What are the responsibilities and job description for the USDA-ARS Fellowship in Research on African Swine Fever Virus position at Zintellect?
*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 Manhattan, Kansas.
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 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is seeking a motivated fellow through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) program to be mentored by a collaborative research team from the Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU) to contribute to cutting-edge research on African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) which is a high-consequence pathogen impacting global swine health and food security. Secondary opportunities will be available to contribute to projects on Classical Swine Fever (CSF).
Learning Objectives: The fellowship provides engagement with research on cell culture, molecular virology, diagnostics, vaccine development, and animal studies in a high-containment laboratory. Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will gain hands-on experience and/or increase their skills in in the following ways:
- Learn molecular virology techniques (PCR, sequencing, virus isolation).
- Learn techniques related to diagnostics (ELISA, neutralizations)
- Learn to develop and validate diagnostic assays and vaccine candidates.
- Learn to conduct ASFV-related experiments under BSL-3 conditions.
- Learn to analyze experimental data and contribute to scientific publications.
Mentor(s): The mentors for this opportunity are Gisselle Medina (gisselle.medina@usda.gov) and Elizabeth Ramirez-Medina (elizabeth.ramirez@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: July 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 $62,107 - $74,361 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.Plains@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Salary : $62,107 - $74,361