Recipient Organization
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
(N/A)
RALEIGH,NC 27695
Performing Department
Agricultural and Resource Economics
Non Technical Summary
The program aims to recruit and train students to become experts in the economic analysis of forest products and markets, such as biofuels, which are at the interface of agriculture and natural resources. It comprises a unique program of research and graduate education designed to help meet the Nation's need for scientists trained in the economic analysis of natural resources, including renewable energy, and specifically forest products. A 49 semester hour program combines course work from the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics and the Department of Economics to yield a Ph.D. in economics. The program is built upon NCSU's unique history of cooperation between its Economics Graduate Program, U.S. Forest Service economists located near NCSU's campus, and forest economists in NCSU's Department of Forestry. It brings in new expertise from our Wood and Paper Products department to help train students in emerging issues of biofuels. Research topics that are representative of those to be studied by National Need Fellows include: (1) "The Economics of Cellulosic Ethanol, (2) "Policy and Environmental Issues in Forest Products Trade," and (3) "Modeling Invasive Species Risks to Forest Products." Each project combines the expertise of natural resource economists, forest economists, and other scientists from the NCSU/USFS personnel pool. A notable and exciting component of NCSU's Fellowship program is a formal internship with the U.S. Forest Service's Economics Research Project at the Southern Research Station in the Research Triangle Park. The internship program enables Fellows to obtain hands-on training while working on critical policy issues alongside academic and government economists and forest scientists.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The program will train two Ph.D. students in the Economics Graduate Program at North Carolina State University. Successful outcomes will be measured by Fellows receiving their graduate degrees and successfully collaborating with U.S. Forest Service scientists on economic research projects addressing three Targeted Expertise Shortage Areas (TESAs): Forest Resources, Agricultural Management and Economics, and Natural Resources and the Environment. Fellows will be trained as experts in the economic analysis of forest products and markets, such as biofuels, at the interface of agriculture and natural resources.
Project Methods
Recruitment--Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of academic achievements, work experience, interest in the national needs area, and recommendations. The recruitment plan includes four steps: initial recruitment, applicant screening, interviews, and fellowship awards. Potential applicants for the National Needs Fellowships will be recruited through the following channels: direct mailings, posters, paid advertisements, personal and professional contacts, and the NCSU National Needs Fellowship Program web site. Selection--After a pool of qualified applicants has been assembled, an initial evaluation will be made by the core faculty. The best qualified applicants will be further evaluated by obtaining three letters of reference. A final list of no more than twice the number of available fellowships will be chosen for campus interviews. An intensive campus interview covering one and one-half days will be conducted for the most highly qualified candidates. Interview expenses will be covered from administrative funds. The interview period will include one hour meetings with each of the core faculty. Upon the completion of interviews, finalists will be ranked and offers will be made based upon this ranking. Curriculum management--The management of a Fellow's progress will be well-documented from the time of initial fellowship award. At the end of the first semester and after faculty visits, Fellows will identify a major (or co-major) advisor(s) and research project. Fellows will include a core faculty member as a major or co-major advisor. Fellows will assemble a research committee consisting of 4-5 faculty members, including members from the Forestry Department. Program Assessment--Upon the conclusion of each Fellow's academic and research program, a written report detailing the fellowships will be prepared by the project director. The program's Fellows and graduates will be tracked and a record made of their professional positions and locations. The success of this component will be measured by the proportion of past Fellows who cannot be tracked. The goal of the NCSU Fellowship program is for this proportion to be zero. Further, exit interviews with concluding Fellows will be conducted by the Director of the Economics Graduate Program in order to better pave the way for future professional success for current Fellows and to better integrate future Fellows' academic programs into the research environment at the US Forest Service.