USDA-ARS Plant Genetics and Genomics Program Fellowship

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

USDA-ARS-SEA-

To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of the opportunity and click APPLY.

An application, transcript(s), a current resume/CV, and two educational or professional recommendations are required. All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

4/24/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

A plant science research opportunity is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), at the Subtropical Horticulture Research Station (SHRS) in Miami, Florida.

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is USDA’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.

This appointment is supported by the USDA‑ARS Ornamental Research Program in Miami, FL. The fellow will participate in a team effort to maintain and characterize Ornamental Genetic Resources (OGRs) by discovering molecular resources using biochemical and computational biology approaches. Specific project objectives include:

• Conducting field‑lab research, characterizing molecular and biological traits in OGRs;
• Handling and analyzing multi‑omics data sets to assess ornamental plants for their economic traits and their genetic relationships;
• Analyzing and publishing research outcomes as scientific articles to help mitigate agricultural problems.

Methodologies used by the fellow range from routine to highly specialized and include plant genetics, molecular biology techniques, computational biology/bioinformatics, statistics, and field‑lab approaches.

The participant will receive training in plant molecular biology, genetics, and genomics. This research is expected to result in increased learning and knowledge of the genetic‑transcriptomic basis and their relationships to ornamental plant maintenance, management, and efficient U.S. national germplasm collection improvements.

Learning opportunities include analysis of genetic diversity, comparative genomics, metabolomics, and phylogenetic relationships of ornamental plants. The participant will gain experience by collaborating with national and international scientists working on OGRs.

Madhugiri Nageswara‑Rao (Madhugiri.

Nageswara‑Rao)

March 2026 (start date flexible and will depend on a variety of factors).

The appointment will initially be for one year but may be renewed each year upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Full‑time.

The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $53,208 – $69,422 annually.

This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

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.

Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, please email ORISE.ARS.Southeast and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master’s or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g., Plant Genetics, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, and/or a related discipline).

• Knowledge of plant computational biology, molecular biology, genetics, statistical analysis, and multi‑omics analytical skills.
• Knowledge of field research is helpful for collaboration with plant scientists in screening experimental germplasm.
• Experience and expertise in performing DNA, RNA extractions, polymerase chain reactions, and gel electrophoresis.
• Experience in performing Sanger and Next Generation Sequencing.
• Analysis of resulting data using bioinformatics tools.
• Experience in data organization and preparation for manuscript publishing.
• Experience in addressing biological hypotheses through statistical inference with computational approaches is helpful.
• Proficiency in using languages such as Python, Bash, R, SQL, and UNIX shell scripting.
• Knowledge and experience with statistical modeling and inference using large biological datasets and Next Generation Sequencing efforts.

$53,208.00 – $69,422.00 Yearly

Sara Beth