*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 Raleigh, NC.
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.
Research Project: The participant will investigate novel properties of diverse soybean breeding populations of use to the alternative protein industry. The participant will have opportunities to identify diverse soybean progeny and participate in their increase in the field. The participant will also investigate methods to enrich soy protein to minimize use of water and chemicals. The functional properties of soy protein will be evaluated. These functional properties may include protein composition, viscosity, foaming, water holding capacity and oil holding capacity among others.
Learning Objectives: The participant will gain substantial field experience, experience in purifying plant proteins, experience in wet methods in the lab, and experience with a variety of instruments to determine protein functionality relevant to the use of soy protein in food.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Earl Taliercio (earl.taliercio@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: February 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, 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. The anticipated stipend range is $1,250 – $1,350 weekly.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens 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.Southeast@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past five years.
Preferred skills:
- Field experience growing soybean
- Demonstrated lab skill to safely conduct experiments
- Expertise in plant science, molecular biology, genomics, food science and protein science
Stipend
$1,250.00 – $1,350.00 Weekly
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Doctoral Degree.