This $750,000 5-year Project Grant award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program will support an 8-week summer research and career development program at The Pennsylvania State University. The program will provide experiential research opportunities, professional development, and career exploration for 10 students annually from undergraduate-focused institutions across 8 states. The program aims to address a shortage of individuals with interdisciplinary training at the intersection of human nutrition, food science, and health. Under the guidance of 7 faculty mentors and 10 graduate student mentors, the program participants will conduct independent research projects focused on AFRI priority areas such as food safety, nutrition, and health. Key activities will include pre-arrival training, a research bootcamp, weekly seminars, industry site visits, and a final research symposium. The program evaluation plan will assess student gains in research skills and provide feedback to continuously improve the program over the award period from September 2024 through August 2029.