USDA-ARS Genetic Improvement of Barley and Oat for Resistance to Biotic and Abiotic Stress

*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 Aberdeen, Idaho.

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 participant will collaborate with barley and oat researchers to:

• Develop and implement genomic selection methods to improve the resistance of elite barley germplasm to Fusarium Head Blight;
• Design, implement and present investigations of oat abiotic stress response; and
• Evaluate the genetics of disease resistance using existing population resources.

Learning Objectives: Learning activities may include hybridization of oat and barley, genetic population development, experimental design, phenotyping in field and greenhouse settings, DNA extraction and molecular marker analysis, harvest of field plots and sample preparation, statistical analysis, presentation of results at national meetings, and manuscript preparation.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Kathy Esvelt Klos (kathy.klos@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: November 2024. 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.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) 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.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (Plant Breeding, Plant Genetics, Plant Molecular Biology or related field). Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred skills:

• Methods of plant breeding and population development, population genetics as applied to plant breeding, basic plant pathology, and the genetics/agronomy of the small grains.
• Skill in statistical analysis of designed experiments using SAS, R or other software package is highly desired.

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
• Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 month(s).