|
|
WHO:
Any faculty and students
that work/attend any officially designated HSI
university or college. Teams will consist of one faculty
member and two students. The students may be any
combination of upper division undergraduates, Masters, or
PhD students.
WHAT:
Teams will be matched to
current USDA research programs of their interest.
Faculty will receive a stipend of $12,500 and students
$6000 for the summer.
WHEN:
Two teams will be chosen
each year for a ten week placement in the Summer of
2009 and 2010
WHERE:
Teams can choose from any
USDA participating research station or lab.
WHY:
Hispanics continue to lag behind other demographic
groups in the United States in obtaining advanced
degrees. They comprise only 3.8% of advanced degrees in
agriculture sciences. The nation has an ever-increasing
need for well-trained, qualified professionals in
natural sciences, technology, and social sciences
capable of meeting needs in the crucial areas of food,
agriculture, and natural resource management. Further,
as the Hispanic population of the United States grows,
it will become increasingly important for members of
this group to be represented in producing knowledge and
setting policies related to these important areas. The
FaST program will address a number of demonstrated needs
in the training and preparation of Hispanic scientists
to fill key science and management positions in the
agricultural and environmental fields. The FaST program
represents a concerted effort to bring the country’s
best researchers together with students and faculty from
underrepresented groups to address current USDA
strategic research concerns while fostering the goal of
an increased pool of Hispanics who pursue careers in
these areas.
The program will provide demonstrable benefits to
individual student participants, faculty mentors,
Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and host NRI-grantee
labs and research stations, as well as the broader
scientific community. Graduate student participants
will receive vital training and mentorship as well as
professional networking opportunities. Faculty mentors
will enhance their own research by working with
state-of-the-art equipment and resources not available
at their home institutions. The research programs and
training capacity of the participating HSIs will be
strengthened upon return of research teams to these
universalities. Host labs and field stations will
advance their own research projects with the aid of
HSI guest scientists with relevant training and
backgrounds. Host
facilities will include labs and research stations at
NRI-grantee institutions that have proven records of
accomplishment in mentoring researchers from
under-represented groups. The placements will be ten
weeks in length and occur during the summer months of
2009 and 2010. Finally, a diverse cohort of experienced
scientists emerging from the program will bring new
perspectives to existing problems in agriculture and
environmental sciences.
CONTACT FaST:Rachel Hill
Program Coordinator -
USDA FaST Program
The Culture and Policy Institute
University of Texas at San Antonio
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249
Work: (210) 458-2654
Fax: (210) 458-2655
Cell: (210) 313-5232
|
|
