<\/p>\n
ARS\u00a0Office\/Lab and Location<\/u>:<\/strong>\u00a0A postdoctoral\u00a0research opportunity\u00a0is\u00a0available\u00a0with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Ithaca, New York.<\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) mission involves problem-solving research in the widely diverse food and agricultural areas encompassing plant production and protection; animal production and protection; natural resources and sustainable agricultural systems; nutrition; and food safety and quality. The programs are conducted in 46 of the 50 States as well as U.S. Territories (Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). For ARS to maintain its standing as a premier scientific organization, major investments in computing, networking, and storage infrastructure are required. Training in data and information management are integral to the integrity, security, and accessibility of research findings, results, and outcomes within the ARS research enterprise. Nearly 2000 scientists and postdoctoral fellows conduct research within the ARS research enterprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n Research Project<\/u>:<\/strong>\u00a0The SCINet\/Big Data Research Participation Program of the USDA ARS offers research opportunities to motivated postdoctoral fellows interested in solving agriculture-related problems at a range of spatial and temporal scales, from the genome to the ecosystem, and sub-daily to evolutionary time scales. One of the goals of the SCINet Initiative is to develop and apply new technologies, including AI and machine learning, to help solve complex agricultural problems that also depend on collaboration across scientific disciplines and geographic locations. In addition, many of these technologies rely on the synthesis, integration, and analysis of large, diverse datasets that benefit from high performance computing (HPC) clusters. The objective of this fellowship is to facilitate cross-disciplinary, cross-location research through collaborative research on problems of interest to the applicant and amenable to or requiring the HPC environment. Training will be provided in data science, scientific computing, AI\/machine learning, and related topics as needed for the fellow to complete their research.\u00a0<\/p>\n This research project will present multiple opportunities for the participant to apply and expand their bioinformatics skillset. This research\u00a0will support and enhance the USDA-ARS collection of entomopathogenic fungi (ARSEF): the world\u2019s largest collection of entomopathogenic fungi. The participant will develop comparative genomics pipelines to investigate protein and chemical repertoires of diverse insect-killing fungi. This project will be conducted in the broad context of fungal evolution, and will focus on 1) developing a pipeline for annotation, curation, and phylogenomic analysis of genomes of insect-killing fungi, including all sequenced genomes from the USDA-ARS collection of entomopathogenic fungi (ARSEF) and 2) developing datamining tools and machine learning approaches to identify genes with potential roles in virulence, including small, secreted cysteine-rich proteins (SSCPs) and secondary metabolite clusters.\u00a0<\/p>\n Learning Objectives<\/u>:\u00a0<\/strong>This project will provide the participant an opportunity to learn about and develop skillsets in fungal evolutionary analysis, data management, database curation, collaboration among interdisciplinary groups, pipeline development and genomic applications of machine learning. The participant will also have the opportunity to develop new skills through external training opportunities geared toward mastery of relevant coding languages (e.g., R and Python), participation and leadership in agency-wide working groups, and improving project management skills as part of a dynamic research team.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n Mentor(s)<\/u>:<\/strong>\u00a0The mentor(s) for this opportunity are\u00a0Dr. Brian Lovett;\u00a0Lovett Lab;\u00a0(Brian.Lovett@usda.gov<\/a>)\u00a0and Dr. Kathryn Bushley;\u00a0Bushley Lab;\u00a0(Kathryn.Bushley@usda.gov<\/a>).\u00a0Please contact the mentor(s) if you have questions about the nature of the research.<\/p>\n Anticipated Appointment Start Date<\/u>:<\/strong>\u00a0No later than June 1, 2024;\u00a0start date is flexible\u00a0and will\u00a0depend on a variety of\u00a0factors.<\/p>\n Appointment Length<\/u>:<\/strong>\u00a0The appointment will initially be for one year\u00a0but\u00a0may be\u00a0renewed\u00a0upon\u00a0recommendation of ARS and the mentor and is contingent on the availability of funds.\u00a0<\/p>\n Level of Participation<\/u><\/strong>:\u00a0The appointment is full-time.<\/p>\n Participant Stipend<\/u>:<\/strong>\u00a0The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.\u00a0The current stipend range for this opportunity is $85,000 – $95,000\/year\u00a0plus a supplement to offset a health insurance premium.\u00a0<\/p>\n Citizenship Requirements<\/u>:<\/strong>\u00a0This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the\u00a0Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details<\/a>\u00a0page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.<\/p>\n ORISE Information<\/u>:\u00a0<\/strong>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.\u00a0Participants do not become employees of USDA, ARS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits.\u00a0Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.<\/p>\n Questions<\/u>:\u00a0<\/strong>Please visit our\u00a0Program Website<\/a>. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process,\u00a0please email\u00a0ORISE.ARS.SCINet@orau.org<\/a>\u00a0and include the reference code for this opportunity.<\/p>\n Qualifications<\/strong><\/p>\n The qualified candidate\u00a0should have received their\u00a0doctoral degree\u00a0in one of the relevant fields or be currently pursuing the degree with completion prior to start of appointment.\u00a0<\/p>\n Preferred Skills:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Job Type:<\/strong> Student \/ postdoc
Salary Details:<\/strong> The current stipend range for this opportunity is $85,000 – $95,000\/year plus a supplement to offset a health insurance premium.
Deadline:<\/strong> Jan 05, 2024<\/p>\n\n