Welcome to the trainee information page. Here you can find out what theExtreme Biofilmsgraduate traineeship program has to offer.Ourprogramteaches participants how to implement convergent research projects thatadvance knowledge on microbial biofilm communities in extreme systems. It alsoequips them withcritical professional “soft skills” expected ofscience, technology, engineering, and mathematics(STEM) graduate degree holders 

 

Image of female researcher using microscope.

Overview

The Extreme Biofilms NRT programis the first in the nation to bring together graduate students in an advancededucationprogram centered onaccelerating the translation of basic biofilm research into technological solutions for the betterment of society. The program equips participants with both technical skills andtransferrable soft skills, such as communication and teamwork.

Image of graduate student presenting poster on facutly member

Professional Development Workshops

Through the program core course, graduate students will understand how to work across disciplinary boundaries within different systems and environments. Our workshops focus on communication and professionalism, producing well-prepared leaders who have broad skill sets essential to academic and non-academic career sectors.

Image of NRT trainees working in Yellowstone National Park during the 'Frontiers in Extreme Biofilms' course.

Foundations in Extreme Biofilms Course

The 3‑credit Foundations course is a transformative, project‑based class that integrates core concepts from biofilm engineering and environmental molecular biology with principles relevant to extreme environments. Taught in a flipped‑classroom format by faculty from the NRT core team, the course meets twice weekly. One weekly session combines brief lectures with student‑led discussions of journal articles.

The second weekly session engages NRT trainees in a team‑based research project focused on characterizing the structure and activity of extremophilic microorganisms from an extreme environment using state‑of‑the‑art instrumentation and techniques. Collectively, these technical approaches enable the identification of active biofilm microorganisms, visualization of community members in two‑ and three‑dimensional spaces across micro‑ and meso‑scales, and tracking of extreme biofilm development over time.

Laboratory activities include additional sampling in an extreme environment, and the course is intentionally designed to foster interdisciplinary teamwork and active collaboration among students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds.

Image of students in microscopy lab.

Professional Travel

The NRT program provides $4,000 in travel and professional development funds to support trainees during the year in which they are a Fellow in the program. These funds may be used to support travel to academic conference(s), participation in technical workshops or summer internships, or the pursuit of an emerging line of research, offering valuable opportunities for career and professional growth with the broader scientific community.

If funds are used to attend conferences, trainees are required to request a research talk when submitting their abstract, with a poster presentation as a backup option. If the conference offers an early‑career scientist symposium, trainees are also required to attend these pre‑conference professional development sessions.

Image of graduate student in the lab.

Stipend Support

All MS and PhD students are eligible and encouraged to apply to the program; participants will receive a $34,000 annualstipend for one year of their graduate program (US citizens and permanent residents only).