USDA-ARS Post-Graduate Fellowship in Data Science​/Computational Biology​/Bioinformatics

How to Apply

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

• An application
• Transcript(s) – 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

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

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

USDA-ARS-PWA-

2/13/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

A fellowship opportunity is available in the USDA-ARS Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit in Hilo, Hawaii. 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 mission of the Tropical Pest Genetics & Molecular Biology Research Unit is to develop new technologies in pest management, improve molecular diagnostics, and enhance biocontrol agents to support American agriculture and protect it from invasive tropical pests.

The research project will focus on developing reproducible pipelines and workflows for genomic analysis in functional and population genomics. The lab hosts a complete production‑scale genomics laboratory, including all current sequencing technologies and tools. We develop and apply both emerging tools and techniques to insect genomics and have resources to support development of rich datasets for asking complex questions and collaborating broadly across many research communities.

Computational resources are available for large‑scale analyses, allowing for a unique opportunity for a fellow to obtain unique training and experiences that fit into their professional development.

This research fellow will gain experience in bioinformatics and computational biology, focusing on arthropod genomics and genetics. The fellow will learn the use of workflow tools, development environments, and resources to contribute to and implement shared bioinformatic workflows. Experiences may extend into training on Machine Learning and AI models as appropriate. Skills to be gained may include developing and maintaining containers (apptainer/singularity), workflows (nextflow, snakemake), and repositories (github) that can be implemented on high‑performance computing resources.

The mentor for this opportunity is Scott Geib (scott.geib). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

January 2025. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

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

The appointment is part‑time.

The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $1 000 – $1 500 monthly.

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.…