Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education · 6 days ago
USDA-ARS Cover Crop Breeding Fellowship
Madison, WI
Full-time
Onsite
New Grad
$3,500/mo - $4,500/moThe Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education is offering a research opportunity with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. The fellow will develop improved crop varieties and contribute to nationwide cover crop variety trials while gaining experience in plant breeding and data analysis.
Government Administration
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Evaluate diverse germplasm in the field, greenhouse, and laboratory for several traits of interest and help select and generate improved lines
Contribute to the nationwide cover crop variety trials by collecting, aggregating, and cleaning plot data and coordinating the shipping of seed
Focus on cereal rye breeding, including modifying allelopathy and measuring biomass through high-throughput imaging techniques
Contribute to a systematic review on global cover crop species and variety performance by reviewing scientific papers for a public database
Qualification
Required
Currently pursuing or have received an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields
Degree must have been received within the past one year or anticipated to be received by 6/1/2027
Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
Preferred
Interest in plant breeding, quantitative genetics, and statistical analysis
Experience in outdoor research in fields such as plant breeding, agronomy, ecology, soil science, or related areas
Enjoys being outside in Northern Midwest weather conditions that can be cold, hot, and wet
Organizational capacity for curating, cataloguing, and storing large amounts of samples, such as seeds, plants or DNA
Experience caring for plants in the field, greenhouse, and growth chamber
Comfort with heavy agricultural field machinery, GPS, tablets, growth chambers, and imaging technology
Attention to detail in data collection and record keeping
Experience with spreadsheets
Team player and comfortable with communication through phone, email, and in person to coordinate with collaborators locally and in other offices and states
Consistency, timeliness, and independence
Familiarity with scientific literature
Benefits
Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
Company
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education is a U.S.
Founded in 1992
501-1000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageCompany data provided by crunchbase