Opportunities

Postdoctoral Research Positions

Available postdoctoral positions will be posted here as they become available. If you are interested in opportunities in STEPS, please contact us. 

Postdoctoral Opportunity at the University of Florida

Job Title: Postdoctoral Associate (Soil Health and Carbon Dynamics)

Location: Palm Beach

Applications open 5/6/2025 and close 6/30/2025

Description: This is a USDA grant-funded two-year postdoctoral position that will be based at the UF Everglades Research and Education Center (EREC), in Belle Glade, Florida. The candidate will work closely with a team of graduate students, the lab manager, and collaborative farm managers on topics related to soil health and carbon sequestration. Research related to regenerative farming practices, such as cover crops andthe use of soil amendments to improve soil health and carbon sequestration, will be investigated. Periodic assessment of soil, water, and plant tissue samples using EPA standard procedures will be followed.

The candidate will be expected to travel, collect soil, water, and plant tissue samples, follow lab protocols for measuring nutrients and soil health properties, data acquisition and ultimately publish the results in scientific journals. The candidate will also be expected to mentor graduate and undergraduate students and expected to present her/his research at national and state meetings. Prior experience in the field of soil health, and regenerative farming is a plus, including wet chemistry, and working with specialized instrumentation such as ICP-OES, discrete analyzer, dry combustion C/N analyzer, and spectral instrumentation.

Required Qualifications: A PhD (foreign equivalent acceptable) in the field of Soil Science, Agronomy, Agriculture and Biological Engineering or a related field is required. Candidates must be supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system. Candidates must also have a commitment to UF core values. 

View the original job posting and apply here.

Graduate Research Positions

Available graduate positions will be posted here as they become available. If you are interested in student opportunities in STEPS, please contact us. 

Undergraduate Positions

Available undergraduate positions will be posted here as they become available. If you are interested in student opportunities in STEPS, please contact us. 

Undergraduate Opportunity at NC State

Project Title: Characterizing baseline enzymatic activity and polyphosphate accumulation in the phosphate-accumulating organisms.

Description: The Grunden Lab is interested in recruiting an undergraduate student to assist with a high-throughput, fluorescence-based enzymatic assay developed for phosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) during the Summer of 2025. This assay will be performed with lab-cultured PAOs, such as Dechloromonas hortensis, and environmental samples from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The position will support a current graduate student conducting research on polyphosphate accumulation and polyphosphate kinase activity in PAOs.  

Lab experience is preferred; however, students will have the opportunity to learn lab techniques and how to use the required equipment properly. Students will be required to: 1) culture PAOs in the lab and take OD600 measurements for a growth curve, 2) accompany the graduate student to WWTPs to obtain environmental samples, 3) make reagents for the assay (buffers, media, etc), and 4) use a plate reader to measure fluorescence of biological samples. This position will be part-time.

Please contact Anisa Guedira (amguedir@ncsu.edu) if you have any questions or are interested.

Post date: 4/24/2025

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

STEPS REU and Research Experience for Future Farmers (REF)

STEPS will support 15 students for ten weeks during Summer 2025 through a multi-institutional REU/REF program. Students will work on independent research projects within the Center under the mentorship of STEPS Scholars and faculty. Students will be placed on projects that align with their research and career interests at one of the eight STEPS academic institutions.
Learn more here.

STEPS Center Director’s Fellowship Awards

The STEPS Center Director’s Fellowship Awards provide prestigious bridge support for stipends, fringe benefits, and tuition (if relevant) for the engagement of high-performing graduate students (Masters and Ph.D.) and postdoctoral scholars.

The awards provide interim support of a maximum of 1 year for scholars during their appointment at a STEPS institution who are either beginning research prior to joining an existing STEPS Project (e.g., new recruits) or are building upon existing projects in ways that promote new convergence/integration across STEPS (e.g., new meta-level research projects, creating final products from projects that are ending). When used as a recruitment tool, the Director’s Fellowship Award can provide time for students to establish core competencies in relevant fields, experiment with cross-disciplinary training, and/or work with multiple mentors/PIs in new research areas before committing to a specific project, PI(s), or program.  Research projects that include aspects of convergence scholarship, stakeholder engagement, and participatory research are particularly encouraged, even if a component of a broader research scope.

Learn more here. If you are interested in fellowship opportunities with STEPS, please contact us.