The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the United States Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency and one of the world's premiere scientific organizations. ARS Postdoctoral Research Associates are hired to supplement a lead scientist's research on agricultural problems of high national priority affecting American agriculture. **ANNOUNCEMENT IS OPEN UNTIL FILLED OR January 6, 2026**

Duties

Lead research projects to generate a complex dataset to evaluate and identify promising plant genes associated with wheat nutritional integrity and Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) disease resistance. Generate a transcriptomic dataset to accelerate wheat breeding strategies for adaptive plant defense and nutritional integrity with rising CO2. Inoculate wheat with fungal pathogens and evaluate disease outcomes. Conduct an integrative transcriptomic and gene co-expression network analysis of host and host × pathogen response to elevated CO2. Compare wheat nutritional integrity at elevated CO2. Identify plant genes associated with wheat nutritional integrity (grain protein and macronutrients) and FHB disease resistance. Maintain a safe work environment for self and others in a biosafety level 2 laboratory. Analyze, interpret, and report research results in the form of presentations, publications, patents, and technical reports.

Requirements

• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Appropriations Law and Immigration Law requirements must be met.

Qualifications

This position requires a recent Ph.D. (obtained in the last 4 years) in plant pathology, plant physiology, genetics, or a related field of study that has equipped the applicant with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. Experience with molecular biology techniques (e.g. qPCR, RNA/DNA extractions, aseptic technique) is needed. Experience in bioinformatics, computational biology, or statistics, and handling fungal cultures in a research setting is preferred. Strong problem-solving skills, interpersonal and teamwork skills, i.e., ability to be self-motivated and to work both independently and in a team environment, and demonstrated communication skills (oral and written) is highly desired. This position requires occasional local travel for field work. A valid motor vehicle's drivers license is highly desired, but not required. Applicants must meet basic Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standard's requirements (noted below) of at least one of the scientific disciplines necessary to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. Basic Requirements for Plant Pathology Series (0434) Degree: plant pathology; or a related scientific discipline that included at least 20 semester hours in basic botany or plant science, and 10 semester hours in plant pathology. Graduate Education: must have been in plant pathology, or in one of the recognized subject-matter fields of plant pathology, or have followed a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on plant pathology or one of the recognized subject-matter fields of plant pathology, such as those dealing with particular types of pathogens, diseases of particular kinds of crops, or chemical or biological controls. Graduate study in related fields such as microbiology, entomology, plant physiology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, or chemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on plant pathology. Evaluation of Education: courses in botany, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, agronomy, forestry, horticulture, or similar subjects may be used to meet the 20-semester-hour requirement in basic botany or plant science. To meet the specific 10-semester-hour requirement in plant pathology, the courses must have been in plant pathology, or have dealt with specific subject matter areas of plant pathology such as those concerned with viruses, fungal or bacterial diseases, host-plant relationships, biotic or chemical controls, environmental or physiological diseases, parasitic diseases, etc. Basic Requirements for Plant Physiology Series (0435) Degree: botany or plant physiology; or a related scientific discipline that included at least 10 semester hours in plant physiology. Evaluation of Education: The 10-semester-hour requirement in plant physiology is specific. Course work is qualifying if it dealt with plant physiology, some phase of plant physiology, or methods and techniques applied in plant physiology work. Other course work in borderline areas should be evaluated on the basis of content. Basic Requirements for Genetics Series (0440) Degree: genetics; or one of the basic biological sciences that included at least 9 semester hours in genetics. Graduate Education: Genetics, or a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on genetics. Graduate study in related fields such as agronomy, horticulture, animal, dairy, or poultry husbandry, entomology, microbiology, plant pathology, chemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and physiology that involved cross-training in genetics is qualifying, provided it placed sufficient emphasis on genetics.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement. You must submit a copy of your academic transcripts OR a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify education when applying for this position. If this information is not provided, your education may not be appropriately evaluated and you may lose consideration for this position. If you are selected for this position, you will have to provide an official copy of your transcripts prior to entering on duty. Application materials will not be returned.

A Ph.D. is required that was obtained within the last four years.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 5601 Sunnyside Ave Beltsville, MD 20705 US
• Name: Heather Lee
• Phone: 301-956-3803
• Email: [email protected]