USDA-ARS Using Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers to Maintain Agronomic

How to Apply

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

Complete Application Consists Of:

• 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-C

7/17/2026 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 Temple, 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 overall goal of this project is to provide a background for improved understanding and management of agronomic systems to reduce our reliance on foreign fertilizers. Agronomic management of field crops requires efficient use of fertilizers to optimize multiple outcomes, such as crop production, profitability, and environmental impact. Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will collaborate with a team of scientists to evaluate how agronomic management of nitrogen fertilizers throughout the United States affects these multiple outcomes of production, profitability and environmental impact.

Of particular interest are fertilizer timing and source (to include enhanced‑efficiency fertilizers). Environmental impact outcomes include atmospheric losses and water quality that result from the agronomic management of crops. Ancillary data (meteorological, river stage, inundation of cropland areas, water quality, NO(x) fluxes, and agronomic management) will be analyzed geospatially and temporally to determine the potential benefits of improved fertilizer management for all the outcomes of concern.

• Learn the principles of nitrogen management in agronomic systems and their implications for crop productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability.
• Learn to evaluate the effects of fertilizer timing, source, and enhanced‑efficiency fertilizers on agricultural and environmental outcomes.
• Learn to collect and integrate ancillary datasets, including meteorological data, river stage, cropland inundation, water quality metrics, NO(x) fluxes, and agronomic management records.
• Learn to conduct geospatial and temporal analyses to assess the environmental and economic impacts of fertilizer management practices.
• Learn to contribute to the development of scientifically defensible, data‑driven agronomic guidelines that inform sustainable agriculture.

The mentor for this opportunity is Douglas Smith (douglas.r.smith). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

July 2026 (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 full time.

The participant…