What are the responsibilities and job description for the USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Chemistry Fellowship position at Zintellect?
*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 Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.
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 research primarily focuses on developing value-added products from low-value biomass. Biomass can include plant or animal residues or any other waste materials, such as food or municipal waste and industrial byproducts. The research involves extraction and modification of low-value materials and their derivatives. Physical, chemical, and instrumental analysis of raw materials and finished products is essential to determining the structural characteristics and properties of the compounds.
The research participant will be involved in the identification and quantification of the extracted and/or synthesis of modified products with the determination of the structural integrity of the compounds. Within certain constraints, the associate will have considerable freedom to determine how the project goals will be achieved. Research is primarily laboratory-based, but pilot plant experiments are also conducted. The participant will research under the supervision of the PI.
Learning Objectives: The learning objective of the participant will include developing the operating skills on NMR, HPLC, GC-MS, preparative HPLC, and many other analytical instruments, gathering knowledge on developing new methods for chemical analysis, and developing skills on new functional lipid synthesis.
Mentor(s): The mentor(s) for this opportunity are Majher Sarker (majher.sarker@usda.gov) and Brajendra Sharma (brajendra.sharma@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: February 1, 2025. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year and four months 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.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation. Foreign national candidates may have a mandatory in-person requirement depending on visa status.
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.Northeast@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
