This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) program supports the development of an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional graduate training program in radiochemistry. Interdisciplinary fields such as molecular imaging, environmental remediation, nuclear energy, and national security rely increasingly on specialized radiochemical knowledge. But few chemistry graduate programs exist with the capabilities to train radiochemists and few students engage in radiochemical research. The goal of this program is to stimulate a resurgence of interest in radiochemistry among Ph.D. students, producing scientists who can fill this critical need.
Hunter College of CUNY, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, University of Missouri at Columbia, University of Nevada Las Vegas, and several other leading radiochemistry institutions (including national laboratories and industry) will together train future scientists across multiple scientific disciplines to innovate, understand and employ radiochemistry effectively. This model will include a venue for the development of effective communication skills to foster a better-informed public who are more accepting and knowledgeable about the use, benefits and safety of radiochemistry. By drawing upon the collaborative efforts of the partnering institutes as well as Hunter's experience in recruiting and training women and minorities, this IGERT aims to increase the number and diversity of Ph.D. scientists with strong radiochemistry backgrounds.
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.
