ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE SURVEILLANCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAM (ARM-STEP)

We are preparing the next generation of specialists with epidemiology, public health, food safety, and molecular biology training to work in the complex area of anti-microbial surveillance, a new an upcoming area of interest nationally and internationally, and for research careers and leadership positions in industry, academia, and government/regulatory agencies. The NNF research and outreach will have a strong relevance to global food safety.The proposed antimicrobial resistance surveillance training and education program (ARM-STEP), addresses the critical need for integrative and targeted training and education in the food security challenge area and in the targeted expertise shortage area of integrative biosciences for sustainability of food and agricultural systems, and discipline "G." Antibiotic use in animals has been linked to the development of pathogen resistance and this poses a serious threat to human health. We will train two National Need Graduate Fellows (NNF) PhD students from three institutions from the University of North Carolina System from underrepresented groups: African American, Hispanic/Latino as initially proposed and expanding to Asian, or Native American. The NNF will be trained using a combination of innovative curriculum, mentored multi-disciplinary research, professional development opportunities, externships and community outreach. Travel allowances (IRTA) will be requested for both NNF for short-term placements at international locations and exposure to challenges of working in different cultural environments. NNF will be mentored by a group of faculty from the Population Medicine and Public Health Concentration Area of the Comparative Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. External mentoring is offered.