USDA-ARS Plant Pathology Research Intern

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) – located in Frederick, Maryland.

6/5/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

You will join a team focused on foreign plant pathogens. The team's goals are to understand their biology, host range, and develop strategies to rapidly identify those causing foreign and emerging plant diseases and/or weeds. You will be part of the research effort in the laboratory, greenhouse, and field environment, and will be involved in creating experimental designs and treatments, collecting experimental data, and analyzing and interpreting results.

Under the guidance of a mentor, you will participate in research aimed at protecting U.S. agriculture, timber and forest products, and the environment from foreign fungal pathogens. This opportunity will teach you skills necessary for a future in biological science.

• Basic laboratory techniques such as pipetting, preparation of solutions, nucleic acid extractions, recording and compiling data.
• Use of laboratory equipment (centrifuge, lyophilizer, heat block, pipettes, biological safety cabinet, fume hood, Tissue Lyser III homogenizer, analytical balance, incubators, growth chambers, thermocycler).
• Live plant inoculations including inoculum preparation, seedling care, and fungal culture preservation.
• General lab protocols, safety, biosafety, upkeep, and maintenance.
• Participation in genome sequencing with Oxford Nanopore platforms (Prometh
  
  ION2 Solo and MinION Mk1D).
• Proper evaluation and data collection for scientific experiments.

Jo Anne Crouch (joanne.crouch).

Anticipated start date:
June 15, 2026. Start date is flexible.

Initial length: one year. May be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and contingent on availability of funds.

Flexible scheduling; can accommodate part-time or full-time. Full-time during summer months and part-time during academic year, based on project needs.

Monthly stipend: $3,844.

U.S. citizen only.

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen.
• Degree:
  Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree.
• Discipline(s):
• Life Health and Medical Sciences
• Agricultural Sciences
• Agriculture
• Crop Science
• Animal Sciences
• Bioinformatics
• Biology (General)
• Biochemistry
• Botany
• Cellular and Molecular Biology
• Ecology
• Entomology
• Environmental Health
• Genetics
• Horticulture
• Microbiology
• Plant Sciences
• Veterinary Sciences
• Virology
• Zoology (General)
• Age:
  Minimum 18 years old.

Janeen.