USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering

About the role

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to work on developing nondestructive sensing-based tools and techniques to reduce food safety risks in preharvest and post-harvest production and processing. The project will focus on safety and quality inspection using spectral imaging techniques such as fluorescence, reflectance, and Raman, for authentication of food ingredients and detection of food contaminants, improvement of cleaning and sanitation efficacies in food processing facilities, and pre-harvest in-field detection of animal fecal contamination.

Responsibilities

• Learn and apply hyperspectral fluorescence, reflectance, and Raman imaging technologies for safety and quality evaluation of agricultural products.
• Learn artificial intelligence/machine learning methods to evaluate hyperspectral image data to assess safety and quality attributes of agricultural products.
• Contribute to the development of sensing and instrumentation methods and technologies for rapid safety and quality inspection of agricultural products.
• Participate in the design and development of imaging-based food safety and quality inspection system for applications in bulk-processing environments.
• Present research results at scientific conferences and publish the results of these projects in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Requirements

The candidate should have received a doctoral degree in agricultural and mechanical engineering or a related field within the last five years. A broad understanding of agricultural and mechanical engineering, as well as optical sensing, spectral imaging, and machine learning techniques in food and agricultural areas, is desired.

Qualifications

The candidate should have a strong background in agricultural and mechanical engineering, optical sensing, spectral imaging, and machine learning techniques in food and agricultural areas. Experience with hyperspectral imaging, fluorescence, reflectance, and Raman spectroscopy is preferred.

Skills

• Broad understanding of agricultural and mechanical engineering
• Optical sensing, spectral imaging, and machine learning techniques in food and agricultural areas

Benefits

The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $80,000 - 90,000 annually.

Pay

The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $80,000 - 90,000 annually.

Schedule

The appointment will initially be for one year but may be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.