** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** STUDENT CAREERS IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, LEARNING, AND EXTENSION TRAINING (SCARLET) SEEKS TO ESTABLISH A MULTI-STATE AND MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES IN TEXAS AND PUERTO RICO. IN ADDITION, SCARLET WILL ESTABLISH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE USDA-ARS-TARS IN PUERTO RICO. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO SERVE 50 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN 5 YEARS TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN THEM IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE-RELATED SKILLS TO IMPROVE THEIR COMPETITIVENESS FOR THE WORKFORCE. THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO SERVE STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY FROM MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDERSERVED GROUPS. SCARLET WILL PROVIDE AN 8-WEEK INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN A 1:1, MENTOR: MENTEE APPROACH TO DEVELOP DESIRED SKILLS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONTINUE GRADUATE STUDIES. SCARLET INCLUDES EXPERT MENTORS IN PLANT PATHOLOGY, AGRONOMY, PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, SOIL HEALTH, PRECISION AGRICULTURE, AND REMOTE SENSING. THIS PROJECT WILL TRAIN STUDENTS IN APPLIED AND FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION EDUCATION, AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, DATA AND SAMPLE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS, DISEASE DIAGNOSTICS, AND TRAINING TO IMPROVE VERBAL AND WRITTEN SKILLS. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WILL BE SELECTED FROM ALL COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS; 4 FROM UPR-M, 2 FROM TAMU, 2 FROM WTAM, AND 2 FROM TTU FOR A TOTAL OF 10 STUDENTS PER YEAR. STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDERSERVED BACKGROUNDS WILL COMPRISE MORE THAN 50% OF THE SELECTED APPLICANTS. THE INTENDED IMPACT IS TO PREPARE STUDENTS TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE IN AGRICULTURAL-BASED CAREERS, TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO PURSUE CAREERS IN AGRICULTURE INCLUDING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, INDUSTRY, NON-PROFIT, ACADEMIA, AND EXTENSION; AND TO PURSUE GRADUATE STUDIES.