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Research Plant Pathologist (Research Associate)

Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
Cereal Disease Research Unit
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The incumbent will provide research support in identifying new sources of genetic wheat stem rust resistance through host-pathogen mapping. The goal of this project is to understand the wheat stem rust resistance gene/pathogen avirulence gene interactome of the wheat stem rust pathosystem and to characterize the wheat stem rust resistance gene network of wheat.

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents seeking U.S Citizenship may apply.

**ANNOUNCEMENT IS OPEN UNTIL FILLED OR 03/07/2023**

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
03/08/2022 to 02/07/2023
Salary
$71,508 to - $92,955 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Saint Paul, MN
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Local and domestic travel travel will be required for field work and to attend training and scientific meetings and conferences.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Temporary
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
RA-22MWA-L-11415762-CLO
Control number
641321300

Duties

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  • Identify interacting host and pathogen gene variants, focusing on wheat nucleotide binding leucine-rich repeat receptors and Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt) effector genes.
  • Use short- and long- read sequencing technologies to perform whole-genome and targeted sequencing of phenotyped Pgt isolates.
  • Perform phenotypic evaluations to identify QTLs and validate candidate wheat stem rust resistance gene and pathogen avirulence gene pairs using CRISPR-Cas9 gene knockout lines.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  • Appropriations Law and Immigration Law requirements must be met.

Qualifications

This position requires a Ph.D in plant pathology or a related field of study that has equipped the applicant with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. Knowledge and hands on experience in genetic analysis of host-pathogen interactions and plant disease resistance and a strong background in bioinformatical and statistical analysis of large-scale genomic and genetic datasets are highly desired.

Applicants must meet basic Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standard's requirements of the scientific discipline necessary to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. The Qualification Standard for the Plant Pathologist Series, 0434 can found in this link:

Plant Pathologist Series 0434 (opm.gov)

Education

This position has a positive education requirement. You must submit a copy of your academic transcripts OR a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify education when applying for this position. If this information is not provided, your education may not be appropriately evaluated and you may lose consideration for this position. If you are selected for this position, you will have to provide an official copy of your transcripts prior to entering on duty. Application materials will not be returned.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be evaluated to determine if you meet eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, and on the extent to which your application shows that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with the position as defined above under "Qualifications".

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.

To view the application form, visit:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11415762

Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer.

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