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N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

Education & Workforce Development Platform

We develop plant science leaders.

A New Breed of Problem Solvers

The future poses challenges for food, agriculture, energy and the environment. That’s why we’re providing a unique training ground for a new breed of problem solvers.

Our scholarship programs, internships and collaborative graduate fellowships pave the way for the agile workforce of tomorrow.

We are making forward-looking investments in recruiting, training and retaining world-class plant scientists.

lifelong learning

education and workforce development

K-12

We collaborate to provide educational opportunities to K-12 students across North Carolina.

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demo lab

Demo Lab

Designed to showcase ongoing N.C. PSI research projects to the public and serves as a hands-on educational area for students, teachers, extension agents, and others groups.

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2023 PSI Hackathon

Undergraduates, Graduate Students & Beyond

We are constantly providing our N.C. PSI students and postdocs with a variety of professional development opportunities.

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Craig Yencho and Mercy Kitavi work with sweet potato samples in a lab in Nairobi, Kenya.

Internships

N.C. PSI students can receive experience from a variety of different internship opportunities.

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Fellowships and Awards

There are a variety funding opportunities for N.C. PSI students to support their education.

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Researchers in lab

Certificates

Enhance your skills and advance your education with an undergraduate or graduate certificate.

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84% of future agricultural jobs have plant science roots

We grow talent with plant science know-how.

GRAD-AID for Ag

GRAD-AID for Ag is a new graduate training program that will recruit and train two cohorts of highly motivated doctoral students at the intersection of basic and applied plant science. Students will be equipped with the ability to integrate lab-derived multi-omics datasets with field data, leveraging the statistical analyses, machine learning (ML), artificial neural networks, and other artificial intelligence (AI) methodologies to accelerate translation of basic plant science research to the field.

Selected students will receive a $37,000 annual stipend.

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Bridging Disciplines, Generating Solutions

At the annual N.C. PSI BRIDGE Symposium, graduate students and postdocs discuss creative bridges across disciplines that could lead to improvements in the economy, environment and people’s lives.

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BRIDGE Symposium participants standing at the front of a room

Researching Agricultural Challenges on the Backroads

In the second annual N.C. PSI Backroad Tour, graduate students and postdocs from several colleges visited farmers and producers across the state.

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N.C. PSI plant sciences initiative graduate students research learn from farmers and NC State Extension
Participants on the second annual N.C. PSI Backroads Tour at Gary Hendrix’s cotton farm in Hoke County.

Annual N.C. PSI Hackathon

The N.C. PSI Hackathon is an annual event that gives undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars the chance to demonstrate their skills in a 3-day competition to solve ag tech related challenges for prizes and, of course, bragging rights.

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2021 Hackathon participants in action

Learning and Applying Agricultural Data Science

NC State’s Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Engineering and Science introduce a Graduate Certificate in Agriculture Data Science. This program combines data management and analysis techniques with computer science and statistical training to allow students to apply the processes of data mining and artificial intelligence to critical agriculture, food, and life science issues.

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Norma L. Trolinder N.C. PSI Graduate Student Endowment 

Norma and Linda Trolinder are a mother-daughter duo of preeminent researchers and have established the N.C. PSI’s first graduate student endowment to propel the future of the field they love.

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Re-thinking How We Teach Graduate Students

To address societal challenges, scientific research must be convergent: driven by compelling problems and deeply integrating scientific disciplines. AgBioFEWS students gain this capacity by working collaboratively to research how agricultural biotechnology changes agricultural landscapes and rural communities, integrating tools and cultures from the natural and social sciences.

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Dani Jones

Education and Workforce Development Platform Director

Dani Jones joins the N.C. PSI leadership team, planning to expand on the groundbreaking efforts of former Education and Workforce Development Platform Director Terri Long.

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Dani Jones leaning against stairwell railing

NEWS FROM N.C. PSI’S EDUCATION PLATFORM

More N.C. PSI News
Three people, with two making the shape of a wolf with their hands

‘You Want the Handprints You Make on People’s Lives To Be Good Ones’

Alumnus Larry Roberts recounts a life lesson learned and the returns he and his wife, Judy, see from their investment in a program that sparks young people’s interest in solving global food and agriculture problems. 
Student peering into a microscope

Plant Sciences Outreach Day Broadens Horizons for High School Students

North Carolina high school students gathered at NC State University in February to gain hands-on experience with plant sciences and get inspired for their futures. 
Student points toward a computer as another student faces the computer

Student Grows Ag Research Acumen and Power Skills Through the N.C. PSI

N.C. PSI programs help lay a foundation for success for an NC State master’s student exploring AI-powered tools to inform the creation of more resilient crops.