Training and Career Development Programs

USDA-ARS Influenza A Virus in Swine Phylogenetic Fellowship

USDA-ARS Fellowship in Influenza A Virus in Swine Phylogenetics

A research opportunity is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Animal Disease Center, Virus and Prion Research Unit, located in Ames, Iowa. For an introduction to the Flu crew at the National Animal Disease Center, please see: https://youtu.be/kOJy8tFTuiI

Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will be involved in studying the evolutionary dynamics of influenza A virus (IAV) in swine. This project is within the Intervention Strategies to Control Endemic and New and Emerging Influenza A Virus Infections in Swine project in the Virus and Prion Research Unit. Scientists in this unit maintain a comprehensive IAV research program including investigation of virulence mechanisms, vaccinology, immunology, and virus evolution. The participant will be based on the National Centers for Animal Health campus and enjoy interactions with a dynamic community of ARS intramural scientists, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and research technicians.

For consideration, applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. EST, February 27, 2026.

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

The mentor for this opportunity is Tavis Anderson (tavis.anderson@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

USDA-ARS Prion Disease Research Fellowship

USDA-ARS Fellowship in Prion Disease Research

A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located at the Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, 1920 Dayton Avenue, Ames, Iowa 50010.

The USDA-ARS’s National Animal Disease Center (NADC) prion research program at Virus and Prion Research Unit investigates prion diseases across multiple species, including Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Scrapie, and emerging camel prion diseases. The fellow will receive hands-on training and mentorship while contributing to high-impact studies that combine cell-based systems, transgenic/gene-targeted mouse models, and natural hosts (cattle, deer, and sheep). Note: Research activities will be conducted in BSL-2+ laboratories.

For consideration, applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. EST, February 13, 2026.

*Applications Closed*

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

The mentors for this opportunity are Jianqiang Zhang (Iowa State University) (jqzhang@iastate.edu) and Jifeng Bian (USDA) (jifeng.bian@usda.gov), If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Animal Caretaker in Biocontainment Training Program

Animal Caretaker in Biocontainment Training Program – GHRC (tamu.edu)

Animal Caretaker in Biocontainment Training Program (ACTP) – Applications CLOSED for Summer of 2026

The Global Health Research Complex (GHRC) at Texas A&M University will be hosting the Animal Caretaker in Biocontainment Training Program for summer 2026. This program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS), is designed to build technical skills and knowledge needed to work with animals in a biocontainment research facility.

Overview: Summer training — four weeks total

June 1 – June 26 short course at the Texas A&M GHRC in College Station, Texas.
A training field trip to Galveston National Laboratory and University of Texas – Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas is included.

For consideration, applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. CT, January 16, 2026.

*Applications closed*

For more information: actp@tamu.edu.

USDA-ARS Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens Research Fellowship

A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Ames, Iowa.

The educational opportunity involves performing research, under the mentorship of a USDA scientist, on human foodborne pathogens, including Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. The goal of this project is to better understand how these foodborne pathogens successfully colonize and survive within the gastrointestinal tract of livestock and use this information to develop intervention strategies against these foodborne pathogens that will benefit animal health and food safety.

For consideration, applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. EST, May 8, 2026.

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

The mentor for this opportunity is Joel Maki (joel.maki@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

USDA-ARS Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit Fellowship

A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) within the Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit. This opportunity will be located at the Center for Vector-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO.

The Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit uses existing and new molecular biological technologies to understand the virus-host-vector interactions of insect-transmitted viruses affecting livestock. The specific mission is to Identify and understand exotic/ transboundary arthropod-borne disease challenges in U.S. livestock. This includes infecting, monitoring and determining infection and transmission rates of vector insects and/or host under various experimental conditions. These analyses will include state-of-the art molecular analysis including next generation sequencing, transcriptomics, CUT&RUN and RNA-Seq. Under the guidance of a mentor, the participant will join the highly collaborative team to conduct research to meet the overall research goals related to Rift Valley fever virus.

For consideration, applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. EST, April 24, 2026.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2025/2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

The mentors for this opportunity are Dr. Chad Mire (chad.mire@usda.gov) and Corey Rosenberg (corey.campbell@colostate.edu). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor.

USDA-ARS Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Fellowship

A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), within the Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit. This opportunity will be located at the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.

The Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit uses existing and new molecular biological technologies to understand the virus-host-vector interactions of insect-transmitted viruses affecting livestock. The specific mission is to Identify and understand exotic/ transboundary arthropod-borne disease challenges in U.S. livestock. This includes infecting, monitoring and determining infection and transmission rates of vector insects and/or host under various experimental conditions. These analyses will include state-of-the art vector and animal models along with CRISPR/CAS knock-down cell lines, virus reassortant studies with molecular analysis including next generation sequencing and transcriptomics. The participant will join the highly collaborative team as a fellow to conduct research to support the overall research goals related to Rift Valley fever virus.

For consideration, applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. EST, April 24, 2026.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2025/2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

The mentors for this opportunity are Dr. Chad Mire (chad.mire@usda.gov) and Dr. Juergen Richt (jricht@vet.k-state.edu). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

USDA-ARS Fellowship in Arbovirology

A research opportunity is currently available within the Center for Grain and Animal Health Research and the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) located in Manhattan, Kansas.

The postdoctoral research fellow will be part of experimental laboratory studies that are focused on vector competence, virus-vector interactions, emergence, and viral evolution of arboviruses that impact livestock through the ARS Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit (ABADRU) and Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit (FABADRU). The fellow will have the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research in virology, vector biology, and experimental evolution with a focus on vesicular stomatitis virus. Under the guidance of the mentor, the fellow will contribute to the design, implementation, and data analysis of projects relating to experimental viral evolution, virus-vector interactions, and vector competence projects. Additionally, under the guidance of a mentor, the fellow will be encouraged to develop a scientific project that helps address research gaps in the emergence of vesicular stomatitis virus and leads to peer-reviewed publications.

For consideration, applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. EST, April 24, 2026.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2025/2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

The mentors for this opportunity are Dr. Stacey Scroggs (ABADRU) (stacey.scroggs@usda.gov) and Dr. Chad Mire (FABADRU) (chad.mire@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentors.

High Containment Laboratory Skills Training Program

NBAF Laboratorian Training Program – NLTP (k-state.edu)

NBAF Laboratorian Training Program (NLTP) – Applications CLOSED for 2025

The Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) at Kansas State University are accepting applications for up to ten undergraduate or recent B.S. graduates for fellowship positions for the summer of 2025. This program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), is designed to build technical skills and knowledge needed to work in a high containment diagnostic, animal, or insectary laboratory.

For consideration, applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. CT, November 3, 2024.

*Applications closed*

The search committee will select up to 10 candidates for the 2025 NBAF Laboratorian Training Program. Candidate selection and notification will be emailed to applicants starting in early December, 2024.

For more information, attend our informational question and answer Zoom meetings as described below and or contact Susan Hettenbach (smhett@bri.ksu.edu).

BSL-3 Training/Transboundary Animal Diseases Summer Program

https://www.vet.k-state.edu/asp/ceezad_form/ceezad.aspx – June 9 – June 20, 2024

The Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD) BSL-3 Training Program for Research Support Personnel is designed to provide introductory BSL-3/BSL-3 Ag training to research personnel, either current federal staff; research fellows; recent graduates from U.S. universities (BS, MS) and current enrolled college students (BS, MS and PhD) with career interests in USDA Agricultural Research Service who want to attain additional training and knowledge in the area of high-containment research as potential career choice.

The CEEZAD training program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) -Agricultural Research Service and is directed at highly motivated BS/MS level research support personnel interested in research and careers in the field of high consequence, transboundary and zoonotic diseases of animals. The two-week program consists of one week of hands-on and classroom training at the Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI; https://www.bri.k-state.edu/) at Kansas State University and the second week with in-person and virtual presentations from area industry partners and seminars/lectures from national and international subject matter experts in high containment research and transboundary animal diseases.

For consideration, applications must be received by March 4, 2024.

*Applications closed*

For more information: ceezad@ksu.edu; kcortes@vet.k-state.edu

Animal Caretaker in Biocontainment Training Program

Animal Caretaker in Biocontainment Training Program – GHRC (tamu.edu)

Animal Caretaker in Biocontainment Training Program (ACTP) – Applications CLOSED for Summer of 2024

The Global Health Research Complex (GHRC) at Texas A&M University is accepting applications for the Animal Caretaker in Biocontainment Training Program for summer 2024. This program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Services (USDA ARS), is designed to build technical skills and knowledge needed to work with animals in a biocontainment laboratory.

Overview: Summer training — six weeks total

June 10 – June 28 short course at the Texas A&M GHRC in College Station, Texas.
July 8 – July 26 externship at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas.

For consideration, applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. CT, January 16, 2024.

*Applications closed*

For more information: actp@tamu.edu.

High Containment Laboratory Skills Training Program

NBAF Laboratorian Training Program – NLTP (k-state.edu)

NBAF Laboratorian Training Program (NLTP) – Applications CLOSED for 2024

The Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) at Kansas State University are accepting applications for up to ten undergraduate or recent B.S. graduates for fellowship positions for the summer of 2024. This program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), is designed to build technical skills and knowledge needed to work in a high containment diagnostic, animal, or insectary laboratory.

For consideration, applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. CT, November 5, 2023.

*Applications closed*

The search committee will select up to 10 candidates for the 2024 NBAF Laboratorian Training Program. Candidate selection and notification will be emailed to applicants starting in early December, 2023.

For more information, attend our informational question and answer Zoom meetings as described below and or contact Natalia Costa Ball (nataliacball@bri.ksu.edu).

USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Microbiologist or Molecular Biologist Fellowship

Three research opportunities are currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) within the Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit located in Manhattan, Kansas.

The Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit uses existing and new molecular biological technologies to understand the virus-host-vector interactions, detect and control insect-transmitted viruses affecting livestock. The specific mission is to Identify and solve major endemic, emerging, and exotic/ transboundary arthropod-borne disease challenges in U.S. livestock. This includes infecting, monitoring and determined infection and transmission rates of vector insects and/or host under various experimental conditions. The analysis includes state-of-the art molecular analysis including next generation sequencing, transcriptomics and proteomics. The participant will join the highly collaborative team as a member to conduct research on portions of the ongoing studies to meet the overall research goals related to foreign vector borne viral diseases of livestock, primary models being Japanese encephalitis virus and Rift Valley fever virus.

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2023. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors

*Applications closed*

The mentor for each opportunity is Dr. Bill Wilson (william.wilson2@usda.gov), Dr. Dana Mitzel (dana.mitzel@usda.gov), Dr. Lee Cohnstaedt (lee.cohnstaedt@usda.gov) or Dr. Chad Mire (chad.mire@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

International Symposium on One Health Research: Improving Food Security and Resilience

International Symposium on One Health Research

The Symposium will be unique in that food productions experts will be centrally featured with the goal of identifying common ground from which new interdisciplinary research partnerships might arise and lead to better food resilience, with lectures from the beef, dairy, egg & poultry, pork, aquaculture, fresh produce, and processed food industries. Other research topics will include emerging infectious diseases (viral, bacterial, and other), and the environmental, social, and public communication factors that impact Food Security.

Symposium Objectives:

To promote a transdisciplinary, ‘One Health’ research approach focusing on food security in tackling complex problems that plague food production, human (worker and consumer) health, animal health, and environmental health.
To share research knowledge regarding complex problems affecting food security and testing potential solutions concerning these complex problems
To build community and new collaborations between diverse professionals and their numerous institutions that work in the area of food safety, recognizing that food security cannot be addressed by a single organizational entity.
To recognize and promote excellence among junior professionals working in research areas amenable to One Health approaches.

*Applications closed*

Email UTMBOneHealth@utmb.edu for registration information.

International High Containment Operations and Maintenance Workshop

cabs-acsb.ca/highcontainment.aspx

The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO). the Canadian Association for Biological Safety/ L’Association Canadienne Pour La Sécurité Biologique (CABS-ACSB) and Merrick Canada ULC are pleased to co-present the International High Containment Operations and Maintenance Workshop

This workshop addresses the increasing needs of facility operators, maintenance and operations staff for training in relevant aspects of biocontainment facilities and fills a critical need within the operations and maintenance community. This four day course allows participants to gain hands-on experience in some of the special containment and facility support areas (CL3 and CL3-Ag) of the International Vaccine Centre (InterVac), Canada’s newest and largest CL3-Ag facility.

There are only 18 spaces available for this course. Applications will open in late 2023.

*Applications closed*

USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Molecular Biologist Research Fellowship

USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Molecular Biologist Research Fellowship in Ames, IA

A postdoctoral research opportunity is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Animal Disease Center (NADC), in Ames, IA for a motivated and independent scientist to study the mechanisms of the interaction of bacterial pathogens with the ruminant hosts and to develop methodologies to mitigate disease losses in the livestock industry.

The participant will get a better overall understanding of research through attendance of laboratory meetings when lab members share data, and reading of peer-reviewed papers in the respective field. Anticipated Appointment Start Date: May 2022. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

*Applications closed*

USDA APHIS NBAF Scientist Training Program

USDA APHIS NBAF Scientist Training Program (NSTP) (usda.gov)

The purpose of the USDA APHIS NBAF Scientist Training Program is to build the necessary technical and subject matter expertise to support the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL) at the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas. In addition to serving as an international reference laboratory for foot and mouth disease virus and a national reference laboratory for other foreign animal diseases such as classical swine fever and African swine fever viruses, FADDL’s mission will expand to include emerging and zoonotic diseases, including biosafety level-4 pathogens.

NSTP fellows will receive full tuition and supplementary support for up to five years to complete a master’s, doctorate, or DVM/Ph.D. program in target laboratory-based fields of study such as microbiology, virology, molecular biology, diagnostics, and bioinformatics.

*Applications closed*

USDA APHIS NBAF Laboratorian Training Program

NBAF Laboratorian Training Program (NLTP) (usda.gov)

High Containment Laboratory Technician Training Program for Undergraduates

This US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) sponsored program is designed to build technical skills necessary to high containment diagnostics.

NLTP will provide:

Work with pathogens in a high containment environment
Hands-on experience with assays and procedures used in a diagnostic laboratory
Initial training for people interested in applying for technical positions with USDA APHIS or other laboratory employers.

*Applications closed*

University Specific Programs:

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE)

STEM Internships and Fellowships – ORISE (orau.gov)

Internships and fellowships administered by ORISE aim to strengthen the scientific and technical workforce in areas of science, transfer knowledge and technology to the academic community, and support the national commitment to science education.

*Applications closed*