USDA-ARS Crop Germplasm Resources Internship

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) located in Geneva, New York.

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:  Research activities for the proposed project will primarily focus on genetic characterization and management of crop genetic resources, including tomato, onion, brassica, celery, asparagus, tomatillo, ground cherry, winter squash, radish, hemp and buckwheat. The selected participant will participate in specific research projects and apply contemporary multidisciplinary science and technology skills to address diverse questions within crop genetic resource conservation. Research topics may include but are not limited to: phenomic and genomic characterization, curation and documentation, and propagation and distribution of genetic resources to diverse stakeholders. The knowledge, experience, methods, and technologies may come from plant genetics, molecular biology and genomics, breeding, computational biology, population and quantitative genetics, horticulture and/or other related disciplines.

Learning Objectives: The selected participant will learn about vegetable and hemp germplasm curatorial methods and participate in seed increases, phenotyping, and method development.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Zachary Stansell (Zachary.stansell@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2022. 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(s) will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) 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 USDA-ARS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor's or master's degree in one of the relevant fields.