Fellowships

The SRI currently manages two USDA National Needs Fellowship Programs aimed at training students for advanced degrees in the sustainable sciences and to fill nationally identified expertise shortage areas in the food and agricultural sciences. 

Training in Sustainable Sciences through an Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Rural Sociology (IGPRS), Master's Level Fellows

An interdisciplinary graduate program in Rural Sociology for four Master’s degree Fellows aimed at  training a new generation of cross-disciplinary scientists and policymakers able to address some of society’s most pressing food and agricultural issues. Fellows study food and agricultural issues through a unique and innovative concept developed and adopted by the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences (FAES) at Ohio State – the Ecological Paradigm. The Ecological Paradigm (EP) reflects four dimensions: production efficiency, economic viability, environmental compatibility, and social responsibility and provides a foundation for studying about food and agricultural issues from a holistic or systems-oriented perspective. Throughout their coursework and academic experience, Fellows are charged with thinking about food and agricultural issues through this multi-dimensional conceptual lens with the expectation they:  a) gain a theoretical understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of FAES issues; b) gain an applied understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of FAES issues; c) integrate the EP into policy discourse and analysis; d) conduct public outreach; and e) engage in professional development opportunities.  
 
Support for this student training project is provided by USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowship Competitive Grant No. 2007-38420-17773 from the National Institute of Food and Ag
 

An innovative doctoral training program aimed at providing advanced interdisciplinary training to meet the national need to develop scientific and professional expertise in the sustainable sciences. Guided by a systems perspective, the Fellows will engage in research that is innovative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary to address rapidly changing and complex food and agricultural issues. 

Support for this student training project is provided by USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowship Competitive Grant No. 2008-38420-18750 from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.