USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Soil Ecology​/Mycotoxins

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

USDA-ARS-PWA-

6/19/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Research opportunity with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), within the Pest Management and Biocontrol Unit of the Arid Land Agricultural Research Center located in Tucson, Arizona.

The overall research goal of the lab is to develop, improve, optimize, and disseminate mycotoxin mitigation technologies to growers. The current study aims to elucidate the influence of soil biotic and abiotic properties on the size and composition of soil-borne mycotoxigenic fungal populations and subsequent corn contamination. Specific objectives include:

• Determine the extent to which soil properties and environmental factors explain intra‑ and inter‑regional variation in mycotoxigenic fungal populations and mycotoxin contamination severity.
• Characterize soil microbial communities that may contribute to differences in soil populations of mycotoxigenic fungi and subsequent contamination of corn.

• Experimental design
• DNA‑based quantification of mycotoxigenic fungi
• Characterization of soil microbiomes utilizing culture-based and metabarcoding approaches
• Bioinformatics and statistical analysis
• Scientific writing and communication

Email: hillary.mehl

August 2026 (flexible)

Initially one year; may be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and contingent on funding availability.

Full time.

Annual stipend of $70,000 – $76,000 (distributed monthly).

U.S. citizens only.

This program is administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy. Participants are not employees of USDA, ARS, DOE, or the program administrator, and no employment‑related benefits are provided. Proof of health insurance is required; insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a doctoral degree in one of the following fields:
Plant Pathology, Mycology, Microbiology, Bioinformatics, Population Genetics, Ecology, Computational Biology, or related disciplines.

• Experience in molecular biology, genomics, and/or metagenomics.
• Familiarity with analyzing data in a High Performance Computing environment.
• Experience preparing manuscripts for publication in peer‑reviewed journals.

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree:
  Doctoral Degree
• Discipline(s):
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences
    • Environmental Sciences
    • Environmental Studies
    • Natural Resources
    • Soil Science
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences
    • Health Sciences
    • Medical Sciences