What are the responsibilities and job description for the USDA-ARS Fellowship Opportunity in Fish Nutritional Analysis 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), National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center, located in Franklin, Maine
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: Atlantic salmon are cultured all over the world to provide food for an ever-increasing population. To increase salmon production while maintaining product quality new ingredients must be found. Protein and lipid ingredients make up most of the salmon feed. Determining the protein and lipid content, and fatty acid and amino acid profiles of potential ingredients is an important component for evaluation. This experience will enable you to learn about Atlantic salmon nutrition and fillet quality. Additionally, you may have the opportunity to go to an ARS experimental feed production facility to participate in making salmon diets for a study and visit other collaborators involved with this project. You will learn about salmon culture (salmon care) and experimental design while participating in this project.
Learning Objectives:
- Gain experience evaluating potential feed ingredients by determining protein and lipid content, as well as fatty acid and amino acid profiles.
- Develop skills in nutritional analysis methods, including sample preparation, proximate analysis (crude lipid, crude fat, energy, ash, moisture), and astaxanthin analysis.
- Learn how to perform fatty acid, amino acid, and particle size analyses to assess ingredient quality and suitability for salmon diets.
- Understand how analytical results inform the formulation of efficient, high-quality diets for Atlantic salmon production.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Gary Burr (gary.burr@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: August 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 $3,500 monthly with $738.88 for health benefits and a $1,000 dislocation bonus.
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 : $739 - $3,500