USDA-ARS Predicting Crop Yield Using UAV Data, Physiological Modeling, and Artificial Intelligence
*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 Columbia, Missouri.
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 participant will have the opportunity to be involved in the development of advanced agricultural yield prediction models for use in plant breeding through a combination of high-throughput phenotyping data, physiological crop growth modeling, and artificial intelligence methods. There will be significant flexibility to explore and determine the best focal methods in collaboration with the mentor. An extensive data set using Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle (UAV, UAS, drone) has been collected, as well as preliminary research on yield prediction modeling.
Learning Objectives: The participant will develop skills in agricultural predictive yield modeling. These will include analysis and interpretation of large UAV-derived data sets, crop growth modeling, deep learning, and other statistical methods. The participant will learn through collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team of researchers to solve challenges, communicate effectively, and present and publish research results.
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Jacob Washburn (Jacob.Washburn@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: April 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 $60,000 - $85,000 annually.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens 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.Midwest@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should be currently pursuing or have received a master's or doctoral degree in the one of the relevant fields
Preferred skills:
- Experience/education in python, R, or other computer programing and statistics tools
- Education/experience in any of the following areas would be advantageous: deep learning, large language models, crop models, environmental models, or similar, UAV or satellite derived image or sensor data.
Stipend
$60,000.00 – $85,000.00 Yearly
Point of Contact
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree.