AI's Role in Transforming Plant Science: Cultivating Innovation

Published Date: 11/09/2024

A new graduate training program at NC State University is bridging the gap between artificial intelligence and plant sciences to tackle the world's most pressing agricultural challenges.

Pairing artificial intelligence with plant sciences in the lab and in the field, NC State University is building a program to help create a new generation of leaders to advance agriculture.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the university $3 million over five years to establish and carry out a national graduate student research traineeship in artificial intelligence for sustainable agriculture. Titled the National Research Traineeship-AI  Graduate Training in Translational Convergent Research — Harnessing AI and Data Science for Sustainable Agriculture, the program is called GRAD-AID for Ag, for short.

Fayetteville State University (FSU) is a key project partner. Goals include driving innovation in AI technologies at the intersection of basic and applied plant science, while helping to ensure a skilled, diverse workforce capable of solving local and global challenges in agricultural sustainability and food security.

While advances in both fundamental and applied research have driven innovation in agriculture, these advancements are falling short of meeting the escalating demand for solutions. Artificial intelligence can help us overcome these challenges.

The program plans to welcome its first graduate student participants in the summer of 2025. A total of 21 students in two cohorts — one that starts in 2025, and the next in 2027 — will be admitted to the program and receive funding for tuition, fees and a stipend for two years.

A diverse project team is leading the initiative, including 29 professors from FSU and NC State. The project's principal investigator is Terri Long, a professor with NC State's Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative's platform director for education and workforce development.

The program will provide students with a more holistic exposure to the application of artificial intelligence to agriculture in general. Students coming to the program with AI expertise will be able to better understand the challenges present in agriculture and identify the need for new tools in the domain, and students from the plant science side will be exposed to state-of-the-art AI tools.

Participants will begin GRAD-AID for Ag by spending a week in Eastern North Carolina with farmers, Extension agents and agribusiness professionals, learning more about the agricultural challenges they encounter. They'll also take courses in statistics, AI literacy and AI's ethical and social implications, and they'll participate in guest lectures and workshops held at FSU.

The centerpiece of the program will be a capstone project in which students work in teams to pursue solutions to complex agricultural challenges with trainers from both NC State and FSU. Each team will include three students  one in AI or other data sciences, another in basic plant sciences such as molecular biology or genetics, and a third in applied sciences that connect them with field research in agriculture.

The program is building on an existing relationship between NC State and FSU to encourage recruitment of students from a variety of backgrounds into the agricultural sciences and the GRAD-AID for Ag program. Participants will have opportunities to participate in seminars and workshops at FSU, providing FSU students the opportunity to gain more insight into career opportunities in agricultural science.

FAQS:

Q: What is the goal of the GRAD-AID for Ag program?

A: The goal of the program is to drive innovation in AI technologies at the intersection of basic and applied plant science, while helping to ensure a skilled, diverse workforce capable of solving local and global challenges in agricultural sustainability and food security.

Q: How many students will be admitted to the program?

A: A total of 21 students in two cohorts — one that starts in 2025, and the next in 2027 — will be admitted to the program and receive funding for tuition, fees and a stipend for two years.

Q: What is the role of Fayetteville State University in the program?

A: Fayetteville State University (FSU) is a key project partner and will provide opportunities for students to participate in seminars and workshops, as well as collaborate with FSU faculty and students.

Q: What kind of projects will students work on in the program?

A: Students will work on a capstone project in which they will work in teams to pursue solutions to complex agricultural challenges with trainers from both NC State and FSU.

Q: How can I apply to the program?

A: For more information about the program or to apply, please contact Terri Long at talong@ncsu.edu.

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