**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS PREDICTS THE JOB OUTLOOK FOR FOOD SCIENTISTS TO GROW AT 7% BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2016-2026, EMPLOYING AN ADDITIONAL 3,100 FOOD SCIENTISTS. THE UMASS FOOD SCIENCE UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING (FUEL) SCHOLAR PROGRAM WILL ENHANCE THE PREPARATION OF THE FOOD SCIENCE WORKFORCE AND THE LONG-TERM STABILITY OF THE US AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEM. THE FUEL SCHOLAR PROGRAM WILL BE A YEARLONG PROGRAM TO BRING TOGETHER ACADEMIC LABORATORY RESEARCH AND INDUSTRIAL INTERNSHIPS. THE PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE STUDENTS THREE KEY EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS: (I) MENTORSHIP AND SUPPORT TO HELP STUDENTS TO OPTIMIZE THE PROFESSIONAL AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS NEEDED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN INDUSTRIAL INTERNSHIPS AND RESEARCH LABS (II) LABORATORY RESEARCH EXPERIENCE WITH THE EXCELLENT RESEARCHERS AT DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SCIENCE AT UMASS AMHERST AND (III) INDUSTRIAL INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE IN THE BOSTON MA AREA. WITH THE GOAL TO GUIDE STUDENTS TO TRANSLATE BASE KNOWLEDGE AND LABORATORY TO REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY. STUDENTS WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR, BUT STUDENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT WILL SUPPORT A 12-WEEK INTERNSHIP WITH AN INDUSTRIAL PARTNER. THERE ARE THREE FUEL PROGRAM MENTORS (MCLANDSBOROUGH, DECKER AND MOORE), ALONG WITH COLLABORATING MENTORS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SCIENCE, AND IN INDUSTRIAL SETTINGS. WE ARE EXPECTING TO HAVE 6-12 STUDENTS EACH YEAR, WITH A MENTOR TO PARTICIPANT RATIO OF 1:1 - 0.83, DURING BOTH THE SCHOOL YEAR AND SUMMER INTERNSHIP. WE ESTIMATE 80% OF THE PARTICIPANTS WILL BE FROM UMASS AMHERST, AND THE REMAINDER TO BE RECRUITED FROM NATIONAL STUDENT EXCHANGE. THIS PROGRAM WILL ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE IN BOTH FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED FOOD SCIENCE, AND WILL PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A VARIED EXPONENTIAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE.