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USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Salmonella in Poultry (pre-harvest food safety) (USDA-ARS-SEA-2026-0317)
USDA-ARS in Athens, Georgia, is offering a postdoctoral fellowship on Salmonella persistence in pasture-based poultry production. The fellow will combine phenotypic work, whole-genome sequencing and transcriptomics to support pre-harvest strategies that cut Salmonella contamination and improve food safety.
- Country
- United States
- Experience
- Experience not specified
- Salary / stipend
- Stipend about USD 6,500 per month
- Apply by
- 04 Dec 2026
- Job type
- Fellowship
- Work mode
- On-site
- Function
- Research
- Openings
- 1
Contact for this vacancy
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Doctoral degree (received within the past 5 years or in progress) in a relevant life science field
Review the original notice to confirm the requirements. Related degrees are not automatically equivalent; the recruiting organisation decides eligibility.
What you’ll do
- Investigate persistence and ecological dynamics of Salmonella in pasture-based poultry systems
- Characterise isolates phenotypically and by whole-genome sequencing
- Use transcriptomic profiling to study Salmonella survival and adaptation
- Analyse and interpret phenotypic, molecular and genomic data
- Relate poultry production practices and environment to contamination risk
- Help develop science-based pre-harvest intervention strategies
- Communicate results in scientific outputs
What the employer asks for
- Doctoral degree received within the past 5 years or currently being pursued in a relevant field
- U.S. citizenship
- Preferred: BSL-2 laboratory experience
- Preferred: Salmonella culture, isolation and characterisation
- Preferred: molecular characterisation and genetic typing
- Preferred: whole-genome sequencing and transcriptomics
- Preferred: data analysis and visualisation
Selection process
- Online application through Zintellect
- Rolling review by ARS mentor
- Offer through ORISE
Documents to keep ready
- Online application form on Zintellect
- CV or resume
- Academic transcripts
- Recommendation(s) as requested in the application
Pay, benefits and perks
- Participants are ORISE fellows, not USDA employees; no employment-related benefits
- Proof of health insurance required (available through ORISE)
- Appointment initially one year, renewable subject to funding
About the employer
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief in-house scientific research agency; this fellowship is run through the ORISE programme managed by ORAU for the U.S. Department of Energy.
How to apply
Apply by email to sohyun.cho@usda.gov.
Application deadline 4 Dec 2026, 3:00 PM Eastern; rolling review
Skills for this role
What employers ask for in Research (JRF / SRF / PhD / Postdoc) roles. named in this notice
- BSL-2 microbiology
- Salmonella isolation and characterisation
- Genetic typing
- Whole-genome sequencing
- Transcriptomics
- Data visualisation
- Postdoctoral
- Junior Research Fellow
- JRF
- Senior Research Fellow
- SRF
- PhD
- Research Associate
- Food Technology research
- GATE XL
- ICAR NET
Prepare for the interview
Questions commonly asked for Research (JRF / SRF / PhD / Postdoc) roles. Practise answers with an example and a number.
- Summarise your dissertation or main research project in two minutes for a non-specialist panel.
- Why this group or lab, and how does your experience fit the project described in the call?
- How did you design your experiments and choose the statistical analysis?
- Which analytical techniques have you used hands-on, and what were their limitations?
- What would be the first three months of work on this project if you were selected?
- Tell us about a result that did not work and what you did next.
Before you apply
- Read the original notice end to endDates, eligibility and the application route are decided by the employer, not by FSD.
- Tailor your resume to this vacancyMatch the keywords in the requirements. Resume Studio shows what is missing.
- Prepare a short research statementOne page on your project experience and why this group or call fits.
- Line up refereesMost calls ask for two or three referees; tell them in advance.
- Check the funding termsFellowship amount, duration, HRA and eligibility (NET / GATE) differ between calls.
Source & editorial check
U.S. citizens only. Mentor: Sohyun Cho (sohyun.cho@usda.gov). Start 2026/2027, flexible.
Original posting: 2026-08-11
Checked 2026-11-05 · Updated 2026-11-05
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