USDA-ARS Small Grains Intern

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; Aberdeen (ID); On-site; USD 36,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stipend

Job summary

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is offering a research opportunity with the USDA ARS in Aberdeen, Idaho. The program centers on barley and oat improvement, involving lab, greenhouse, and field work under a mentor. Applicants should be pursuing or have completed a bachelor’s degree in life/medical or agricultural sciences.

The appointment is full-time for one year with potential renewal, and the stipend is $3,395.00 monthly. Eligibility requires U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, earned within the past 12 months or anticipated to be earned by 12/31/2026.

Responsibilities

• Join barley and oat improvement work across laboratory, greenhouse and field environments under mentor guidance.
• Learn to prepare plant bacterial colonies and fungal cultures, extract DNA from plant tissue, and run PCR with interpretation of results.
• Attend mentor-approved meetings and workshops to build foundational research skills.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Life Health and Medical Sciences or Agricultural Sciences or related fields

Job description

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Reference Code

USDA-ARS-PWA-2026-0413

Application Deadline

1/1/2027 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

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

Description

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 Aberdeen, Idaho.

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 join a barley and oat improvement project, whose goals are to enhance barley and oat productivity, quality, and stress resistance by combining traditional, molecular, and genomics methods, and will be involved in all aspects of the research effort in the laboratory, greenhouse, and field environment. Under the guidance of a mentor, you may be given the opportunity to participate in preparing plant bacterial colonies and fungal cultures, evaluating barley and oat germplasm for disease resistance, extracting DNA from plant tissue and microbial agents, running PCR and interpreting PCR results. Attending mentor-approved meetings and workshops will be encouraged.

Learning Objectives

Under the guidance of a mentor, you will learn skills required for setting up and maintaining laboratory, greenhouse and field trials, maintaining fungal and bacterial cultures, preparing reagents needed for experiments, and collecting and summarizing experimental data.

Mentor(s)

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

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

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 be currently pursuing or have received a bachelor’s degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past one year, or anticipated to be received by 12/31/2026.

Stipend

$3,395.00 Monthly

Point of Contact

Janeen

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Bachelor's Degree received within the last 12 months or anticipated to be received by 12/31/2026 12:00:00 AM.
• Discipline(s):
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (
  • Agricultural Sciences
  • Agriculture
  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Biochemistry
  • Biology (General)
  • Botany
  • Plant Sciences