USDA-ARS Alfalfa Plant Genetic Resources, Population Genetics and Breeding

How To Apply

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

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Reference Code

USDA-ARS-PWA-

A 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

All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.

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Final date to receive applications

10/9/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

• Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.

ARS Office/Lab and

Location:

A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Prosser, Washington.

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.

Research Project:
Alfalfa is the world’s most important forage legume crop, and its plant genetic resource (PGR) collections contain important genetic diversity for crop improvement. Systematic and thorough genotypic and phenotypic characterization would improve collection utility and aid in genome wide association studies (GWAS) and genomic selection (GS). Useful diversity could be made more accessible to breeders via pre-breeding activities creating publicly available improved germplasm.

Objective:
Apply high-throughput genomics and phenomics tools to characterize the USDA ARS National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) alfalfa collections and previously improved germplasm. Analyses of data may include handling, filtering, and calculations of genetic diversity, relationships, and GWAS/GS. Information is expected to be uploaded into public databases to ensure all data become publicly available. Project intends to create or advance crosses between accessions containing useful traits via phenotypic or genetic/GS.

Approach:
During this educational appointment, you will collaborate in research closely with PGITRU unit members, especially the Temperate-adapted Forage Legume program. You will liaise with other established USDA ARS collaborators including Breeding Insight and alfalfa research collaborators in CA, MN, WA, and WI while conducting research. The alfalfa collections and improved germplasm will be characterized in greenhouse or field plantings in Prosser, Washington.

Genotyping activities will be outsourced, and data receipt and initial quality assessment will be coordinated with the genotyping service institution and collaborators. You will receive sequence/genotype data, conduct analyses to survey variation, calculate relationships, and other relevant analyses of genebank accessions and improved germplasm. You will interact with collaborators to upload genotypic and phenotypic data directly into the GRIN-Global database or to link data generated via an external public platform for access.

Population level crosses will be initiated, or existing crossed families will be grown, phenotyped or genotyped, and selections made to advance to the next generation. The program has office, laboratory, greenhouse, field space, equipment, and supplies for planned experiments. Staff, collaborators, and lead scientists will support you in technical aspects of project.

Expected Results:
New genetic and phenotypic characterization of the alfalfa genetic resources and/or improved germplasm will improve collection management and promote their efficient use, for traits including but not limited to forage quality and disease resistance. Results may include:

• Estimating genetic diversity and population structure among and between all accessions in the collection,
• Correct accession taxonomic assignments,
• Redundancy identification leading to increased efficiency,
• Gaps in coverage revealed leading to targets for acquisition, and
• Aptly characterized PGR accessions in collections that can be used to identify subsets of variation for in-house and stakeholder mining of…