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USDA-ARS Fellowship in Pre-harvest STEC Food Safety Research (USDA-ARS-MWA-2026-0383)
The USDA Agricultural Research Service is offering a research fellowship at the Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research Unit of the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa. The fellow will help find ways to reduce Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in food-producing animals before harvest, working on colonisation, host responses and dietary control measures.
- Country
- United States
- Experience
- Experience not specified
- Salary / stipend
- Stipend USD 3,422 to 3,814.75 per month
- Apply by
- 01 Jan 2027
- Job type
- Fellowship
- Function
- Research
- Openings
- 1
Contact for this vacancy
This notice lists 2 emails and 0 phone numbers to apply or ask about the role.
Sign up free to see contact detailsWho can apply
Bachelor's or master's degree (received within the last 36 months or in progress) in microbiology or molecular biology
Review the original notice to confirm the requirements. Related degrees are not automatically equivalent; the recruiting organisation decides eligibility.
What you’ll do
- Run in vitro and/or in vivo (animal) experiments on how STEC colonises food-producing animals and how the host responds
- Characterise bacteria and bacterial communities
- Test dietary and other control approaches to reduce STEC
- Use culture methods, nucleic acid extraction, PCR and sequence analysis
- Carry out immunohistochemistry, cell and tissue processing, ELISA and immunoblots
- Develop laboratory protocols
- Collect and statistically analyse data
- Communicate research findings
What the employer asks for
- Bachelor's or master's degree in microbiology or molecular biology, received within the past 3 years or expected by 31 Jan 2027
- U.S. citizenship
- Preferred: basic microbiology techniques (culture, media and buffer preparation, staining)
- Preferred: basic molecular techniques (nucleic acid preparation, PCR, RT-qPCR, cloning, mutant generation)
- Preferred: basic histology (sectioning, staining, microscopy)
- Preferred: basic immunology techniques (ELISA, immunoblots)
- Preferred: some knowledge of omics
Selection process
- Online application through Zintellect
- Rolling review by ARS mentor
- Offer through ORISE
Documents to keep ready
- Online application form
- Transcript(s) (unofficial accepted)
- Current resume/CV with academic and employment history and publications
- Two educational or professional recommendations
- English translations of any non-English documents
Pay, benefits and perks
- Monthly stipend
- 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 orise.ars.midwest@orau.org or indira.kudva@usda.gov.
Application deadline 1 Jan 2027, 3:00 PM Eastern; applications reviewed on a rolling basis
Skills for this role
What employers ask for in Research (JRF / SRF / PhD / Postdoc) roles. named in this notice
- Microbiological culture methods
- PCR / RT-qPCR
- Nucleic acid extraction and sequence analysis
- Immunohistochemistry and histology
- ELISA and immunoblots
- Statistics
- Junior Research Fellow
- JRF
- Senior Research Fellow
- SRF
- PhD
- Postdoctoral
- 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: Indira Kudva (Indira.Kudva@usda.gov). Application questions: ORISE.ARS.Midwest@orau.org (quote the reference code). Start date 2026/2027, flexible; relocation to Ames required.
Original posting: Date not stated
Checked 2026-11-06 · Updated 2026-11-06
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