Training

Through an international training program, we promote collaboration across labs, institutes, and countries, helping to build a skilled workforce prepared to address global agricultural challenges.

Training Across Career Levels

Our Center is committed to cultivating a skilled, diverse workforce in sustainable agriculture and plant drug discovery. By offering hands-on training, mentorship, and a supportive international community, we are equipping postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates with the skills needed to advance in this rapidly evolving field.

Postdoctoral & Graduate Training

We support postdoctoral fellows and graduate students through mentorship, leadership development, and teaching opportunities. Trainees engage in professional skill-building workshops and collaborate on international projects that foster cross-disciplinary research expertise. An annual skills workshop brings together trainees from different countries to share knowledge and enhance technical and professional competencies, including career development and community-engaged research.

Undergraduate Training

Programs in Japan, Canada, and the United Kingdom provide undergraduates with practical experience in areas such as genome editing and plant resilience studies. Through interactions with faculty, graduate mentors, and postdoctoral researchers, they develop technical skills and an understanding of real-world applications in sustainable agriculture. Annual hackathons, hosted in Canada, encourage creative data analysis using plant and microbial data, welcoming students of all backgrounds and promoting diversity in research.

International Collaboration & Exchange

Our Center’s global approach includes international exchanges and training opportunities. Collaborators in Japan send trainees to research labs at Michigan State University and South Dakota State University, where they gain valuable experience through collaborative projects on crop stress resilience and metabolic engineering. The RIKEN International Program Associate system further supports international graduate students, allowing them to conduct research under the guidance of leading scientists in Japan.

Community & Leadership Development

Our ~40 trainees participate in monthly virtual meetings, fostering a cohesive community of future leaders in plant science. Trainees lead workshops on topics ranging from research methods to diversity and inclusion, supported by the Center’s administrative team. In addition, they receive communication and leadership training to prepare them to plan and execute workshops, strengthening their ability to contribute to and lead diverse research initiatives.