Description
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: The participant will join a highly active and productive citrus rootstock breeding and genetics project, involving laboratory, greenhouse, and field site activities. Research conducted in the project is aimed at developing superior new citrus rootstocks and other useful citrus hybrids, with increased tolerance or resistance to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses, high fruit productivity and fruit quality, and superior traits for efficient propagation in the nursery. The participant will be part of a collaborative team research effort in the laboratory, greenhouse, and field environment, and will be involved in creating and applying experimental designs and treatments, collecting and analyzing experimental data, and evaluating thousands of unique hybrid citrus genotypes for multiyear performance in replicated testing. Most components of the project are targeted to assemble significant relevant data that solve important citrus industry and citrus nursery problems, which will be presented at industry and professional conferences and published in refereed scientific journals. The participant will be involved in a broad range of activities in plant breeding and horticulture research, from measurements of tree size and fruit crop to sophisticated genomic analysis, development of molecular markers, and determination of bacterial and virus disease titers.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn theory, methods, and skills to propagate citrus plants, prepare plants for greenhouse and field research, and to conduct those experiments.
- Learn theory, methods, and skills to prepare DNA samples for qPCR analysis, SSR marker analysis, and genetic sequencing, using specialized equipment.
- Learn theory, methods, and skills to prepare orange juice samples from field trial experiments, and complete analysis for brix, acid, and color, using specialized equipment.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Kim Bowman (kim.bowman@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: January/February 2026. 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 will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $53,208 - $84,607 annually.
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 ORISE.ARS.Southeast@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Requirements
The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received an associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree in the one of the relevant fields (e.g. horticulture, plant science, botany, or agriculture).
Preferred skills: Significant courses and/or experience involving plants in the greenhouse and field environment, along with indication of being comfortable working outdoors.
