USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

ARS Office/Lab and Location: One research opportunity is currently available with the Crop Production Systems Research Unit within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Stoneville, Mississippi.

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 project will focus on enhancing productivity, efficiency, and sustainability of crop production in the Lower Mississippi Delta region in Mississippi.

The participant is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at USDA-ARS Crop production Systems Research Unit in Stoneville, MS. The assigned research area will focus on enhancing crop productivity in the Lower Mississippi Delta region in Mississippi. This research is a component of USDA-ARS National Program 305 – Crop Production. The participant will assist with team research aimed at investigating the impacts of climate change on biology of peanuts and selected weeds. Evaluations include controlled environment-based growth chamber and greenhouse studies to investigate physiological and production responses of crops under drought, and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and temperatures. In addition, the participant will measure leaf surface reflectance properties using multispectral or hyperspectral reflectance to investigate the influence of environmental factors on morphophysiological traits of crops. The participant will support this project by managing data collection and experimental logistics and analyzing data. The associate will also contribute to other on-going projects depending on skills and expertise, and author or co-author peer reviewed journal articles. 

Learning Objectives: As a result of this training the participant will improve skills and knowledge in abiotic stress impact of crop production research, scientific writing, and data analysis.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Dr. Krishna Reddy (krishna.reddy@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: March 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 USDA-ARS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g., Agronomy, Crop Science).

Preferred Skills: