilizing advanced protein biochemistry tools like X-Ray Christalography, Isothermal Titration Calorimetry etc to characterize protein stability, protein-protein interactions and protein enzymatic activity.
- Using artificial intelligence to guide the design of new protein variants with improved enzymatic activity or protein binding proteins to achieve desirable traits.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Ruben Rellan-Alvarez (rrellan@ncsu.edu). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: June 1, 2026. 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 $37,000 annually.
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.CERCA@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing a doctoral degree (and have already received their bachelor's) in the one of the relevant fields.
Preferred skills:
- Experience working in maize genetics setting including manual pollinations in corn,
- Experience developing and evaluating maize mutants of candidate genes using CRISPR-CAS9 technology and other transgenic approaches, and;
- Experience in plant protein biochemistry including developing recombinant proteins and using technologies to detect protein stability and activity.
- Experience with experimental design and writing scientific manuscripts is desirable.
Stipend
$37,000.00 Yearly
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Currently pursuing a Doctoral Degree.