USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Plant Phenotyping

Overview

Organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Mississippi State, Mississippi. The ARS is the USDA's chief scientific in-house research agency with a mission to solve agricultural problems from field to table and to support nourishment, well-being, agroecosystems, natural resources, and economic competitiveness.

The primary objective is to develop an automated or semi-automated processing pipeline to analyze high-throughput plant phenotyping and soil-sensing data to extract key phenotypic traits. The work supports advancing crop productivity through sustainable cropping systems, regionally- and site-specific agronomic practices, and breeding hybrids with improved drought and disease resistance. The project emphasizes comprehensive plant phenomic data to understand genotype–environment–phenotype interactions that drive crop performance.

The postdoctoral fellow will be stationed with the USDA-ARS Genetics and Sustainable Agriculture Research Unit in Mississippi State, MS, collaborating with ARS scientists on high-throughput plant phenotyping research. This opportunity contributes to ARS National Programs NP216 (Sustainable Agricultural Systems) and NP301 (Plant Genetic Resources, Genomics, and Genetic Improvement).

• Gain expertise in advanced imaging technologies for plant phenotyping using RGB, multispectral, and hyperspectral systems with drone-based and ground-based sensing platforms.
• Learn artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to analyze image and geospatial data for crop monitoring and geospatial assessment.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of a data processing pipeline for high-throughput plant phenotyping and soil sensing to extract key phenotypic traits.
• Strengthen scientific communication skills through conference presentations and publication of research findings in peer-reviewed journals.

Mentor:
Haibo Yao (haibo.yao). For questions about the research, please contact the mentor.

• Anticipated
  
  Start Date:
  
  2026. Start date is flexible and depends on various factors.
• Appointment Length:
  Initially one year, may be renewed upon ARS recommendation and subject to fund availability.
• Level of Participation:
  Full time.
• Stipend:
  The anticipated stipend is $74,678 annually (monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience).
• Citizenship Requirements: U.S. citizens only.
• ORISE Information:
  This program is administered by ORAU through its contract with the DOE to manage ORISE. Participants are not USDA/ARS/DOE employees and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required; coverage can be obtained through ORISE.
• Questions:
  Please visit the Program Website. For additional questions, email ORISE.ARS.Southeast and include the reference code for this opportunity.

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 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.

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree:
  Doctoral Degree
• Discipline(s):
  Computer, Information, and Data Sciences;
  Artificial Intelligence;
  Computer Architecture and Grids;
  Computer Science;
  Data Science;
  Information Security;
  Networks and Communications;
  Software Engineering; and related fields as specified.

Questions about the application process should reference the opportunity code.