USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Food Composition Data

*Applications may be 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), within the Food for Health of People and the Environment Laboratory (FHPEL) at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Center (BHNRC) in Beltsville, Maryland. 

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 FHPEL is to support and conduct multidisciplinary research that will address food composition, the impact of the environment and food production systems on nutrient/bioactive components in food, and the metabolic/physiologic responses of humans and animals to food and its components. FHPEL provides leadership and promotes international cooperation in the development of food/nutrient databases such as the USDA FoodData Central (FDC) and application of state-of-the-art methods to acquire, evaluate, compile, and disseminate data on the nutrients and biologically active compounds in foods. FDC is an integrated database system with distinct data types that can be linked to multiple other databases.

The selected participant will help evaluate the use of food composition data among stakeholders, and will be involved in suggesting and implementing modifications of a food composition standard to improve the FAIR Principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse) for data made available through FDC. Further, the participant will also interact with the USDA researchers responsible for FDC and collaborators, such as the Simon Fraser University, to help map the USDA database to existing ontologies that will permit increased usability of the database and improve data mining for improving dietary assessment and understanding health outcomes.

Learning Objectives: The selected participant will have the opportunity to learn the complexity of collecting and disseminating a variety of datasets on food composition from laboratory analysis data to manufacturer-provided label data. They will have an opportunity to develop speaking, writing, and networking skills highly relevant to food composition and food nutrition communication. The participant will engage with a variety of stakeholders, both domestic and international, that represent dieticians, academics, and federal workers that use food composition data. They will have the opportunity to present their data and results at regional and national meetings involving researchers, regulatory officials, and stakeholders.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Kyle McKillop (kyle.mckillop@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 1, 2024.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for two years, but may be extended upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.

Participant Stipend: The participant(s) will receive an annual stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

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.Northeast@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing a doctoral degree anticipated to be received prior to the appointment start date. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred skills:

• Registered Dietitian

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
• Academic Level(s): Graduate Students or Postdoctoral.