What are the responsibilities and job description for the USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Grapevine Genetics and Computer Vision 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), Grape Genetics Research Unit (GGRU), located in Geneva, New York. GGRU is located on the AgriTech Campus of Cornell University.
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 mission of the Grape Genetics Research Unit is the advancement of grape production through interdisciplinary research, breeding, and technology transfer. The goals of the program are to reduce losses to crop yield and quality that result from diseases, pests, and abiotic stress and improve grape and grape product quality and utilization. The fellowship will contribute to grapevine genetics, genomics, gene editing, high throughput genotyping and phenotyping, and computer vision research. The participant will have opportunities to interact with GGRU scientists in the location and gain contemporary research knowledge and skills in grapevine genetics and genomics, especially in the area of developing and applying gene editing and AI computer vision tools for grapevine trait improvement.
Learning Objectives: Depending on the trainee’s skills and career goals, learning objectives could include:
- Adapting bioinformatic tools to predict gene or protein function underlying important grape traits.
- Developing skills in functional genetic techniques such as gene editing and characterization of edited plants.
- Expanding the applications of high-throughput phenotyping tools to new traits or concepts.
- Learning new AI computer vision approaches for analysis of grapevine samples imaged in the vineyard and/or laboratory.
- Gaining experience in writing government or commodity grant proposals.
- Trying new approaches to drafting peer-reviewed research publications.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Lance Cadle-Davidson (lance.cadledavidson@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 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 $75,202 per year. A health insurance stipend allowance will be provided to help offset the cost of premiums.
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 : $75,202