**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS REEU PROJECT WILL ESTABLISH A HANDS-ON TRAINING PROGRAM FOR UNDERGRADUATES IN AN INTERDISCIPLINARY ENVIRONMENT IN BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH OF SIGNIFICANT INTERFACE PROCESSES AND PHENOMENON OF AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS.THIS FELLOWSHIP WILL FOCUS ON PROVIDING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH A DIVERSE RANGE OF EXPERIENCES THAT WILL BOLSTER THEIR INTEREST IN ULTIMATELY PURSUING GRADUATE STUDY AND FUTURE CAREERS IN AN AREA OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, WATER RESOURCES, FOOD SAFETY, ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION, CROPS HEALTH AND PRODUCTION, AND THE ENVIRONMENT. PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO NATIVE AMERICAN, VETERAN, AND AFRICA AMERICAN STUDENTS, AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS AT TRIBAL COLLEGES, SMALL REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES, AND OTHER UNIVERSITIES.EVERY UNDERGRADUATE FELLOW WILL WORK WITH ONE OR TWO FACULTY MENTORS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT RESEARCH GROUPS. THE STUDENTS WILL EXPERIENCE HANDS-ON LABORATORY AND FIELD RESEARCH PROJECTS RELATED TO: 1) NUTRIENT TRANSPORTATION IN SOIL-WATER-CROP INTERFACES, 2) MICROBIAL - ROOT INTERACTIONS AT THE INTERFACE, 3) INTERACTIONS AMONG TARGET BIOMOLECULES AND BIO-LIGANDS ON BIOSENSOR SURFACES, 4) MICROBIAL TRANSPORTATION IN FRESH PRODUCE VIA ADSORPTION/DESORPTION ON SOLID PARTICLE SURFACES, 5) BIOFILMS IN FOOD PROCESSING, 6) ADSORPTION/DESORPTION OF CHEMICALS ON INTERFACES - STORM WATER AND DRAINAGE MANAGEMENT IN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS, AND 7) SURFACE CATALYSIS PROCESSES TO PRODUCE BIORENEWABLE CHEMICALS AND BIOFUELS.THE STUDENTS WILL ALSO GAIN THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCE: 1) EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND STATISTICAL DATA ANALYSIS; 2) STATE-OF-THE-ART ANALYSIS METHODS; AND 3) DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL THINKING. ALL UNDERGRADUATES AND THEIR MENTORS WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO PUBLISH AND PRESENT THEIR RESEARCH RESULTS IN PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS AND CONFERENCES RESPECTIVELY.