USDA-ARS Plant Breeding Internship

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; Pullman (WA); On-site; USD 44,640 - 46,872; Full time

Job summary

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education in Pullman, WA, offers a research opportunity in wheat genetics under the USDA ARS Pacific West program. The appointment is full-time and includes a monthly stipend ranging from $4,000 to $4,200. The start date is August 1, 2026, with a one-year appointment that may be renewed based on funding and performance.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens with a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field earned within the last five years.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, completed within the past five years.

Responsibilities

• Participate in wheat breeding and genetics research focused on soft white and club wheat improvement.
• Learn DNA extraction, quantify and normalize DNA, run molecular marker assays, and analyze results.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Life Health and Medical Sciences

Job description

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Reference Code USDA-ARS-PWA-2026-0157

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

Application Deadline 9/25/2026 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 Pullman, Washington.

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

You will participate in multiple aspects of wheat breeding and genetics research with a focus on soft white and club wheat improvement. These include learning to cross wheat genotypes, growing and harvesting tissue for DNA extraction, growing and transplanting seedlings, and caring for plants in greenhouse settings. In the genetics laboratory, you will learn to extract DNA, quantify and normalize DNA, run molecular marker assays, and analyze results. You will also quantify various nutritional properties of whole-wheat flour, including fiber and mineral concentrations.

Learning Objectives

• Learning to cross wheat genotypes, growing and harvesting tissue for DNA extraction, growing and transplanting seedlings, and caring for plants in greenhouse settings.
• Learning to extract DNA, quantify and normalize DNA, run molecular marker assays, and analyze results.

These activities fit the mission and will teach you skills for enhancement of the nutritional quality of foods and expand opportunities for American Farmers.

Mentor(s)

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

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

August 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 $4,000 - $4,200 per month.

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 have received a bachelor's degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Stipend

$4,000.00 – $4,200.00 Monthly

Point of Contact

Janeen

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Bachelor's Degree received within the last 60 month(s).
• Discipline(s): Life Health and Medical Sciences
• Agricultural Sciences
• Agriculture
• Agronomy and Crop Science
• Anatomy
• Animal Behavior
• Animal Health and Food Safety
• Animal Sciences
• Basic Biomedical Sciences
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics
• Biology (General)
• Biophysics
• Botany
• Cellular and Molecular Biology
• Comparative Medicine and Laboratory Animal Medicine
• Computational Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Ecology
• Ecosystem Ecology
• Emergency and Incident Management
• Entomology
• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Food Sciences and Technology
• Genetics, including Genome Sciences
• Health Physics
• Horticulture
• Immunology
• Industrial Hygiene
• Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses
• Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology
• Medicine
• Microbiology
• Neurosciences
• Nursing
• Nutritional Sciences
• Occupational Health
• Pharmacology
• Pharmacy
• Physiology
• Plant Sciences
• Population and Community Ecology
• Population Medicine
• Public Health
• Structural Biology
• Toxicology
• Veterinary Sciences
• Virology
• Wildlife Sciences
• Zoology (General)
• Veteran Status: Veterans Preference, degree received within the last 120 month(s).