USDA-ARS Food Safety: Plant-Pathogen Interactions in Wheat

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

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

USDA-ARS-HQ-

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

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

The National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, located at Peoria, Illinois, is part of the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) – the government’s chief in‑house research agency. ARS works to find solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day, from field to table, and to deliver cutting‑edge scientific tools and innovative solutions for farmers, producers, industry, and communities.

The overarching goal of our research lab is to enhance wheat resilience by improving nutritional integrity and disease resistance under abiotic stress conditions. We focus on evaluating the nutritional resilience and disease resistance of near‑isogenic wheat lines that harbor key Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) resistance quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and grain protein‑enhancing traits under adverse growing conditions. The project aims to generate a transcriptomic dataset that will accelerate wheat breeding strategies for adaptive plant defense and nutritional integrity.

The participant will gain hands‑on experience in plant physiology, nutrition assessment, disease severity evaluation, transcriptomic analysis, and data interpretation using advanced sequencing technologies and bioinformatics tools.

• Develop bioinformatics skills
• Learn plant pathology, plant physiology methodology and skillset
• Learn to collaborate in a multi‑disciplinary research group
• Develop presentation and speaking skills
• Refine problem‑solving skills

William Hay (william.hay)

2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Two years.

Full time.

Monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend is $74,678 minimum annually.

U.S. citizen 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. Participants do not become employees of USDA, ARS, DOE, or the program administrator, and there are no employment‑related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation;

health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, please email ORISE.ARS.Midwest and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a doctoral degree in one of the following fields:
Genetics, Plant Pathology, Plant Physiology, or a closely related field. If currently pursuing a doctoral degree, conferral should be anticipated in 2026.

• Molecular biology technique (e.g., qPCR, RNA/DNA extractions, aseptic technique)
• Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or Statistics experience
• Experience handling fungal cultures in a research setting
• Strong problem‑solving skills
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills – ability to be self‑motivated and to excel both independently and in a team environment
• Demonstrated communication skills (oral and written)

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree:
  Doctoral Degree
• Disciplines:
• Life Health and Medical Sciences
• Agricultural…