USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genetics and Genomics of Grapevines

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A complete application consists of:

• An application
• Transcripts – Click here for detailed information about acceptable transcripts
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• Two educational or professional recommendations

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

*Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and this posting could close before the deadline.

ARS Office/Lab and Location: Multiple postdoctoral research opportunities are currently available with the Grape Genetics Research Unit (GGRU) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Geneva, New York.

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 USDA-ARS Grape Genetics Research Unit (GGRU) is pleased to announce the availability of several postdoctoral research appointments in areas broadly related to genetic discoveries, trait development, and germplasm improvement. Disciplines include, but are not limited to, plant breeding, genetics, genomics and computational biology, plant pathology and physiology, biochemistry, agricultural engineering, machine learning, and gene editing. GGRU is co-located with Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, NY, where we work together to shape the future of specialty crop production. 

The mission of the Grape Genetics Research Unit is the advancement of grape production through interdisciplinary research, breeding, and technology transfer. GGRU currently focuses on three plant protection and production issues of national importance to the grape industry: resistance to powdery mildew disease; tolerance to stress from adverse cold, drought, and other adverse grape growing conditions; and improved fruit yield and quality of wine, juice, and table grapes. 

Learning Objectives:  Participants will have opportunities to learn genetics, genomics, molecular biology and other scientific disciplines of knowledge about grapevines and apply high throughput sequencing, robots, gene editing and other cutting-edge tools in grapevine trait research and development. Participants will have opportunities to collaborate and network with peers and scientists from GGRU and Cornell University. They will also have opportunities to showcase their research through publications and presentations at professional meetings and outreach activities.

Mentor(s):  The mentor for this opportunity is Gan-Yuan Zhong (ganyuan.zhong@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact one of the mentors.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date:  June 3, 2024. The 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(s) will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

Citizenship Requirements:  This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.

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.

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, or be currently pursuing the degree with completion by the start of the appointment.

• Degree: Doctoral Degree.
• Discipline(s):
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (14 )

• I am a US Citizen, OR
• I am a non-US citizen currently living in the United States