USDA-ARS Forage Legume Breeding Internship

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 8,400 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) invites applicants for a research opportunity at the USDA ARS Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison, WI. The role focuses on hands-on forage breeding, phenotypic/genotypic evaluation, and data collection under direct mentorship.

Participants may work full time or part time; the appointment length is five months with potential renewal based on funds. The monthly stipend ranges from $750 to $3,000, depending on education and experience, and

Qualifications

• Pursuing or recent graduate in Life Health and Medical Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, or related fields.
• Degree must be received within the past 36 months or expected by start date.
• Strong interest in plant breeding and data collection workflows.

Responsibilities

• Gain hands-on experience in forage legume breeding.
• Participate in phenotypic and genotypic evaluation of plants.
• Support plant handling, pollination, seed production, and data recording.

Skills

Plant breeding

Research interest

Education

Associate's or Bachelor's degree (recent)

Job description

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Reference Code

USDA-ARS-MWA-2025-0155

Application Deadline

10/23/2026 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 at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center (USDA-ARS) in Madison, WI on the University of Wisconsin - Madison campus. The U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center provides scientific solutions to all aspects of U.S. dairy systems to make them more productive and profitable.

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

This opportunity will provide participants a hand-on experience in forage legume breeding. Participants will gain practical knowledge in all aspects of forage breeding including phenotypic and genotypic evaluation of plants, plant pollination and seed production, research plot establishment and evaluation, and greenhouse tasks associated with plant breeding.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be trained in plant breeding techniques and participate in breeding, plant handling, plant maintenance, pollination, and data collection activities.

Mentor(s)

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

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length

The appointment will initially be for five months but may be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation

The appointment is full time or part time. The mentor is very flexible in terms of scheduling and number of hours spent with the project per week. Availability for full days during the growing season (Apr/May to Sep/Oct) during daylight hours will be necessary.

Participant Stipend

The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $750.00 - $3,000.00 monthly depending on level of participation.

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.

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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 or bachelor's degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past three years or anticipated to be received by start of appointment.

Preferred Skills And Availability

• Individuals with an interested in plant breeding.
• Students who can participate 40/week in this opportunity during the growing season months (Apr/May to Sep/Oct).
• Individuals interested in continuing participation part time during (Nov to Mar).
• Participants having a current driver's license and own vehicle is preferred but not required.

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

Point of Contact

Sara Beth

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Associate's Degree or Bachelor's Degree received within the last 36 months or currently pursuing.
• Discipline(s):
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences
  • Agricultural Sciences
  • Agriculture
  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Bioinformatics
  • Biology (General)
  • Botany
  • Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • Computational Biology
  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics, including Genome Sciences
  • Horticulture
  • Plant Sciences