The Texas Tech Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources is accepting applications for up to nine undergraduate fellowship positions.  This program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), is designed to build technical skills related to animal handling and animal health. Potential employers include the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL) at the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas and the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.

The NBAF Laboratorian Training Program (NLTP) will provide essential animal health  knowledge, introduce skills and procedures used to handle these animals, and will provide initial training for people interested in applying for technical positions with USDA APHIS or other employers.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Exhibit a strong interest in working at NBAF or NVSL in a technical laboratory position.
• Must be entering junior or senior year of undergraduate study OR have recently graduated from an accredited undergraduate program with a degree in the field of animal science, biology, chemistry, microbiology, or other related major.

Program Requirements

• Must enroll in Texas Tech University online course Introduction to High Containment Animal Handling and Laboratory Techniques as a degree seeking undergraduate student or a non-degree seeking undergraduate or graduate student (depending on credit preference) during the spring, summer, and fall 2023 semesters.
• Must participate in the three semester training sequences from January 11 to December 8, 2023. Spring and Fall courses will be online. Summer semester will be on site at Texas Tech University. The three-semester training sequence will consist of formal presentations and interactive discussions with subject matter experts and hands-on training activities in a BSL-3 and BSL-2 containment laboratory space. Students will be required to pass a background check prior to June 2023.

Benefits

• $6,000 stipend
• On Campus Housing will be provided during the summer session for those who need accommodations

Required application materials

Each applicant must submit the following:

• Completed NLTP application form (PDF), including three professional references
• Current Curriculum vitae
• Formal application letter expressing your interest in the program
• E-mail to: christy.bratcher@ttu.edu

 

 

Contact

Dr. Christy Bratcher
Davis College Associate Dean for Research
christy.bratcher@ttu.edu
(806) 742-2808

Links

• Application
• Flyer