USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship to Study Hormone Signaling in Maize Defense

Research Project

This project will focus on determining the roles of abscisic acid (ABA) in modulating responses of maize to biotic and abiotic stresses. The Hunter lab has engineered maize lines with increased and decreased levels of ABA and molecular characterization of these lines will be a major component of the project.

Learning Objectives

• Extensive training and skill enhancement in plant genetics, molecular biology, and analytical chemistry for research on hormone signaling in maize defense
• Gain hands-on experience designing experiments with gene-edited maize, utilizing techniques such as insect/fungal bioassays, LC-MS for metabolomics, PCR-based genotyping, qPCR, and transcriptomic analysis
• Provide valuable hands-on training and lead to peer-reviewed publications, fostering beneficial professional development

Mentor(s)

• Charles Hunter (charles.hunter@usda.gov)

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

• November 2026

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 part time

Participant Stipend

• The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $4,800 - $5,300 monthly

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.

Qualification Requirements

• The qualified candidate should have received or be currently pursuing a doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past four years or is anticipated to be received by end of 2026.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with plant molecular biology, analytical chemistry, plant genetics, RNA-seq data analysis, plant-abiotic stress biology
• Experience using liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), gene sequence analysis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and detection, characterization, and quantification of nucleic acids using qPCR techniques.