USDA-ARS Enhancing Malt Quality Through Evaluation of Barley and Malt Characteristics

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 20,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stipend

Mentor-guided research

Job summary

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education offers a research opportunity with the USDA ARS in Madison, WI. You will participate in malt quality research for barley lines, performing wet lab assays and data analysis under a mentor, with a path toward publishing results and collaborating with researchers nationwide.

The appointment can be full-time or part-time, initially for one year with potential renewal, and a stipend commensurate with education and experience will be provided. U.S.

Qualifications

• Pursuing or holding an associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree in a relevant field.
• Willingness to work in a laboratory environment.
• Ability to stand for extended periods and lift over 25 pounds.

Responsibilities

• Assist in malt quality evaluation programs for barley lines.
• Perform wet lab assays and collect phenotypic data.
• Analyze malt quality data to assess gains from barley variety or processing methods.
• Summarize results for collaboration with researchers across the US.

Skills

Interest in food science

Lab procedures familiarity

Ability to stand and lift

Education

Associate/Bachelor/Master degree in relevant field

Job description

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Reference Code

USDA-ARS-MWA-2026-0402

Application Deadline

11/6/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis and applications may close before the deadline.

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 Madison, WI.

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

Under the guidance of a mentor, you will help conduct research toward the improvement of the malting quality of barley lines produced in US breeding programs. Research performed will include participating in the malt quality evaluation programs for barley lines submitted by collaborating scientists, performing wet lab‑based assays to collect phenotypic data from malts produced from the project and analyzing the malt quality data to assess potential gains in the brewing and distilling process that can be attributed to barley variety or processing methods. Summarized data will be disseminated to collaborating scientists located across the US.

Learning Objectives

Under the guidance of a mentor, you will have the opportunity to learn to: describe the science of malting through the grading of raw grain, conduct processing of grain into malts using established micro malting procedures and apply the wet lab protocols including quantifying of grain protein and moisture, assessing hydrolytic enzyme activity, measuring of free amino nitrogen concentration and extract potential, and performing modified mashing procedures.

Mentor(s)

The mentor for this opportunity is Jason Walling ([e-mail]). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

As soon as possible. 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 part time or full time.

Participant Stipend

The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range per level of participation is $40k - 55k for full time and $20k - $26k for part time.

Stipend

$20,000.00 – $55,000.00 Yearly

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 [e-mail] and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received an associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree in the one of the relevant fields.

Preferred Skills

• Interest in pursuing careers in food science, lab quality assurance, and/or malting/brewing/distilling industries.
• Familiarity with routine lab procedures and feel comfortable in a laboratory environment.
• Able to stand for extended periods (>2hrs) and able to lift >25 pounds

Point of Contact

Michele

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Associate's Degree, Bachelor's Degree, or Master's Degree.
• Discipline(s):
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (Artificial Intelligence (including Robotics, Computer Vision, Human Language Processing, and Machine Learning))
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  • Computer Science (general)
  • Computer Systems Analysis
  • Computer Systems Design (including Signal Processing)
  • Data Science
  • Databases, Information Retrieval, and Web Search
  • Graphics and Visualization
  • Human Computer Interaction
  • Information Science and Technology
  • Information Security and Assurance
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  • Operating Systems and Middleware
  • Scientific Computing and Informatics
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