What are the responsibilities and job description for the USDA-ARS Post Graduate Research Fellow in Agrigenomics 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 Hilo, Hawaii.
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.
The mission of the Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit is to develop new technologies in pest management, improve molecular diagnostics, and enhance biocontrol agents to support American agriculture and protect it from invasive tropical pests.
Research Project: This project is for a research fellow at the post-grad or post-bac level that is interested in expanding research experience in insect genomics, genome sequencing, bioinformatics, functional genomics or molecular biology. The research focus is on genomics of tropical and subtropical pest insect species. The lab uniquely hosts a complete production scale genomics laboratory, including all current sequencing technologies and tools. We develop and apply both emerging tools and techniques to insect genomics and have resources to support development of rich datasets for asking complex questions and collaborate broadly across many different research communities.
Learning Objectives: Participants will gain skills in execution of emerging genomic techniques to agrigenomic samples including insects, plants, and microbes on a broad range of sample types and genomic instrumentation. The participant will gain knowledge of genomics from sample preparation, sequencing, to handling data and interacting with a variety of researchers and projects associated with this opportunity.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Scott Geib (scott.geib@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: May 1, 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 $4,000 - $5,500 monthly.
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.PacificWest@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Salary : $4,000 - $5,500