USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering

Overview

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), Environmental Microbial and Food Safety Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. This is a postdoctoral research opportunity focused on nondestructive sensing-based tools and techniques to reduce food safety risks in preharvest and post-harvest production and processing.

The overall goal is to develop nondestructive sensing-based tools and techniques for safety and quality inspection. This project will focus on safety and quality inspection using spectral imaging techniques such as fluorescence, reflectance, and Raman, for authentication of food ingredients and detection of food contaminants, improvement of cleaning and sanitation efficacies in food processing facilities, and pre-harvest in-field detection of animal fecal contamination.

• Under the guidance of a mentor, participate in activities including applying hyperspectral fluorescence, reflectance, and Raman imaging technologies for safety and quality evaluation of agricultural products.
• Learn artificial intelligence/machine learning methods to evaluate hyperspectral image data to assess safety and quality attributes of agricultural products.
• Contribute to the development of sensing and instrumentation methods and technologies for rapid safety and quality inspection of agricultural products.
• Participate in design and development of imaging-based food safety and quality inspection systems for bulk-processing environments.
• Present research results at scientific conferences and publish results in peer-reviewed journals.

The mentors for this opportunity are Dr. Jianwei Qin (jianwei.qin), Dr. Moon Kim (moon.kim), and Dr. Insuck Baek (insuck.baek). For questions about the research, please contact the mentors.

Anticipated Appointment

Start Date:

2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on various 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. The anticipated stipend range is $80,000 - 90,000 annually.

Citizenship Requirements:
This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

Eligibility Requirements:
Citizenship US citizen;
Degree Doctoral degree received within the last 60 months;
Discipline(s) include Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Scientific Computing and Informatics) and Engineering;
Veteran Status Veterans Preference, degree received within the last 120 months.

Stipend: $80,000.00 – $90,000.00 yearly.

Organization: USDA ARS NEA

Final date to receive applications: 9/25/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

How to Apply:

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 printed by the applicant or academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted. See detailed information about acceptable transcripts.
• A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, relevant experiences, and publication list
• Two educational or professional recommendations
• A copy of an abstract or reprint of an article

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

ORISE Information:
This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage 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. Health insurance is required for participation and can be obtained through ORISE.

Questions:
Please visit the ORISE Program Website. For additional questions about the application process, email ORISE.ARS.Northeast and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Janeen