USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Research Associate

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; Wenatchee (WA); Presencial; USD 66 000 - 79 000; Tempo integral

Resumo da oferta

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) in Wenatchee, Washington supports a USDA ARS research opportunity focused on engineering soil and plant-associated microbiomes to benefit apple production systems. The role involves time-series analysis of rhizosphere microbiomes and collaboration across government, academia, and extension services.

Applicants should have a doctoral degree in a relevant field and are expected to contribute to long-term data generation informing soil health

Qualificações

• The qualified candidate should have received or be currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics/Computational Biology or a related field.
• Degree must have been received within the past five years, or anticipated to receive by 2/28/2027.

Responsabilidades

• Assist with analyses of multiyear time series microbiome data.
• Support integration of environmental and soil health metrics with microbial data.
• Collaborate with ARS scientists and university partners on project design and data interpretation.

Conhecimentos

Bioinformatics analyses

HTS data handling

Microbiome research

Experimental design

Formação académica

PhD in Microbiology/Bioinformatics

Descrição da oferta de emprego

Organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Reference Code: USDA-ARS-PWA-2026-0401

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

Application Deadline: 12/18/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

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 Wenatchee, 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 be mentored by the Research Microbiologist (Lead Scientist) in support of an ongoing research program focused on engineering soil and plant associated microbiomes to directly benefit fruit tree production systems. Specifically, you will assist with research designed to evaluate how microbial taxa living in the apple root/rhizosphere interact with each other and the surrounding environment over time. Experimental field trials focused on building soil carbon, buffering environmental stress and mitigating replant disease are currently underway (washingtonsoilhealthinitiative.com/wenatcheeltare/). Up to 4 years of data on root/rhizosphere microbiome composition have been collected from these trials. A time series approach will be used to model rhizobiome community assembly in apples cultivated under a variety of soil management practices. This will include investigation of associations between microbial community composition, key environmental controls (i.e., moisture and temperature), and physical/chemical soil health metrics (collected at the same site). In addition to collaborating with ARS scientists, the project offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with a biostatistician at the University of Idaho (Moscow campus). During the appointment, you will also enable engagement with other scientists/extension agents which are part of the Washington Soil Health Initiative (https://washingtonsoilhealthinitiative.com/). The production of meaningful and relevant long term data is expected to help growers/stakeholders make informed decisions related to soil health best management practices.

Learning Objectives

• Develop skills in analyzing multiyear, time series microbiome data to model changes in the composition of apple rhizosphere communities.
• Explore how physiochemical and environmental factors may be influencing microbial community composition/temporal dynamics in orchard soil
• Gain experience with methods designed to show which organisms interact and how (microbial association networks)
• Learn how microbial community sequence data may be used to inform soil health assessments
• Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration skills across government, academia, extension and the agricultural (tree fruit) industry.
• Gain experience translating long term agricultural research into evidence that can support grower decisions on soil health best management practices.

Mentor(s)

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

Appointment Details

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: January 4, 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.

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 (Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics/Computational Biology or a related field of study). Degree must have been received within the past five years, or anticipated to receive by 2/28/2027.

Preferred Skills

• Proficiency in bioinformatic analyses; in particular, experience with high throughput sequencing data
• Strong background knowledge of microbiome research and host-microbe interactions
• Experience performing standard molecular techniques (DNA extraction, PCR, etc.) is desirable
• Knowledge of the principles of experimental design and analysis
• Ability to maintain detailed records of procedures and data in both written and computerized form

Stipend

$6,474.60 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 2/28/2027 11:59:00 PM.
• Discipline(s):
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences
  • Bioinformatics
  • Biology (General)
  • Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • Microbiology
• Veteran Status: Veterans Preference, degree received within the last 120 month(s).