Program Manager & Adjunct Assistant Professor University of Kentucky LEXINGTON, Kentucky, United States
Abstract: All too often, graduate training in ecology employs a monodisciplinary approach that is not informed by best practices, overlooks the increasingly interdisciplinary and international nature of research, and overemphasizes the preparation of students for careers in academia. Against this backdrop, a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) at the University of Kentucky (UK) is leveraging the most effective tools and methods for the training of STEM professionals, such as individual development plans and developmental network-based mentoring. Briefly, the goal of the UK NRT is to enhance graduate education by integrating research and professional skill development within a diverse, inclusive, and supportive academy.
The starting point of this academy is a course on Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS) – which is the research topic of the NRT – taught by 11 faculty of 8 academic departments. In this course, students form interdisciplinary teams and write a literature review on an INFEWS-related topic of their choice. The following semester, trainees take a course on Transferable Skills, taught by 25 guest lecturers with expertise on several skills, from teamwork and leadership to entrepreneurship and management, with different forms of communication – including to broad audiences – being emphasized. In this course, multi-departmental student teams are coached to write and peer-review collaborative research proposals, deserving submissions being awarded NRT funds so student teams can implement the interdisciplinary work proposed. Completing these core courses gives students 6 of the 12 credit hours needed to attain a Graduate Certificate on INFEWS. Students earn the other 6 credits by choosing from a list of elective courses that fulfill both certificate and degree requirements, so their anticipated time-to-degree is not extended.
In addition to the coursework-based components of the traineeship described above, students receive additional training in 1) summer internships at UK departments other than their own and at the type of external institution best aligned with their career interests – inside or outside academia – nationwide or abroad; 2) fields trips to facilities related to INFEWS; 3) an annual research-related symposium including all elements of a scientific conference; and 4) workshops and other professional development opportunities focused on specific skills, such as job hunting.
Saliently, while trainee demographics show that the UK NRT is broadening participation most effectively, the evaluation of the NRT is affording a comprehensive understanding of the academy components that are more utilized and impactful.
