Opportunities
TPSC has gathered a resource of career opportunities for recent graduates and students nearing their defense date, as well as award opportunities and upcoming conferences for students and faculty.
Develops and conducts research on diagnostics, bioinformatics, microbial forensics, phlyogenetics, and population genomics, to contribute to the understanding of interactions between the microbial community, plants, the environment, and phytodiseases. Conducts laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments using appropriate molecular and computational tools and approaches. May work in multi-disciplinary teams to address environmental microbiology as it impacts agrosecurity, food safety and security, or biological diversity, contributing to effective, sustainable management of plant health and agricultural productivity. Designs experiments, develops new hypotheses, and analyzes data. Draws conclusions, writes and prepares research reports and prepares manuscripts for submission to peer-review journals. Assists in the mentoring and instruction of phytobacteriology to graduate students.
Closing Date: May 29, 2026
The successful candidate will engage in scholarly activities related to instruction, including teaching undergraduate and/or graduate courses, advising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, collating opportunities for undergraduate internships and research, participating in curriculum revision and enhancement, seeking funding for the teaching program, supervising undergraduate and graduate research and creative work, publishing teaching-related scholarship, producing learning tools, and engaging in professional development activities related to teaching and advising.
For full consideration, candidates should apply and submit materials by May 30, 2026.
The successful candidate will develop a nationally and internationally recognized, extramurally funded, research and teaching program in specialty crops pathology in controlled environment structures (greenhouses, vertical farming, container farming, high tunnels, and screen/shade houses) and space environment, with emphasis on advancing knowledge of plant disease epidemiology. Particular emphasis will be placed on addressing to the unique challenges of managing plant health in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) that support human habitats in space, including those relevant to the International Space Station, lunar, and Martian missions.
For full consideration, candidates should apply and submit materials by June 15, 2026.
Many Research Geneticist (Plants) positions will be filled at different locations within the Agricultural Research Service. Research projects focus on plant improvements, which may include agronomic qualities, nutritional quality, increased production, enhanced uses, or reduction of plant pathogen, pest, or abiotic stress impacts, using genetic/genomic approaches. Incumbent is responsible for devising, planning, conducting, and reporting research completed under assigned research project.
Closing Date: June 25, 2026
The SAC program, Assistance Listing Number 10.200, supports projects that lead to expanded adaptation and increased acreage in the United States of alternative crops grown for food/feedstuff, oil, and feedstocks for industrial value-added products. Such crops are important to U.S. agriculture in that these can provide new and profitable cropping options in response to low commodity prices and changes in consumer demand for new agricultural-based products. Oilseed, grain, and feedstock crops have major uses in healthy human foods and animal feeds, as natural pest control when used as cover crops, and as a feedstock in industrial chemical manufacture and biofuel production.
Deadline: June 25, 2026
NIFA’s Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative (AG2PI) focuses on collaborative science that builds a community of researchers across both crops and animals that will expand knowledge concerning genomes and phenomes of importance to U.S agriculture.
Deadline: June 29, 2026
Observational science (including field and laboratory-based research) is critical to improving understanding of the multitude of processes in the Earth's atmosphere. To facilitate this science, AGS provides access to a variety of specialized instrumentation and facilities that are supported through the Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE) program. The intent of the FIRP solicitation is to invite proposals from the atmospheric and related science community to use the instrumentation and facilities that are sponsored by the FARE program.
The Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) Core Programs Track supports research to understand why organisms are structured the way they are and function as they do. The research should produce a novel, holistic understanding of how biological systems function and interact across different scales of organization, e.g., from molecules to cells, tissues to organisms, species to ecosystems and the entire Earth.
There is an urgent need for increased plant transformation capacity in the USA. The programs listed in this DCL welcome proposals for exploring novel transformation technology and substantially improving current transformation methodologies. Proposals are accepted anytime through USDA NSF portals.
The U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) encourages the submission of proposals that advance biological research using Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) or AI/ML methods using biological data and systems.
The Nanoscale Science and Engineering for Agriculture and Food Systems GRS provides a unique forum for young doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to present their work, discuss new methods, cutting edge ideas, and pre-published data, as well as to build collaborative relationships with their peers. Gordon Research Seminars are 2-day meetings which take place on the Saturday and Sunday just prior to the start of the associated GRC. Applications for this meeting must be submitted by May 30, 2026.
Scheduled for Thursday, July 30, 2026, the Office of Undergraduate Research Summer Research Conference will give summer researchers an opportunity to share their work through poster presentations and engage with the Virginia Tech community. Abstract submission deadline is July 20 at 8:00 a.m.
Virginia Tech will host its first AI Teaching Symposium on August 13, 2026, at the Blacksburg campus. The symposium theme, “AI On / AI Off: The Balance of Human-Centered AI,” recognizes the broad range of perspectives held by our faculty regarding AI in teaching, with a goal of creating a space for thoughtful dialogue across all these viewpoints.