USDA-ARS Prunus Reproduction Developmental Biology and Genetics

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

USDA-ARS-HQPD-

8/14/2026 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 Kearnesyville, West Virginia.

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 project focuses on understanding genetic and developmental aspects of reproduction in Prunus species. This includes determining key signaling pathways that regulate the development of various floral tissues, meiosis, pollination, and fruit formation and the associated developmental and environmental triggers. You will have the opportunity to help us develop new approaches for pollination-independent fruit production, manipulation of fruit tissue development, crop protection during adverse weather events, and novel methods for cloning propagation.

• Investigation of the genetic and developmental mechanisms underlying reproduction in Prunus species.
• Identifying key signaling pathways that regulate floral tissue development, meiosis, pollination, and fruit formation.
• Analyzing developmental and environmental triggers that influence reproductive success in perennial fruit crops.
• Designing research approaches supporting pollination-independent fruit production strategies.
• Manipulation of fruit tissue development to improve crop yield and quality.
• Evaluation and development of crop protection strategies to mitigate the impacts of adverse weather events.
• Develop knowledge of innovative cloning and propagation methods for perennial fruit species.

The mentor for this opportunity is Chris Dardick (Chris.Dardick). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

October 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

The appointment will initially be for two years, but may be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

The appointment is full time.

The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and ARS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, ARS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program.

Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, please email ORISE.ARS.HQPostdoc and include the reference code for this opportunity.

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past four years.

Janeen

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree:
  Doctoral Degree received within the last 48 month(s).
• Discipline(s):
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences
  • Agricultural Sciences
  • Agriculture
  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Horticulture
  • Plant Sciences
• Veteran Status:
  Veterans Preference, degree received within the last 120 month(s).