USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship to Nutritional Quality of Crops

How To Apply

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

• An application
• Transcript(s) – For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted.  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
• A copy of an abstract or reprint of an article

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

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

USDA-ARS-PA-

4/10/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in College Station, Texas. 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 Responsive Agricultural Food Systems Research Unit (RAFSRU) located at Texas A&M University has research training opportunities for highly motivated postdoctoral fellows in prevention of diet‑related chronic diseases, plant genetics & biofortification and mechanistic studies in nutrition health associations. https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./

The research of the Responsive Agricultural Food Systems Research Unit (RAFSRU) is conducted under the USDA ARS Human Nutrition National Program (NP107). The unit’s mission is to prevent and mitigate nutrition‑associated chronic diseases through innovations in the food and nutrition environment. RAFSRU conducts targeted research on human health and nutrition across all life stages, generating fundamental knowledge on the interplay among agriculture, food systems, the environment, and human health.

Our research environment is guided by collaboration, mentorship, and a supportive culture that encourages personal and professional growth.

Current research is aimed at increasing nutritional qualities in grain, fruit, vegetable and tree crops using multi‑omics, genetics and molecular biology techniques. Under the guidance of a mentor, studies will be conducted to analyze phytochemicals such as polyphenols, which have known antioxidant properties, and also micronutrients such as iron and zinc in several crop species. Studies conducted in collaboration with USDA and university principal investigators will examine both genetic and environmental contributions to nutrient accumulation.

Studies will use conventional breeding and targeted genetic approaches to achieve biofortification of nutrients that are beneficial to human health. Under the guidance of a mentor, the postdoctoral fellow will develop hypotheses and experimental studies to quantify phytonutrient accumulation in edible parts of crops and use genomic tools to understand the genetic basis and gene regulation underlying accumulation of nutrients.

• Develop understanding of metabolomic and genomic approaches to quantify nutrients and the regulation of transport and accumulation.
• Develop hypothesis based on multi‑omic studies using plant samples collected in greenhouse and field experiments for functional genetics studies.
• Receive training in advanced molecular techniques such as cloning, gene editing…