STEM OPT Jobs in Iowa
Iowa's agricultural technology, advanced manufacturing, and insurance sectors sponsor F-1 STEM OPT candidates across Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City. Employers in precision agriculture, biosciences, and financial analytics regularly file E-Verify enrollments, making Iowa a practical target for STEM OPT job seekers with engineering, data science, and life sciences backgrounds.
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Get Access To All JobsRequisition # 4655
Advertising Ends on: Friday, August 7th, 2026
Advertising Started on: Friday, July 24th, 2026
College: Carver College of Medicine
Department: Neuroscience and Pharmacology
Salary: $63,480.00 to Commensurate
Full/Part Time Status: Full Time
Percent Time: 100%
Position Description:
A postdoctoral position is available immediately in the laboratory of Dionéia Araldi, MS.c., Ph.D., in the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology at the University of Iowa.
The Araldi lab investigates signaling pathways that drive the transition from acute to chronic pain, with a focus on aging, neuropathic pain, chronic opioid use, and stress. The lab uses complementary rodent and human translational approaches to study pain-related mechanisms.
We are seeking a highly motivated scientist with a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience or a related field. Applicants should have strengths in a subset of the core research areas relevant to the position, with additional training provided as needed.
The successful candidate will join a highly collaborative and interactive research team and will have the opportunity to contribute to high-impact publications. The position includes structured mentorship in manuscript preparation, career development awards, and preparation for the academic job market.
The postdoc will also be expected to present research at national and international scientific meetings and mentor junior trainees in the laboratory.
In addition, the candidate will participate in the Pain Research Program, which offers a highly collaborative training environment including didactic coursework, seminars, journal clubs, progress meetings, and grant-writing support. Trainees are encouraged to develop an independent research profile and pursue fellowship or career development funding early in the postdoctoral period.
Salary will follow the current NIH postdoctoral stipend scale and will be commensurate with experience. The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine is a major research and teaching center with a strong national reputation.
The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine has a national and international reputation as a major research and teaching center and ranks highly among U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools”. Iowa City is one of the most beautiful, safe, and collegial university towns in the Midwest, approximately 3.5 hours by car from Chicago, and offers a high standard of living, relatively low cost of living, and a rich cultural life. The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity employer.
Education Requirement:
Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience or a related field.
Required Qualifications:
- Experience with preclinical models of pain, including inflammatory and neuropathic pain syndromes
- Strong hands-on experience with behavioral assessment of evoked and spontaneous pain, including assays such as the Randall-Selitto, von Frey, Hargreaves test, and weight-bearing tests
- Experience with molecular biology techniques, including Western blotting, PCR, immunohistochemistry, and/or immunofluorescence
- Experience with dorsal root ganglion (DRG) isolation, processing, and analysis
Desirable Qualifications:
- Experience with statistical analysis software such as GraphPad Prism or R
- Experience with catch-clamp recording
- Experience with Ca2+ imaging
Online Application Required Documents
- Curriculum Vita
- Name and Contact Information of References
- Letters of Interest
Number of References: 3
To start the Online Application process for this position, click the "Apply for This Position" button located below the Contact Information.
Contact: Dioneia Araldi - dioneia-araldi@uiowa.edu
Cmed-Neurosci & Pharmacology
Bowen Science Building
51 Newton Road
2-430 BSB
Iowa City, IA 52242-1109
The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, or associational preferences.
Persons with disabilities may contact University Human Resources/Faculty and Staff Disability Services, (319) 335-2660 or fsds@uiowa.edu, to inquire or discuss accommodation needs.
Prospective employees may review the University Campus Security Policy and the latest annual crime statistics by contacting the Department of Public Safety at 319/335-5022.
Requisition # 4655
Advertising Ends on: Friday, August 7th, 2026
Advertising Started on: Friday, July 24th, 2026
College: Carver College of Medicine
Department: Neuroscience and Pharmacology
Salary: $63,480.00 to Commensurate
Full/Part Time Status: Full Time
Percent Time: 100%
Position Description:
A postdoctoral position is available immediately in the laboratory of Dionéia Araldi, MS.c., Ph.D., in the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology at the University of Iowa.
The Araldi lab investigates signaling pathways that drive the transition from acute to chronic pain, with a focus on aging, neuropathic pain, chronic opioid use, and stress. The lab uses complementary rodent and human translational approaches to study pain-related mechanisms.
We are seeking a highly motivated scientist with a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience or a related field. Applicants should have strengths in a subset of the core research areas relevant to the position, with additional training provided as needed.
The successful candidate will join a highly collaborative and interactive research team and will have the opportunity to contribute to high-impact publications. The position includes structured mentorship in manuscript preparation, career development awards, and preparation for the academic job market.
The postdoc will also be expected to present research at national and international scientific meetings and mentor junior trainees in the laboratory.
In addition, the candidate will participate in the Pain Research Program, which offers a highly collaborative training environment including didactic coursework, seminars, journal clubs, progress meetings, and grant-writing support. Trainees are encouraged to develop an independent research profile and pursue fellowship or career development funding early in the postdoctoral period.
Salary will follow the current NIH postdoctoral stipend scale and will be commensurate with experience. The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine is a major research and teaching center with a strong national reputation.
The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine has a national and international reputation as a major research and teaching center and ranks highly among U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools”. Iowa City is one of the most beautiful, safe, and collegial university towns in the Midwest, approximately 3.5 hours by car from Chicago, and offers a high standard of living, relatively low cost of living, and a rich cultural life. The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity employer.
Education Requirement:
Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience or a related field.
Required Qualifications:
- Experience with preclinical models of pain, including inflammatory and neuropathic pain syndromes
- Strong hands-on experience with behavioral assessment of evoked and spontaneous pain, including assays such as the Randall-Selitto, von Frey, Hargreaves test, and weight-bearing tests
- Experience with molecular biology techniques, including Western blotting, PCR, immunohistochemistry, and/or immunofluorescence
- Experience with dorsal root ganglion (DRG) isolation, processing, and analysis
Desirable Qualifications:
- Experience with statistical analysis software such as GraphPad Prism or R
- Experience with catch-clamp recording
- Experience with Ca2+ imaging
Online Application Required Documents
- Curriculum Vita
- Name and Contact Information of References
- Letters of Interest
Number of References: 3
To start the Online Application process for this position, click the "Apply for This Position" button located below the Contact Information.
Contact: Dioneia Araldi - dioneia-araldi@uiowa.edu
Cmed-Neurosci & Pharmacology
Bowen Science Building
51 Newton Road
2-430 BSB
Iowa City, IA 52242-1109
The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, or associational preferences.
Persons with disabilities may contact University Human Resources/Faculty and Staff Disability Services, (319) 335-2660 or fsds@uiowa.edu, to inquire or discuss accommodation needs.
Prospective employees may review the University Campus Security Policy and the latest annual crime statistics by contacting the Department of Public Safety at 319/335-5022.
Search F-1 STEM OPT Jobs by Industry in Iowa
Tips for Finding STEM OPT Jobs in Iowa
Verify your role qualifies under STEM OPT
Cross-check your target job title against the official STEM-designated degree list before applying. Use O*NET to confirm the occupation code aligns with your degree field, since Iowa agricultural engineering and data analytics roles sometimes use hybrid titles that need careful mapping.
Target E-Verify enrolled employers in Iowa
Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify before USCIS approves a STEM OPT extension. Filter Iowa employers in advanced manufacturing corridors around Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, where E-Verify enrollment rates are higher due to federal contracting requirements.
Search Iowa LCA filings to identify sponsors
Use Migrate Mate to filter DOL Labor Condition Application filings by Iowa employers and STEM occupation codes. This surfaces companies in Des Moines insurance tech and Iowa City biosciences that actively file for STEM roles, saving you from cold outreach to non-sponsors.
Align your cap-gap timing with Iowa hiring cycles
Iowa's large agricultural technology firms and insurance companies tend to finalize full-time offers in late spring. Submitting your I-765 extension application before your OPT end date preserves your cap-gap work authorization while USCIS processes the extension, keeping you continuously employable.
See all 138+ F-1 STEM OPT jobs in Iowa
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Get Access To All JobsF-1 STEM OPT Jobs in Iowa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which industries in Iowa sponsor the most F-1 STEM OPT visas?
Advanced manufacturing, agricultural technology, insurance and financial services, and biosciences sponsor the most F-1 STEM OPT candidates in Iowa. Companies operating in precision agriculture equipment, crop science, and actuarial analytics in the Des Moines metro and Cedar Rapids corridor file consistently for STEM-eligible roles in engineering, data science, and applied biology.
Which cities in Iowa have the most F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
Des Moines concentrates the highest volume of F-1 STEM OPT roles, particularly in insurance technology, financial analytics, and software engineering. Cedar Rapids and Waterloo have strong advanced manufacturing and food science employers. Iowa City, home to the University of Iowa research ecosystem, offers biosciences and health informatics roles that regularly support STEM OPT candidates.
What types of roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in Iowa?
Roles in software development, data engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, agricultural systems analysis, actuarial science, and applied biology commonly qualify. The position must directly relate to your STEM-designated degree and the employer must be enrolled in E-Verify. Iowa's agricultural technology sector produces hybrid roles combining agronomic science with data analytics that qualify when degree alignment is documented carefully.
How do I find F-1 STEM OPT jobs in Iowa?
Migrate Mate lets you filter job listings in Iowa by F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship history using DOL Labor Condition Application filing data, so you only apply to employers who have actively sponsored STEM workers. Focus searches on Des Moines and Cedar Rapids metro employers, and cross-reference E-Verify enrollment status before advancing through any interview process.
Are there any Iowa-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship?
Iowa employers outside the Des Moines metro, particularly mid-size manufacturers in the Quad Cities region and agricultural processors in rural counties, may be unfamiliar with the Form I-983 training plan requirement. Build extra time into the offer stage to educate hiring managers on USCIS documentation obligations. Iowa's strong public university research network also creates on-campus STEM OPT opportunities that bypass some private-sector complexity.