USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemistry

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; Wyndmoor (PA); Presencial; USD 67.000 - 73.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education offers a one-year, full-time research opportunity with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Wyndmoor, PA. The project focuses on converting biomass into value-added products using NMR, GC-MS, and HPLC under a mentoring expert.

Ideal candidates hold a doctoral degree or are completing one within five years, with preferred skills in chemical synthesis and analytical methods. Eligibility is restricted to U.S.

Formación

• Doctoral degree in Chemistry or a related field received within the last five years or currently pursuing.
• Preferred experience includes NMR analysis and chemical synthesis.

Conocimientos

Chemical Synthesis

Experience with NMR analysis

Educación

Doctoral degree

Herramientas

NMR

GC-MS

HPLC

FTIR

DSC

TGA

Descripción del empleo

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Reference Code

USDA-ARS-NEA-2026-0394

Application Deadline

12/18/2026 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 Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.

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 research primarily focuses on developing value-added products from low value biomass. Biomass can include plant or animal residues or any other waste materials such as food or municipal waste. The research involves extraction and modification of low value waste materials and their derivatives. Physical, chemical and instrumental analysis of raw materials and finished products are used to determine the structural characteristic and properties of the compounds. Under the guidance of a mentor, you will be assisting in identification and quantification of the extracted and/or synthesis of modified products with the determination of structural integrity of the compounds. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), GC-MS, HPLC will be used as the primary tools for structure determination and quantitative analysis of the compounds. In collaboration with the mentor, you will help determine how the project goals will be achieved. The research is primarily laboratory based, but pilot plant experiments are also conducted.

Learning Objectives

• Learn to conduct research focused on developing value-added products from low-value biomass, including plant and animal residues, food waste, and municipal waste.
• Gain experience in extracting and modifying biomass-derived materials to create functional derivatives and new products.
• Develop skills in performing physical, chemical, and instrumental analyses to characterize raw materials and finished products.
• Gain hands-on experience with advanced analytical techniques, including Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), GC-MS, and HPLC for structural determination and quantitative analysis.
• Develop skills in both laboratory-scale and pilot plant experiments.

Mentor(s)

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

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

2026/2027. 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 $6,000 - $6,500 monthly.

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 or be currently pursuing a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have ben received within the past five years.

Preferred Skills

• Chemical Synthesis
• Experience with NMR analysis
• Other analytical skills such as GC-MS, HPLC, FTIR, DSC, TGA

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Bio-organic Chemistry
  • Chemistry (General)
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Polymer Chemistry

Point of Contact

Janeen