{"id":6657,"date":"2023-01-10T13:07:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T18:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/psi\/?page_id=6657"},"modified":"2026-08-05T15:23:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:23:37","slug":"professional-development-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/psi\/professional-development-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"Professional Development Opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
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Featured Opportunities<\/span>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Events and Conferences <\/span>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Internships and Fellowships<\/span>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Other Opportunities <\/span>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Additional Resources<\/span>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Have an event or opportunity you would like to feature here and in our weekly student emails?<\/em> Contact Alex Goodnight<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

LAST CALL OPPORTUNITIES<\/h2>\n\n\n
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SAPLINGS Undergraduate Research Experience<\/h3>\n \n\n \t \t

We are seeking motivated NC State undergraduate students for a paid internship during the Fall 2026 semester. Students will participate in one of many research projects that applies AI in agriculture while being mentored by experienced researchers.

Application Deadline:<\/strong> August 14 by 5pm<\/p>\n\t \t \n

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ASU-Science Prize for Transformational Impact<\/h3>\n \n\n \t \t

This prize recognizes transformational research that uses innovative methods to identify problems and develop solutions directly influencing policy and decision-making.. The grand prize winner will receive $30,000 and publication in Science. Finalists will receive $10,000. Entrants must be early career scientists who hold an Ph.D. at the time of entry and have received their degree in the last 15 years.
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Submission Deadline:<\/strong> August 15, 2026<\/p>\n\t \t \n

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REFRAME Paid Research Position for Graduate Students<\/h2>

The REFRAME project is seeking a cohort of talented and motivated NC State graduate students from Computer Science, Agricultural Engineering, and related fields, to join their interdisciplinary research team. Each graduate student will be paired with a REFRAME mentor and contribute to real-world research problems spanning computational modeling, software development, agricultural data systems, and AI-enabled decision support tools. Selected students will start in the Fall 2026 semester and work 15 hours per week for 20 weeks.

Application Deadline:<\/strong> August 14 <\/p>\n

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\"Two
Vy Hoang and Connery Tran set up camera systems for research being conducted by Andrea Monteza and N.C. PSI faculty affiliate Emmanuel Torres Quezada of the Department of Horticultural Sciences. Over the course of their two August 2025 days at an NC State field lab, Tran literally sweated out what-could-go-wrong concerns and Hoang came up with the idea for C3POil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Featured Opportunities <\/h2>\n\n\n
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2026-2027 Plantae Fellows Program<\/h3>\n \n\n \t \t

Are you a creative and articulate plant scientist looking to connect with other like-minded folks? <\/em> ASPB’s Plantae, the global online community for plant science, is looking for individuals who want to become highly engaged by creating and curating content, facilitating and hosting discussions, and otherwise fostering a growing global community. The benefits of becoming a Plantae Fellow include increased visibility within the plant science community and the opportunity to develop your skills as a digital content creator and science communicator. Although these are volunteer positions, ASPB pays\u00a0an\u00a0honorarium\u00a0upon the satisfactory completion of the term. The term of commitment is one year, and the specific weekly time commitment is variable.

Application Deadline: <\/strong>Monday, August 31\u00a0<\/p>\n\t \t \n

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Call for Assistant Feature Editors<\/h3>\n \n\n \t \t

Plant Physiology\u00a0<\/em>is now accepting applications to join the\u00a0Plant Physiology\u00a0<\/em>Assistant Features Editor (AFE) program. These are two-year appointments, starting either in January 2027 or 2028. AFEs support the journal by writing News and Views articles about recently published papers and by hosting\u00a0Plant Physiology\u00a0<\/em>webinars on recent research. You will also be included in efforts to explore ways to make our papers more discoverable and accessible to the public.

Application Deadline:<\/strong> September 8, 2026<\/p>\n\t \t \n

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Mashup at the N.C. PSI: The Mosaic Company and STEPS<\/h3>\n \n\n \t \t

Join us for our next “Mashup” at the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative!<\/em> The theme for this Mashup is\u00a0Plant Health and Nutrient Use Efficiency.
Our\u00a0industry partner\u00a0for this Mashup is\u00a0Dr. Ross Bender from The Mosaic Company. Our\u00a0NC State speaker\u00a0is\u00a0Dr. Ross Sozzani, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, as well as N.C. PSI Platform Director for Plant Improvement and Co-deputy Director of the STEPS Center. A networking mixer directly follows the seminars.

Date:<\/strong> Thursday, September 17 from 4-6pm
Location:<\/strong> Seminar Rooms, Plant Sciences Building<\/p>\n\t \t \n

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N.C. PSI Hackathon<\/h3>\n \n\n \t \t

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. With the goal to accelerate agricultural research using data analytics, machine learning, and hardware fabrication, our annual Hackathons have multiple tracks and are inclusive to participants with various levels of experience.

Event Dates:<\/strong> October 23-25, 2026<\/p>\n\t \t \n

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Workshop: “Using Predictive Models for Landscape-Scale Agricultural Decision-Making”<\/h2>

This workshop for graduate students will cover the complete workflow for using machine learning and satellite imagery to generate landscape-scale agricultural predictions, including data acquisition, preprocessing, model development, and deployment of production-ready predictions. Bring your own laptop. <\/em>

Date:<\/strong> September 1 from 9am -12pm
Location:<\/strong> Seminar Rooms, Plant Sciences Building<\/p>\n

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Letitia Santos, a graduate student in biological and agricultural engineering and at 2024 FFAR Fellow, uses remotely sensed data and machine learning techniques to measure, monitor and report weed and soil conditions. Photo by Becky Kirkland.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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INTERFACE: Data + AI Research Summit<\/h2>

The NC State Data Science and AI Academy invites faculty, students, research support units and local industry partners to to share research, exchange ideas and create new opportunities for collaboration at the first INTERFACE: Data + AI Research Summit<\/strong>. Lead a research session or workshop, present a student research poster, showcase a campus research resource or participate as an industry partner. Participation submissions close Friday, September 11.<\/strong> General registration opens September 21.<\/em>

Date: <\/strong>Monday, November 2, 2026 from 9 am to 4pm
Location:<\/strong> Talley Student Union<\/p>\n

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NE Ag expo field day in Shawboro, NC. An extension agent talks about soybean crops. Photo by Marc Hall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Events and Conferences<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Regularly Occurring events<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n
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Science on Tap!<\/h3>\n \n\n \t \t

Science on Tap!\u00a0takes place at\u00a0Lynnwood Brewing Concern<\/strong>\u00a0(1053 E Whitaker Mill Rd) on the second Tuesday of every month from 7:00 \u2013 9:00 pm.\u00a0Grab a beer, meet local scientists, and hear the stories behind their coolest discoveries\u2014no jargon, just great talks and good company.<\/p>\n\t \t \n

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AI Hot Topics at NC State<\/h3>\n \n\n \t \t

The AI Hot Topics monthly series, hosted by the Data Science and AI Academy, is a dynamic forum designed to foster dialogue and collaboration on the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence. Whether you\u2019re a seasoned AI practitioner, a curious scholar or simply interested in the transformative potential of AI, this series offers a unique opportunity to connect with leading experts and contribute to meaningful discussions. The AI Hot Topics Series takes place monthly at Raleigh Founded<\/strong> on Centennial Campus (1017 Main Campus Dr.) from 8:45 – 9:45 am.<\/p>\n\t \t \n

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Upcoming PSI Events<\/h2>\n All PSI Events<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Oct<\/span>\n 05<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Monday2:00 PM<\/span>\n <\/p>\n

Discover N.C. PSI<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n
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\n Oct<\/span>\n 23<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Friday\n <\/p>\n

N.C. PSI Hackathon<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Conferences<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n
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