USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship: Remote Sensing of Northeastern Pastures

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; Burlington (VT); On-site; USD 67,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Monthly stipend

Health insurance supplement

Travel budget

Job summary

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) in Burlington, Vermont invites a doctoral-level candidate to participate in a research opportunity with USDA ARS. The program emphasizes data collection, remote sensing, geospatial modeling, and analysis of forage phenology in northeastern U.S.

It is a full-time opportunity with a monthly stipend and added health and travel support. Eligible candidates include US citizens with a doctoral degree received within the last 60 months or

Qualifications

• Earth and Geosciences are required or highly relevant.
• Doctoral degree completed within the last five years or anticipated by 12/31/2026.

Skills

Earth and Geosciences

Education

Doctoral degree

Job description

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Reference Code

USDA-ARS-NEA-2026-0418

Application Deadline

1/1/2027 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 Burlington, Vermont.

Research Project

This opportunity, available at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in the Food Systems Research Unit in Burlington, VT, focuses on characterizing long-term phenology of perennial pasturelands of the Northeastern US, using remote sensing tools, and understanding drivers and impacts of phenological changes among the ecoregion. The unit’s research focuses on the contribution of regional food systems to environmental sustainability, economic viability, and improved nutrition. You will have the opportunity to be involved in research that aims to characterize the scale and impact of long‑term weather patterns on forage phenology and productivity in relation to agricultural land use changes. You will help test the following hypothesis: Unexploited biological capacity in New England and New York could support added grass‑based ruminant livestock farming resulting in more nutrient‑dense animal sourced protein products.

Learning Objectives

You will gain experience in planning and conducting data collection, remote sensing, geospatial modeling, and statistical analysis to characterize forage productivity and phenology trends related to long‑term weather patterns and identify impacts and opportunities of agricultural land use transitions for regional production, local economies, and food access. You will collaborate closely with food systems modelers, agronomists, GIS specialists, and animal scientists, and will gain the ability to collect and combine existing productivity, geospatial, land use, and other economic, and environmental datasets to investigate regional opportunities and trends.

Mentor(s)

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

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

2026/2027.

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 is $6,600 monthly. A $465 health insurance supplement and $5,000 travel budget is also included.

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 a doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years, or anticipated to be received by 12/31/2026.

Stipend

$6,600.00 Monthly

Point of Contact

Janeen

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or anticipated to be received by 12/31/2026 12:00:00 AM.
• Discipline(s):
  • Earth and Geosciences (
  • Aeronomy
  • Atmospheric Chemistry
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Chemical Oceanography
  • Climate Dynamics
  • Earth Sciences
  • Geochemistry
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Geology
  • Geophysics
  • Large-scale Dynamics Meteorology
  • Magnetospheric Physics
  • Marine Geology
  • Mesoscale Dynamic Meteorology
  • Meteorology
  • Mineralogy
  • Paleoclimate
  • Paleontology
  • Physical Meteorology
  • Planetary Science
  • Solar - Terrestrial
• Environmental and Marine Sciences (9 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (15 )
    • Social and Behavioral Sciences (4 )
      • Veteran Status: Veterans Preference, degree received within the last 120 month(s).