GER-9553611 Kukuk The University of Montana (UM), in collaboration with a diverse network of private and government organizations, proposes to implement an alternative model for training PhD graduate students in Conservation and Environmental Biology. The goal of the "Training Within Environmental Biology Program (Training-WEB)" is to train PhD students to carry out cutting- edge, creative research and bridge the gap between academia and organizations responsible for making decisions that impact the natural environment. The student- centered Training-WEB will enroll participants in the Graduate Program of Organismal Biology and Ecology (OBE), a program housed within the Division of biological Sciences at UM. Graduate students in the Training-WEB will benefit from a collaborative training process featuring coursework and research training in conservation and environmental biology, along with a substantial internship in a government agency, private organization or business with interests related to the environment or conservation. At the end of this training process, graduates will have developed skills appropriate for a variety of nontraditional and traditional careers in environmental and conservation biology. Embedded in the Training-WEB approach are carefully considered retention and evaluation processes, and attention to recruitment, career development and expanded opportunities for greater involvement of groups traditionally underrepresented in science. This approach will be a powerful new model for providing the highest quality training for all future graduate students in OBE and the Division of Biological Sciences at The University of Montana.
