USDA ARS Biochar Characterization and Modeling

*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 Corvallis, Oregon.

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 fellow will gain experience being a part of the team developing a nation-wide decision support tool, the Biochar Atlas. This tool helps biochar users select a biochar and a biochar application rate that meets the needs of the soil and the cropping system. This fellowship will mainly be focused on learning how to develop algorithms, performing biochar characterization tests, and characterizing microbial communities that colonize biochar in different ecosystems. 

Learning Objectives: The candidate will learn how to apply soil chemical and physical analysis to biochar, learn how to implement algorithms for decision support tools, develop databases, and use amplicon data to extract information about how biochar reacts in a variety of ecosystems. 

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Kristin Trippe (kristin.trippe@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: January 2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

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 full time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend range is $5,000 – $6,000 monthly.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) 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.PacificWest@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral or master’s degree in one of the relevant fields (biological or agricultural sciences). Degree must have been received within the past five years.

Preferred skills:

• The ability to analyze soil and biochar using a broad spectrum of laboratory equipment and computational analysis, including microbial amplicon analysis.
• Using data to create algorithms, databases, and decision support tools including calculators and case studies that inform the use of biochar across various cropping systems.