What are the responsibilities and job description for the USDA-ARS Genetic Characterization of Tomato Fruit Maturation position at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education?
Organization
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Reference Code
USDA-ARS-NEA-2026-0209
How To Apply
To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY.
A Complete Application Consists Of
Connect with ORISE...on the GO! Download the new ORISE GO mobile app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to help you stay engaged, connected, and informed during your ORISE experience and beyond!”
Application Deadline
7/3/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
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: Project activities focus on genetic assessment and modification of tomato genomes to better understand genes and DNA sequences that contribute to ripening control and fruit quality. Project participation will involve laboratory and field data collection and assessment, in addition to opportunities for deployment of computational approaches for large data set genome-scale analyses necessary to identify candidate genes for further in-depth study.
Learning Objectives: Project participation will provide training opportunities in gene functional analysis, elucidation of gene regulation and mining of genetic diversity data. Training will be in the context of a laboratory team with collaborators bringing diverse skills to common efforts aimed at understanding ripening control.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is James Giovannoni (james.giovannoni@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: June 8, 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 is $95,000 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.Northeast@orau.org 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. Degree must have been received within the past one year, or pursuing and anticipated to receive by July 3, 2026.
Preferred Skills
$95,000.00 Yearly
Point of Contact
Janeen
Eligibility Requirements">7 )
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Reference Code
USDA-ARS-NEA-2026-0209
How To Apply
To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY.
A Complete Application Consists Of
- An application
- Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted. Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts.
- A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
- Two educational or professional recommendations
Connect with ORISE...on the GO! Download the new ORISE GO mobile app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to help you stay engaged, connected, and informed during your ORISE experience and beyond!”
Application Deadline
7/3/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description
- Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.
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: Project activities focus on genetic assessment and modification of tomato genomes to better understand genes and DNA sequences that contribute to ripening control and fruit quality. Project participation will involve laboratory and field data collection and assessment, in addition to opportunities for deployment of computational approaches for large data set genome-scale analyses necessary to identify candidate genes for further in-depth study.
Learning Objectives: Project participation will provide training opportunities in gene functional analysis, elucidation of gene regulation and mining of genetic diversity data. Training will be in the context of a laboratory team with collaborators bringing diverse skills to common efforts aimed at understanding ripening control.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is James Giovannoni (james.giovannoni@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: June 8, 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 is $95,000 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.Northeast@orau.org 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. Degree must have been received within the past one year, or pursuing and anticipated to receive by July 3, 2026.
Preferred Skills
- Experience with investigations of plant development, molecular biology and/or genomics.
- Growth and phenotyping experience of plants grown under greenhouse and field conditions.
- Strength in statistical approaches and experience with genome wide association data.
$95,000.00 Yearly
Point of Contact
Janeen
Eligibility Requirements">7 )
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 12 months or anticipated to be received by 7/3/2026 11:59:00 PM.
- Minimum Overall GPA: 3.50
- Discipline(s):
- Life Health and Medical Sciences (
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Salary : $95,000