Overview
*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 Albany, California.
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 Western Regional Research Center (WRRC) is the largest USDA-ARS Center in the western United States. Scientists at WRRC conduct research in many scientific fields including, but not limited to, food safety, crop improvement and genetics, invasive weeds, and pests, bioproducts research, genomics and proteomics, plant pathology, entomology, foodborne toxins and mycotoxins, and healthy processed foods research. Many of our scientists are recognized leaders in their respective fields.
Research Project: The mission of Healthy Processed Foods Research Unit is to develop new sustainable technologies to add value to crops and their co-products, emphasis on specialty crops such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes to enhance the healthfulness and marketability of foods. The participant will be involved in the research project of New Technologies and Methodologies for Increasing Quality, Marketability and Value of Food Products and Byproducts. The participant will collaborate with the Post-doc and other students on collection of the samples, extraction of dietary fibers and protein from agriculture wastes, analysis of physicochemical, structural and functional qualities of extracted proteins and fibers and the effects of different processing technologies.
Learning Objectives: The participant will be provided hands-on training experience on enabling value-added processing strategies for novel/emerging specialty crops, including fiber and protein sources from plants. The participant will learn critical thinking skills through problem solving while conducting research, improving communication skills through interactions with mentors and group discussions.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Yixiang Xu (yixiang.xu@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: May 2024. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for 18 months, but may be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) only.
ORISE Information: 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.
Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, please email ORISE.ARS.PacificWest@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past 6 months, or is anticipated to be received by 5/31/2024.
Preferred skills:
A good team player with the ability to collaborate with others
Strong communication skills
Enthusiasm for learning
Follows instructions and pays attention to detail
About U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
The application must be completed through Zintellect.
