USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Plant-Microbe Interactions

*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.

ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is available with the National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment (NLAE) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) located in Ames, Iowa.

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 NLAE is a transdisciplinary lab whose mission is to generate information addressing critical problems in agriculture and watershed management to develop innovative solutions which increase the efficiency of agriculture systems and reduce environmental risk.

Research Project: A postdoctoral fellowship is available for enthusiastic and self-directed applicants.  Under the guidance of a mentor, the research fellow will identify and evaluate plant traits that impact nitrogen cycling in the rhizosphere and detritosphere of maize. The aim of this research is to:

1. Identify and develop novel sources of biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) capacity in maize and
2. Evaluate the contribution of plant chemistry and root and rhizosphere traits, including BNI, to agroecosystem nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen retention and reductions in nitrous oxide emissions.

The research will be part of a collaborative project with an interdisciplinary team of government, university, and industry scientists within the Circular Economy that Reimagines Corn Agriculture (CERCA) project.  The vision of CERCA is to transform US grain farmland into a net-greenhouse gas negative component of a circular bioeconomy through earlier planting and increased uptake, recycling and retention of nitrogen and phosphorous. Translational research teams are pursuing three main objectives: (1) Modeling plants, farms, environments, and economics to identify trait combinations and US environments likely to benefit from the new cropping system; (2) trait discovery through testing wild species and diverse maize germplasm with promising cold tolerance and nutrient recycling and retention capabilities; and (3) trait development through stacking genetic improvements. 

Learning Objectives: In collaboration with the mentor and team scientists, the successful applicant will have the opportunity to define personal research objectives to support the efforts of trait discovery and evaluation in relation to plant-microbe interactions, agroecosystem nitrogen retention and mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions. Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will design experiments and conduct personal and team research on plant traits influencing microbial communities and nitrogen cycling in the rhizosphere and detritosphere in maize hybrids and wild relatives. The participant will have the opportunity to develop their knowledge in the fields of rhizosphere ecology, molecular microbial ecology, and agroecology and gain skills in the characterization and quantification of nitrogen cycling communities, measurement of ecosystem process rates and the culture and handling of nitrifiers.  The participant will have the opportunity for close collaboration and learning with a team of geneticists, breeders, soil scientists, agroecologists and bioinformaticians. 

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Bryan Emmett (bryan.emmett@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: May 2024. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for two years, 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. Full or partial health insurance reimbursement may be provided along with the stipend.

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.CERCA@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields (e.g. microbial ecology, soil biogeochemistry, plant-microbe interactions). Degree must have been received within the past five years or anticipated to be received by or near the agreed upon start date.

Depending on the research project objectives, the selected candidate may need to operate a government owned vehicle (GOV) and will be required to show proof of a valid U.S. State Driver’s License and provide proof of an active U.S. auto insurance policy.

Preferred skills:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills and evidence of successful publication in peer-reviewed journals
• Ability to research independently and within a team
• Preference will be given to candidates who have experience with nitrogen cycling microbial communities, handling of bacterial cultures and rhizosphere ecology.

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Doctoral Degree received within the last 60 months or currently pursuing.