Project Summary (2017-2020)

The University of Arizona Superfund Research Program (UA SRP) Center seeks to move beyond conventional approaches to training. The success of their approach is evidenced by the number of awards their trainees receive and by their placement into desirable academic, regulatory, and industry positions.

The overarching mission of the UA SRP Center is to use their research on the impacts of metal mining for the improvement of human health and the environment. The Training Core drives this effort through the production of interdisciplinary trainees who are equipped to address complex 21st century hazardous waste challenges associated with the mining industry and beyond. Their students are intimately involved in generating the scientific discoveries made by the UA SRP as well as presenting these discoveries to the science community and the public.

The Training Core provides intensive and extensive training opportunities. But most importantly, the Center establishes interdisciplinary collaboration and the incorporation of research translation and community engagement as the norm for student training. The Core provides career enhancement stipends to trainees that represent each research project as well as the Research Translation and Community Engagement Cores.

The goals of the Training Core include: 1) to provide trainees access to intensive and extensive training opportunities in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Hydrology, Environmental Engineering, Public Health and Risk Assessment, and Environmental Toxicology; 2) to require trainees to become familiar with the language and culture of multiple scientific disciplines; 3) to require trainees to participate in a research translation or community engagement activity related to their Center goals; 4) to require trainees to become familiar with best practices in the responsible conduct of research; 5) to incorporate community-engaged research concepts and experience into each trainee's education experience and; 6) to provide opportunities for multi-mentor apprenticeship to their trainees.