USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Agricultural, Computer, and Mechanical Engineering

Overview

Reference Code USDA-ARS-SEA-. This is a research opportunity with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Athens, Georgia.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

To submit your application, scroll to the bottom of this opportunity and click APPLY. A complete application consists of:

• An application
• Transcript(s) – unofficial transcript or copy of student academic records may be submitted
• 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.

Final date to receive applications: 6/19/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description – 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. The postdoctoral fellow will contribute to a project on developing a scalable AI-based imaging solution for poultry meat safety and quality, using hyperspectral imaging and AI techniques. The project may investigate integration of physical AI approaches for real-time sensing in poultry processing environments.

Research Project – Developing a scalable AI-based imaging solution for poultry meat; focus on detecting and predicting safety/quality attributes (e.g., foreign materials, pH) using hyperspectral imaging and AI; explore real-time decision-making in processing environments.

Learning Objectives – Under mentor guidance, gain knowledge and experience in:

• Applying hyperspectral imaging to evaluate safety and quality of agricultural and food products, with emphasis on poultry.
• Advancing AI technologies for applications in food and agriculture.
• Developing general and scalable AI solutions.
• Designing image-based sensing technologies for real-time deployment of AI methods.
• Presenting research findings at conferences and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.

The mentor for this opportunity is Seung-Chul Yoon (seungchul.yoon). For questions about the research, please contact the mentor.

Anticipated

Start Date:

2026. Start date is flexible.
Appointment Length: Initially one year, may be renewed contingent on funds.
Level of Participation: Full time.
Stipend: $70,000 – $80,000 annually.

Citizenship Requirements: US citizens only.
Qualifications: Doctoral degree or currently pursuing a doctoral degree in a relevant field.

• Broad understanding of agricultural, computer, and/or mechanical engineering, computer vision, imaging, hyperspectral imaging, and machine learning in food/agriculture.
• Understanding of modern AI model development.

This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. DOE to manage ORISE, does not make participants USDA/ARS/DOE employees and does not provide employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required and can be obtained through ORISE. For questions about the application process, visit the Program Website or email ORISE.ARS.Southeast with the reference code.

Questions: ORISE contact as above.