USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biological Sciences

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center located in Parlier, California. 

Research Project: The proposed project will be centered around use of sterile insect technique and mating disruption as part of an area-wide pest management program for navel orangeworm, an important moth pest of tree nuts. General objectives will be to use laboratory and field assays to quantify and improve performance of locally-reared non-sterile and sterile moths, and to conduct mark-release-recapture assays in cooperator fields using sterile moths.

The day-to-day activities associated with this project will include: moth rearing procedures (as they relate to effect on competitiveness following sterilization), conducting flight tunnel and other laboratory tests of survivorship and performance, setting up and monitoring field traps for mark-release-recapture, preparing mating disruption treatments, and data collection and analysis.

Learning Objectives: Upon completion, the participant will have gained a deeper understanding of principles of sterile insect technique (SIT), how they might interaction with other pest management techniques in tree nut integrated pest management (IPM).

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Charles Burks (Charles.burks@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 1, 2022.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for six months, 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.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.

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 be currently pursuing or have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.

Preferred skills/experience: