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This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program is focused on the geomicrobiology of complex microbiological systems, and brings together expertise in hydrodynamics, geochemistry, microbial ecology, biochemistry and genomics. The primary goal of this research and education program is to train students to use interdisciplinary approaches in the study… more »

This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program is focused on the geomicrobiology of complex microbiological systems, and brings together expertise in hydrodynamics, geochemistry, microbial ecology, biochemistry and genomics. The primary goal of this research and education program is to train students to use interdisciplinary approaches in the study of microbial communities that will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the important interface between the biosphere and geosphere. The novel training program encompasses research scientists focused on the microbiology of extreme thermal, psychrophilic, or industrial biofilm communities.

Graduate students in this program participate in an integrated four-semester course sequence, professional workshops, internships at national and international laboratories, mentoring activities for Native American high-school student summer interns and seminar programs in the Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE) and Thermal Biology Institute (TBI). Graduates from this IGERT program will be well-prepared to address the complexity of microbial processes in any system, while maintaining significant disciplinary depth.

The broader impacts of this graduate training program are extensive, and include partnerships with existing centers of excellence in Thermal Biology, SubZero Science and Engineering, and Biofilm Engineering. Outreach is an integral part of the educational experience and graduate students in this program will participate and assist with one or more important outreach activities including a formal K-12 science-teacher course, scientific workshops, industrial partner programs, training for Yellowstone National Park (YNP) interpretive staff, field trips for K-12 students, educational exhibits at the Museum of the Rockies and the Old Faithful Visitor Museum, mentoring Native American high school and undergraduate students, and development of digital libraries and web content in collaboration with the YNP Research Coordination Network. These broader impacts are synergistic in supporting the diverse educational goals of an IGERT program, and in further developing literacy in the geobiological sciences.

IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. « less