The goal of this core is to develop research scientists with the highest training in their respective disciplines, i.e. environmental health, chemistry, microbiology, molecular genetics, and environmental engineering, who also are knowledgeable with respect to multi-disciplinary environmental problems and innovative research approaches.

The training core currently provides partial support for two full time Ph.D. trainees, and one part-time Ph.D. trainee. We have obtained matching funds from the Colleges of Medicine, Engineering, Arts & Sciences, and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to bring this to a total of six trainees, paid an annual stipend of $18,000, plus tuition remission. Additional Ph.D., M.S., and undergraduate students, as well as post-doctoral research assistants, receive training through their work in the various research projects. We have selected five trainees that are currently supported and participating in research activities in PI laboratories. We anticipate selecting and placing a sixth trainee by Spring Quarter 2002. The current trainees are listed in the accompanying Table of Trainees.

A major component of the training program is the weekly seminar course entitled “Special Topics in Biotechnology.” All trainees and PIs participate in this course, as do the other graduate and undergraduate students, and post-docs supported by the grant. Over the past two quarters we have had the PIs of each of the individual projects provide an overview of the current challenges and approaches of their research activities. In addition to the training of Ph.D. students, these weekly sessions stimulate discussion and collaborations among researchers from the different projects. Additional seminars and activities with the trainees over the past nine months have focused on other significant environmental problems outside the current research activities of individual research projects, such as biodiversity, endocrine disruptors, and cell aging – cancer tradeoffs. The Biostatistics and Analytical Cores have provided individualized training to individual trainees with specific research needs in these areas.

Dr. Kinkle is also involved in the recruitment of undergraduate women and under-represented minorities into our environmental research activities through his participation in the university-wide “Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Program.” Current activities include an evening seminar series to freshman, female engineering and science majors clustered in individual dorms, and support of summer research activities by undergraduate women.

The training core activities have two significant outcomes: 1) they provide to the trainees the  multidisciplinary skills and knowledge often lacking in specialized Ph.D. programs, and 2) they stimulate scientific interactions and collaborative research activities among the various projects, including both PIs and graduate students. An additional outcome is that they increase similar interactions, as well as outreach activities, between scientists involved in the SBRP program, other university and governmental scientists, and non-governmental organizations.