Job Description
2015 Soybean Breeding Co-op (June-December)-00VKT
Description
NOTE: The following paid research opportunity requires a 6-month commitment,
wherein students sit out a full academic semester (June-December 2015). Please apply
only if you are certain of your willingness and ability to commit to the full duration of the
assignment.
Plant breeding leans on several disciplines to create varieties that deliver specific
performance and disease packages that growers require. With more people to feed and
less resources to produce it, the once relatively solitary practice of plant breeding is now
uplifted by teams of remote imaging scientists, marker discovery breeders,
environmental modelers, plant pathologists, and systems biologists. In this climate,
Monsanto has a greater need than ever to recruit talented and technology-savvy
students who can create the next innovations in farming.
Since 70% of learning occurs through direct experience, the Monsanto Plant Breeding
Co-op gives students hands-on exposure to the inner workings of an industry plantbreeding program at one of our North American soy breeding locations. The co-op gains
invaluable access to a soybean breeder and team by working side-by-side through the
critical seasons of planting and harvest. The co-ops will also conduct their own research
project, results of which are presented at the end of their 6-month tenure. This
experience is also supplemented with seminars, networking opportunities and career
discussions, as well as trips to visit marker discovery labs and other functions.
From this opportunity, students have the data to resolve general career aspirations,
such as to work in science or in agriculture, into a specific path, such as plant breeding,
or support of plant breeding through marker development, germplasm introgression , or
transgenic sciences. The experience not only grounds and prepares the student with
greater career direction, but also exposes them to a company who leads the industry in
delivering innovative technologies to farmers, and who is relentlessly committed to
solutions that will produce more, conserve more, and improve lives.
Responsibilities
All Co-ops are assigned a specific research project in addition to daily
responsibilities which include:
• Nursery or yield plot planting and harvesting
• Plot establishment and maintenance
• Data collection
• Plant pollination
• Assisting with management of seasonal employees
Qualifications
- Currently pursuing BS, MS, or PhD degree at a 4-year U.S. university within biological
sciences or related major, with plans to graduate no earlier than December 2015
-Available transportation to the Monsanto site and ability to travel off-site and
overnight if required
- Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0/4.0
Job
Research & Development
Primary Location
North America-USA
Organization
GLB Breeding-Soybean_51013140
Schedule
Full-time