What are the responsibilities and job description for the USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship: Remote Sensing of Northeastern Pastures position at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)?
*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.
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 Burlington, Vermont.
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: This opportunity, available at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in the Food Systems Research Unit in Burlington, VT, focuses on characterizing long-term phenology of perennial pasturelands of the Northeastern US, using remote sensing tools, and understanding drivers and impacts of phenological changes among the ecoregion. The unit’s research focuses on the contribution of regional food systems to environmental sustainability, economic viability, and improved nutrition. You will have the opportunity to be involved in research that aims to characterize the scale and impact of long-term weather patterns on forage phenology and productivity in relation to agricultural land use changes. You will help test the following hypothesis: Unexploited biological capacity in New England and New York could support added grass-based ruminant livestock farming resulting in more nutrient-dense animal sourced protein products.
Learning Objectives: You will gain experience in planning and conducting data collection, remote sensing, geospatial modeling, and statistical analysis to characterize forage productivity and phenology trends related to long-term weather patterns and identify impacts and opportunities of agricultural land use transitions for regional production, local economies, and food access. You will collaborate closely with food systems modelers, agronomists, GIS specialists, and animal scientists, and will gain the ability to collect and combine existing productivity, geospatial, land use, and other economic, and environmental datasets to investigate regional opportunities and trends.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Matthew McIntosh (Matthew.Mcintosh@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2026/2027. 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 $6,600 monthly. A $465 health insurance supplement and $5,000 travel budget is also included.
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.
Salary : $6,600