National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) in Combating Antimicrobial Resistance
This NRT brings together PhD students across disciplines to help develop science-based policy to combat the spread of antimicrobial resistance as a pressing societal challenge.
Trainees will engage in transdisciplinary team-based research incorporating data analytics, environmental science and engineering, environmental chemistry, stakeholder engagement, public health, and policy to advance DNA sequencing of wastewater as a powerful tool to identify forms of antimicrobial resistance circulating in the community and inform environmental and public health policy, practice, and interventions. Trainees will gain skills in science communication and ethical stakeholder engagement, learning how to tap into the power of artificial intelligence and other powerful data analytics approaches to inform effective solutions to pressing societal challenges. Trainees that complete the program will be poised as future leaders in government, industry, academia, and non-governmental organizations.
Leadership
Director, Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering
apruden@vt.edu
(540) 231-3980
Core Faculty
Todd Schenk
School of Public & International Affairs
Leigh-Anne Krometis
Biological Systems Engineering
Liqing Zhang
Computer Science
Tiffany Drape
Agricultural Leadership and Community Education
Peter Vikesland
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Lenwood Heath
Computer Science
Affiliated Faculty
Several interdisciplinary programs across campus are collaborating with the Combating Antimicrobial Resistance NRT. Prospective students can find additional faculty expertise in these programs to build their transdisciplinary PhD committees.
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens (CeZAP)
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology (GBCB)
- Global Change Center (GCC)
- Sustainable Nanotechnology IGEP (VTSuN IGEP)
- Infectious Disease IGEP (ID-IGEP)
- Interfaces of Global Change (IGC) Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program (IGEP)
External Evaluator
Interested? Please tell us a bit more about yourself, ask questions, and upload your resume here.
Combating Antimicrobial Resistance NRT trainees should apply directly to their major degree program of interest and indicate in their application that they are interested in the NRT, which themes/topics most interest them, and which faculty best align with their interests. The four themes are:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled approaches to predicting “hot spots” for the spread of antimicrobial resistance and informing wastewater surveillance target
Leads: Liqing Zhang, Kang Xia, and Amy Pruden - Syndemic approach to evaluating root causes of antimicrobial resistance and identifying holistic solutions
Leads: Leigh-Anne Krometis, Peter Vikesland, Lenwood Heath - Ethically addressing data security, privacy, and bias in the advancement of wastewater surveillance of antimicrobial resistance
Leads: Todd Schenk, Marc Edwards, Lenwood Heath - Building wastewater AR surveillance systems that are sensitive to key socioeconomic factors and implementable at community-, regional-, and international scales
Leads: All core faculty
Trainees may additionally pursue dissertations related to education, training, and stakeholder engagement aspects of the transdisciplinary graduate education program.
Lead: Tiffany Drape
Applicants should directly apply to the PhD program of currently participating programs and departments:
There are four training elements to complete the program:
- Completion of the STEP coursework
- Completion of a field project
- Completion of a team-based transdisciplinary dissertation chapter
Participation in biannual workshops to develop and practice professional skills
Field Projects are available locally, regionally, and internationally, giving NRT trainees hands-on opportunities to translate new knowledge into practice. Here are some of the opportunities:
Hampton Roads Sanitation District is a global leader in wastewater research, operating 16 wastewater treatment plants in southwest Virginia and serving over 1.8 million people
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project organizes volunteers in local Appalachian communities with water, wastewater, environmental health and public health protection needs
International projects in Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Hong Kong, or India- working with faculty at other universities on wastewater surveillance of antimicrobial resistance
Projects at the interface of Policy, Data Science, and Public Health, including opportunities to apply for internships at Deloitte And others in the Washington D.C. area
We’re hiring a Project Coordinator! Consider Applying.
Welcome to VT!
As Virginia Tech continues to observe the same safety precautions as the rest of our nation for COVID-19, we still want to make options available to see what it’s like to be a student here. We are working with campus partners to offer a growing list of options and videos, so watch this page for updates!
Explore Virginia Tech:
Explore Blacksburg & the New River Valley (NRV):
Minority Owned Businesses & Minority Led Organizations
Fralin Life Sciences Institute
Blacksburg, VA 24060
Zayid Suber
Program Coordinator
zayidsuber@vt.edu
(540) 231-3980