USDA-ARS Entomology Museum and Research Technician Internship

*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), Systematic Entomology Laboratory located in Beltsville, Maryland.

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 Systematic Entomology Laboratory conducts research on the systematics and taxonomy of insect groups with importance to agriculture. The laboratory also contributes to the curation of the National Insect and Mite Collections (Smithsonian Institution). The participant will collaborate with three Research Entomologists at Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in their ongoing research and curation projects. 

Learning Objectives: The participant will gain education and training experience in arthropod collection curation techniques, macro-and micro- photographic techniques, relational database management and data manipulation, and computer programming to automate data ingestion into databases on a broad array of insects of agricultural importance. Gain experience in the use of academic primary literature for background research.

Mentor(s): The mentors(s) for this opportunity are Michael Gates (michael.gates@usda.gov) and Christopher Owen (Christopher.owen@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: October 30, 2024.  Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for six months 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 of $2,500.00

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.

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.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor's or master's degree in one of the relevant fields (e.g. Biology, Entomology), or be currently pursuing one of the degrees. 

Preferred Skills:

• Demonstrated training in evolutionary biology and systematics is beneficial.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, general knowledge of insect morphology and taxonomy, and knowledge of scientific nomenclature.
• Experience with botany, insect collecting techniques, and data input is helpful.

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree received within the last 36 months or currently pursuing.
• Overall GPA: 3.00