Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Plant Sciences

Purdue University Main Campus | Indianapolis and West Lafayette, IN
Tenure-Track Assistant Faculty Position in Plant Sciences

As part of a transformative, university-wide initiative in One Health – Healthy and Resilient Living Systems, the College of Agriculture invites applications for an academic year tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level. Specifically, the College seeks to recruit a basic plant biologist whose discovery-driven research advances fundamental understanding of plant biology and biochemistry at one or more biological scales – from genes and molecules to cells, organisms, populations, communities, or ecosystems. Successful candidates will be practiced in leveraging current and emerging AI-enabled approaches to accelerate scientific discovery and advance our understanding of healthy and resilient living systems.

We seek a researcher with interests that encompass two or more aspects of plant biology. Topics representing possible synergistic opportunities include molecular and cellular biology, plant biochemistry and natural product formation, developmental biology, physiology, genetics and genomics, evolution, plant–microbe and plant–insect interactions, plant–environment interactions, ecology, and ecosystem science. Candidates are encouraged to integrate artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, foundation models, computational modeling, autonomous experimentation, and other data-driven approaches to analyze complex biological data, generate and test hypotheses, reveal biological mechanisms, and predict biological responses across scales. Building on Purdue’s strengths in agriculture, engineering, artificial intelligence, data science, and health sciences, successful candidates will help establish a globally distinctive platform for AI-enabled discovery, prediction, and understanding of living systems. We particularly seek scientists whose research expands the frontiers of knowledge in plant biology, preferentially by spanning biological scales and disciplines, while contributing to Purdue’s leadership in One Health and healthy and resilient living systems.

The College

Purdue University’s College of Agriculture is one of the world’s leading colleges of agricultural, food, life, and natural resource sciences. The College is ranked third in the U.S. and sixth in the world in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. The College is deeply committed to the three land-grant missions (teaching, research, and extension), to international activities and perspectives that span all missions, and to excellence in all we do. The College has 10 academic departments, 294 faculty, 2842 undergraduate students, and 694 graduate students.

Purdue’s One Health Initiative

This strategic recruitment will help advance Purdue’s One Health initiative (https://www.purdue.edu/onehealth/) which seeks to tackle complex challenges with real-world impact at the intersection of human, animal, and plant health. This recruitment initiative builds on previous strategic faculty recruitment initiatives in: (1) Integrated Health; (2) AI-Driven Biomolecular Design, and (3) Advanced Chemistry. In addition, a parallel strategic faculty recruitment initiative in Intelligent Medicines is ongoing. Through academic programs, research, facility infrastructure and industry partnerships, Purdue’s One Health efforts are making giant leaps in improving health outcomes for all living things and driving economic growth regionally and globally. This strategic faculty recruitment initiative focused on Healthy and Resilient Living Systems is expected to build on prior recruitment initiatives and existing Purdue research and academic strengths, to transform research and impact human, animal and environmental health by bridging silos and fostering collaboration across disciplines.

The health and prosperity of society depend upon resilient living systems that connect ecosystems, plants, animals, insects, microbes, and people. Emerging and chronic diseases, food insecurity, environmental degradation, climate change, nutrient deficiencies, invasive species, and ecosystem disruption are increasingly interconnected global challenges that require integrated approaches across biological scales and disciplinary boundaries. This strategic recruitment initiative will help establish Purdue as a national leader in predicting, designing, and improving living systems that support health, sustainability, and economic vitality. Working with existing campus experts, this cluster would develop innovative solutions that enhance health resilience from genes and microbiomes to organisms, food systems, populations, and ecosystems. By integrating strengths in agriculture, engineering, artificial intelligence, data science, and health sciences, Purdue aims to create a globally distinctive platform for addressing complex challenges at the intersection of food systems, environmental stewardship, animal and human health, and economic prosperity.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. degree in plant sciences, biochemistry, computer science or related discipline by start date
• A record of research excellence and productivity commensurate with career stage
• Demonstrated potential or record of interdisciplinary collaboration and impactful scholarship
• Commitment to teaching and student mentorship

Faculty Responsibilities

• Establish a vigorous, externally funded research program
• Contribute to the education and mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students. Teach undergraduate and/or graduate level courses. Course modality is generally in person. The potential may exist for teaching online/distance courses during the academic year.
• Collaborate across disciplines to solve complex global One Health challenges

Integration within the Purdue One Health Community

Collectively, the strategic faculty recruitment initiatives represent a forward-thinking investment in Purdue’s research infrastructure and academic excellence. Faculty hired as part of these One Health strategic faculty recruitment initiatives will be supported as part of the overall One Health community. Together, these faculty members are expected to work across diverse disciplines, enhance Purdue’s external funding potential, and drive innovation at the intersection of health, environment, food, and economics. In addition to joining an academic unit, faculty hired through this initiative will have the opportunity to join a vibrant ecosystem of interdisciplinary centers and institutes, that span the hard-tech corridor between Indianapolis and West Lafayette including:

• Center for Plant Biology (CPB)
• Institute for Plant Sciences (IPS)
• Institute for Digital Forestry
• Institute for Digital and Advanced Agricultural Systems

Furthermore, with Purdue's expanding presence in Indianapolis, including Purdue University in Indianapolis and the surrounding hard tech corridor, faculty will have additional opportunities for collaboration with clinical, industry, and translational partners. The integrated, cross-disciplinary nature of One Health is essential for addressing today’s most urgent One Health challenges and ensuring Purdue’s continued leadership in research, education, and community impact.

Application Process

To apply, please submit a cover letter indicating the top two preferred departments, CV, research statement, teaching statement, and contact information for at least three references. Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. Applications should be submitted at: https://careers.purdue.edu/job/Assistant-Professor/44250-en_US/. Application materials must be combined into a single pdf and submitted electronically in the CV field on the application site. A background check is required for employment in this position.

Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access university.