An official website of the United States government.
(1) Identify and effectively recruit high-ability undergraduate students into graduate programs through organized, funded opportunities in undergraduate research focusing on reduction of Salmonella. This program will seek out undergraduates with a propensity and aptitude for science. Working in conjunction with an Integrated Stakeholder Advisory Board (ISAB) and the Center for Undergraduate Research (CUR), we will develop a program for an Integrated Food Safety Scholars (IFSS) IFSS students will be expected to participate in a Latin American-based field research experience. At the conclusion of Phase I, we will disseminate this non-credit undergraduate program to other higher education programs in the US and Latin America through open-source methods. This will result in an increase in graduate program applications at the three institutions seeking training in food safety and integrated disciplines. An increase of high-ability applications will lead to increased enrollments, and will increase the amount of human capital in the workforce with specialized training in the integrative nature of food safety. Additionally, the graduate research will result in a reduction of Salmonella world-wide ultimately saving lives, reducing illnesses and losses from the food industry. <P>(2) Prepare graduate students to become the future agents of change in the food industry by equipping them with knowledge, skills and abilities to foster, develop and enable integrated teams of diverse individuals in a variety of environments. The tangible products of this objective will include two graduate seminar courses and a Latin American-based field research experience. The impact will include scholastic contributions by M.S. and Ph.D. students, as well as increased workforce capacity in food safety. <P>(3) Provide faculty with the opportunity, means and locations to learn, teach and share information with organizations and academic institutions in multiple Latin American nations. Under the guidance of the ISAB, we will develop MOA's between Latin American universities, institutions, agencies and TTU, ASU, and CSU-F. We will also develop a best practices guide for undergraduate and graduate student integrated research in food safety. Faculty development impacts will include an enhanced U.S./Latin American capacity to monitor and rapidly address food-related disease outbreaks. <P>(4) Create permanent collaborative partnerships at two levels. 1) Horizontal connections on research, education and international experiences between the three universities. 2) Create vertical connections for collaborative opportunities with international agencies and universities. Impacts will be measured in future funding submissions by the three universities that make use of the research and education building blocks created through this capacity building grant. Vertical connections will be quantified by the number of international locations that collaborate over the time period of the project. Impact will be enhancement in the U.S./Latin American capacity to monitor and rapidly react to food-borne illness.
Non-Technical Summary:<br/>
The collaborative team of researchers and educators will effectively create a virtual network of integrated teams in order to build capacity for the detection and elimination of Salmonella in the food supply. We will develop laboratory capacity at ASU and CSU-Fresno through the purchase of BAX equipment where none has been available previously. We will then create and deliver training on the effective use of that equipment so that all three universities are consistent. We will partner on the implementation of that equipment through funded graduate and undergraduate research projects designed to detect and reduce Salmonella. Identifying and engaging high-ability undergraduates will increase application to graduate schools to study food safety. Educators will develop and deliver the Integrated Food Safety Scholars Program coupled with an international experience. Graduate seminar courses will be developed and shared across collaborators and faculty will participate in international field experiences. The development of quality human capital experience in both field work and human resource management will lead to measurable decreases in Salmonella and ultimately improved human health.
<P>
Approach:<br/>
The first objective seeks to identify and effectively recruit high-ability undergraduate students into graduate programs through organized, funded opportunities in undergraduate research projects focusing on reduction of Salmonella in food products. The researchers will systematically work with advisory boards and the Center for Undergraduate Research (CUR) to identify topic areas to include in a undergraduate program: the Integrated Food Safety Scholars (IFSS). We will develop a Learning Objects Repository, develop admission materials, marketing information and launch a website. Following the admission of students into IFSS, we will begin conducting undergraduate research in the area of food safety related to Salmonella in beef, goat, sheep and fruit and vegetable products. The results of this research will be disseminated through traditional peer-reviewed channels. We will prepare graduate students to become the future agents of change in the food industry by equipping them with the knowledge, skills and abilities to foster, develop and enable effective integrated teams of diverse individuals. The researchers will use the advisory board to develop graduate student seminars that will be packaged and offered online. We will recruit multi-disciplinary students majoring in food-safety related degrees who will complete the seminar series and participate in an experience conducting Latin American field research. Using existing connections with Latin American universities and institutions, we will provide faculty with the opportunity, means and locations to learn, work and cooperatively share information at an international level. Our faculty will expand international relationships to create opportunities to provide teaching experiences in Latin America. Workshop delivery, guest teaching and short-term assignments will allow our faculty to immerse themselves in an international environment. Formal MOA's will be established between institutions, universities, and agencies in Latin America and TTU, ASU, and CSU-F. Our research and education project will create collaborative partnerships with our partnering institutions by building capacity for research. We will purchase equipment to be utilized at CSF and ASU for this current project and future projects related to food safety. Additionally, the universities will purchase a PFGE system for fingerprinting isolates which gives insights into control and preventing pathogens from getting into the food supply. The purchase of the equipment will necessitate training in use and interpretation of data. Once the equipment is ready, faculty and graduate students will travel to TTU where they will be trained on the proper and efficient use of the equipment. This will provide for faculty in all three locations to have similar equipment that will facilitate the cooperation and seamless interaction among all researchers. Researchers will share samples, methods, students, projects and will be very well positioned for future grant funding opportunities related to testing for Salmonella in fruits, vegetables, beef, goat, sheep and other food products.