For graduate trainees, the goals are to prepare them to be adaptable to the demands of a changing job market by providing a broad-based education, teaching experience, industrial training, and interdisciplinary research experience, and to shorten their time to degree. The goal for postdoctoral trainees is to assist them in establishing an independent research program and acquiring the skills necessary to succeed in an academic position. The Contents Workshop brings together researchers from different disciplinary areas and actively involves participants with diverse levels of training. Workshops strive to be engaging, supportive of both research and education, and to support the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills. Trainees receive a mentored teaching experience through their participation in the NCSU Preparing the Professoriate program.
Trainees have the opportunity to serve as interns with an on or off campus partner organization.
In this capacity, trainees gain practical experience working closely with professionals from other fields to enhance their consulting, collaboration and communication skills, and to acquire understanding of the role of the statistician in the industrial or government setting. They may serve in live work environments on problems of substantial financial, practical or social significance. Trainees experience first hand the realities of the private sector and government. Postdoctoral fellows are recruited for three years as participants in specific interdisciplinary research groups. In addition to their other activities, they receive training in grant writing and submit a grant during their third year.