InTERFEWS Graduate Program

As population continues to grow and demands for resources increase, understanding the nexus of Food-Energy-Water Systems (FEWS) is vital to ensure the reliability and equity of access to these crucial resources. FEWS are tightly intertwined and characterized by complex tradeoffs that are not yet well understood. Understanding the demands for and tradeoffs amongst FEW resources is particularly challenging in semi-arid regions, where increasing population trends are likely to continue, and water shortage poses risks to agriculture and energy industries.

Our mission is to prepare a diverse cohort of graduate students with the transdisciplinary and systems-level thinking skills necessary to make meaningful contributions to the complex and changing interactions in FEWS under water scarcity.

Traineeship

The NSF-funded InTERFEWS NRT program was designed to equip students with 21st century career skills, preparing graduates to solve complex FEWS problems.  InTERFEWS brings together PhD students from traditionally disparate disciplines to conduct research on key problems in the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) nexus with a focus on water-scarce, arid regions.  The program includes four components to achieve this goal:

Curriculum – Two newly developed InTERFEWS courses as well as communication and elective courses that specifically address FEWS issues.

• Understanding the FEW Nexus
• Tools for Analysis of FEWS Issues
• STEM Communication
• Technical, Policy & Economics Electives

Research – Activities are focused on sustainable technological, infrastructural, policy, and institutional FEWS innovations.

Professional Development – InTERFEWS equips students with 21st  century professional skills and networks to solve complex FEWS issues in a changing world.

Apprenticeships – InTERFEWS trainees will participate in an apprenticeship during their program of study. We have partnered with several companies, NGOs, and government agencies to host students for apprenticeships in FEWS.