** 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 PRESSURE ON PLANETARY BOUNDARIES GROWS RAPIDLY WITH INCREASING POPULATION, URBANIZATION, ECOSYSTEM DISRUPTIONS, AND DEMAND FOR NATURAL RESOURCES. THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR, AS BOTH THE DRIVER AND SUBJECT OF SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, DEMANDS FAST AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO OVERCOME URGENT SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES. TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS AND DIGITALIZATION CAN OFFER BETTER YIELDS, IMPROVED PREDICTION AND CONTROL, AND RESOURCE EFFICIENCY, LEADING TO SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES. HOWEVER, IN ADDITION TO RAPID DIGITALIZATION, A SYSTEMS-THINKING APPROACH IS REQUIRED AS THE ONGOING GLOBAL PANDEMIC REVEALED CORE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES WITHIN THE LINEAR PARADIGM OF TAKE-MAKE-DISPOSE CAUSING WASTE AND LOSSES. ACCORDINGLY, ADDRESSING SECTOR-SPECIFIC CHALLENGES WILL REQUIRE A NEW SET OF WORKFORCE SKILLS NOT ONLY IN DIGITAL LITERACY BUT ALSO IN CIRCULARITY CONCEPTS (E.G., REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE) WITHIN THE AGRI-FOOD VALUE CHAIN. THE CD-SKILLS REEU PROJECT ADDRESSES THESE URGENT NEEDSBY DESIGNING A 10-WEEK HANDS-ON, EXPERIENTIAL, AND PARTICIPATORY LEARNING PROGRAM IN DIGITAL TOOLS AND CIRCULARITY CONCEPTS WHILE MATCHING STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE REPRESENTATIONS AND BACKGROUNDS WITH RESEARCH MENTORS FROM VARIOUS LEVELS WITHIN THE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEM/INDUSTRY. CIRCULARITY CASE STUDIES WILL ACCOMPANY CREATIVE BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUES TO DESIGN NEW SOLUTIONS, WHICH WILL BE REINFORCED WITH FIELD TRIPS TO A CIRCULAR DAIRY FARM, CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE FACILITY, AND REUSABLE PACKAGING COMPANY. FOR A CONVERGENT RESEARCH APPROACH, THE PROGRAM WILL CULMINATE WITH A VALUE-CHAIN FOCUSED BOOTCAMP WHERE STUDENTS WILL REDESIGN AN EXISTING EXAMPLE SYSTEM USING CIRCULARITY AND DIGITALIZATION PRINCIPLES. IN SUMMARY, THE CD-SKILLS REEU WILL EQUIP STUDENTS WITH CRITICAL THINKING, COLLABORATION, NETWORKING, AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN CIRCULARITY WITH TRANSFORMATIVE OPPORTUNITIES COUPLED TO INDUSTRY 4.0 CONCEPTS.THE CD-SKILLS IN AGRI-FOOD REEU PROJECT PROPOSES A 10-WEEK PROGRAM FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE REPRESENTATIONS TO EXPERIENCE RESEARCH, TRAINING, CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING, AND INDUSTRY VISITS FOCUSED ON CIRCULARITY AND DIGITALIZATION ASPECTS OF THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THE PROJECT ADDRESSES VALUE-ADDED INNOVATION IN THE USDA SCIENCE BLUEPRINT THEMES. THE PROJECT SUPPORTS THE GOALS OF THE REEU PROGRAM AREA BY PROVIDING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED, MARGINALIZED, AND DISADVANTAGED GROUPS IN VARIOUS AGRI-FOOD RESEARCH AREAS WHILE TRAINING THE STUDENTS IN COMPETITIVE DIGITALIZATION SKILLS TO FACILITATE INDUSTRY 4.0 TRANSFORMATION. INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH HOSTS REPRESENT DIVERSE FIELDS THAT ADDRESS ADDITIONAL USDA SCIENCE BLUEPRINT THEMES INCLUDING (1) SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE INTENSIFICATION, AND (2) AGRICULTURE CLIMATE ADAPTATION.THE CD-SKILLS REEU SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE DEVELOPING PATHWAYS ASPECT OF THE AFRI EWD GOALS. THROUGH THE DIVERSE NATURE OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCES (E.G., ADVANCING SCIENCE) IN COMBINATION WITH CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND DIGITALIZATION SKILLS TRAINING (TRAINING AGRICULTURAL WORKERS), STUDENTS FROM VARIOUS REPRESENTATIONS WILL BE ABLE TO PRACTICE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS,RECEIVE RESEARCH MENTORSHIP FROM FACULTY, AND BUILD NECESSARY SKILLS FOR GRADUATE STUDIES AND/OR INDUSTRY-FOCUSED CAREERS.