Deadline: Fri, 05/24/2024 - 12:00pm Employer: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Job Field: Wildlife Job Type: Full Time Location: Regional/Multiple Location Detail: Remote Job Description: The participant will collaborate with veterinary medical officers, statisticians, economists and ecologists to operationalize and improve analytical tools. Activities will support program management, emergency preparedness, and surveillance planning for disease transmission. Research activities will include: Operationalize, and where needed suggest improvements to previously developed models of the geographic distributions of livestock prior to slaughter. Identify and develop data and other model inputs for use in an existing framework for the optimization of slaughter surveillance for diseases such as bovine tuberculosis in cattle. Collaborate with subject matter experts and decision makers to ensure analytical tools are developed in a way that meets VS needs. Collaboration would also enhance knowledge and skills in disease risk modeling and application to support programmatic decisions and policy. Conducts sensitivity analysis of parameters used in a model of African Swine Fever disease dynamics in feral swine. Research activities would also include running models across a range of additional scenarios and summarizing results to inform research associated with understanding time to detection, optimal control and determining disease freedom. Qualifications: Background investigations are required for the selected candidate so the individual can be in biocontainment without an escort and handle select agents. Adjudication of a Special Agency Check (SAC) is required before the selected candidate can start at Plum Island Animal Disease Center. An advanced BI security clearance will be be conducted/adjudicated after start date, allowing for unescorted access to biocontainment. An APHIS Select Agent Clearance is also required so that the selected candidate can handle select agents. Paperwork for all of these clearances will be sent to the selected candidate after acceptance of the official offer from ORAU. How to Apply: https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/USDA-APHIS-2024-0077