About
We are excited to announce the USDA-ARS AI-COE/SCINet Graduate Student Internship Program administered by the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Applications are currently open, and close at 11:59 pm Pacific on March 31. Graduate students with strong, applied skills in data science, computer science, and related fields will join and contribute their skills to ARS research teams working on data-intensive research problems. Modern agricultural research is a highly multidisciplinary enterprise that increasingly requires sophisticated computational and statistical methods to analyze datasets that are rapidly expanding in size, scope, and complexity. As such, agricultural science often benefits from an interdisciplinary team approach that brings together deep domain expertise and strong data science and analytics skills.

Program details

• Paid, hands-on, real-world research opportunities, scientific domain expertise, and mentoring from ARS scientists.
• Learn about agricultural research as a rewarding career path for data and computer scientists
• 10-week internship, 4010-week internship, 40 hrs/wk
• $12,000 stipend plus travel support for a 2-week visit to the host/mentor site during internship

Who should apply

• Graduate students enrolled in a master’s or Ph.D. program at an accredited U.S. university
• Preferred areas of study: computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, statistics
• Interest in applying skills to agricultural research, but no agricultural background necessary

Research project placement opportunities
There are 35 internship opportunities at USDA-ARS locations around the country.

See Project Opportunities

Timeline

• Applications close at 11:59pm Pacific on March 31, 2023
• Early April: application review and interviews
• Late April: notification of award and project pairing
• 10-week internship starting June 2023 (flexible start date depending on student schedule)

Application materials

• Personal statement (2,500 characters or fewer)
• Current resume or CV
• List of relevant coursework or unofficial transcripts
• Letter of recommendation from an advisor, mentor, or supervisor- emailed to hcbartram@ucdavis.edu before 5:00 pm on April 3, 2023

Apply Here