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

How to Apply

Submit your application online. The complete application must include the application form, an unofficial transcript, a current resume/CV, two educational or professional recommendations, and documents must be in English or include an official English translation. The deadline is 9/25/2026 3:00 PM Eastern Time.

You will receive mentorship and training in plant‑pathogen interactions between wheat and mycotoxigenic fungi, focusing on Fusarium Head Blight (FHB). You will learn and apply transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches to investigate plant defense responses and support wheat breeding strategies to improve disease resistance while maintaining grain nutritional quality.

• Study FHB and its impact on wheat production, grain quality, and food safety.
• Conduct transcriptomic and metabolomic experiments using advanced sequencing technologies and bioinformatics methods.
• Analyze existing datasets and generate new molecular and metabolic data.
• Maintain fungal cultures and laboratory reagents.
• Interpret scientific data, develop research reports, and present findings to the research team.
• Collaborate within a multidisciplinary research group.

• Current or recently earned (within the past four years) doctoral degree in Genetics, Plant Pathology, Plant Physiology, or a closely related field.
• Experience with molecular biology techniques such as qPCR, RNA/DNA extractions, and aseptic technique.
• Bioinformatics or computational biology skills, including data analysis with statistical software.
• Experience handling fungal cultures in a research setting.
• Strong problem‑solving, communication, and teamwork skills.

• Two‑year full‑time appointment.
• Monthly stipend of $6,223.17 (approximately $74,678 annually) commensurate with experience.
• Health insurance coverage through ORISE is required.

• U.S. citizenship.
• Doctoral degree earned within the last 48 months or anticipated by 12/31/2026.
• Discipline:
  Genetics, Plant Pathology, Plant Physiology, or a closely related field.

For more information, contact William Hay (william.hay) or Janeen tact email: ORISE.ARS.HQPostdoc.