Postdoctoral Research Opportunity in Plant Ecology

A research opportunity is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit located in Urbana, Illinois.

The aim of the project is to elucidate weed/crop biology and ecology in cropping systems to understand mechanisms driving risk and forecast the consequences of variability and global change on cropping systems. Specific objectives include: 1) determine how crop management practices and abiotic factors affect the ecology of weeds and agronomic crops at multiple spatial scales, 2) how analyses and forecasts can be generalized to provide guidance on the mitigation of risks for a diverse range of cropping systems and locations, and 3) deployment of visualizations for dissemination and outreach of key findings to stakeholders. The selected candidate will emphasize the use of mathematical and statistical models to synthesize empirical results and provide insights from observational data in order to guide the design of future experiments and analyses.

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant's learning objectives are to 1) develop analytical tools, and analyses for researching crop and weed ecology essential to the development of novel weed management tactics, and 2) contribute towards development of agronomic systems which are sustainable, profitable, and resilient to climate change as well as other risks imposed by weather, financial, and biological variability.

The selected candidate will participate in and present research at ARS unit meetings. The participant will also have opportunities to participate in outreach through interactions with the University of Illinois, Department of Crop Sciences.

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.

For more information about the ARS Research Participation Program, please visit the Program Website.

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields, with expertise in statistical analyses.

Preferred skills/experience:

If you have questions, send an email to USDA-ARS@orau.org. Please include the reference code for this opportunity (USDA-ARS-2019-0041) in your email.