The STEPS Summer 2023 REU Program is Accepting Applications

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Day of Giving 2023

STEPS headquarters is participating in the NC State Day of Giving on March 22, 2023. Your support helps advance phosphorus sustainability, interdisciplinary research, and diversity and inclusion in science and engineering.

Support STEPS: NC State Day of Giving

Student and Postdoctoral Opportunities

Fill out a short form to get information on how to join STEPS as an undergraduate, graduate student or postdoctoral scholar.

Join STEPS

The Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center is a convergence research community of diverse and leading scientists that addresses the complex challenges in phosphorus sustainability by integrating disciplinary contributions across the physical, life, social, and economic sciences. The STEPS vision is to facilitate a 25% reduction in human dependence on mined phosphates and a 25% reduction in losses of point and non-point sources of phosphorus to soils and water resources within 25 years, leading to enhanced resilience of food systems and reduced environmental damage.

Scholar Spotlight

Christopher Oates, 2023 STEPS Center Director’s Fellowship Recipient

Q: What attracted you to consider pursuing a graduate degree through the STEPS Center?

A: The interdisciplinary nature of STEPS is what really attracted me to the Center. In undergraduate curriculums, it’s so common to take courses that only incorporate one viewpoint or a singular school of thought into their approach to problem-solving. I feel that in order to make lasting and meaningful change, one must incorporate many different perspectives and disciplines. Many modern problems are multifaceted; they require many different people to work together to find solutions.

Environmental issues have always been important to me, and they have become increasingly important on the current world stage. I am interested in implementing knowledge from various fields across multiple disciplines to create innovative solutions to problems relating to natural resource management that plague today’s societies. STEPS has a similar mission. I think that my interests and background will provide me with a solid foundation to explore STEPS and its different research themes.

I want to use my experiences and passion for learning to research and create solutions that result in a more sustainable and healthier world. I believe that putting yourself into new situations and environments is the best way to discover something new; STEPS is the perfect place to facilitate this discovery process.

Read the Full Q&A Here.

Image of Christopher Oates, recipient of the STEPS Director's Fellowship

Phosphorus In the News See More News

Dr. Jacob Jones, Director, Analytical Instrumentation Facility, with a graduate student at the Titan Microscope on Centennial Campus.

2023 STEPS Center Director’s Fellowship Award Program

The STEPS Center announces a new prestigious program to recruit and engage exceptional graduate students (Masters and Ph.D.) and postdoctoral scholars. The program, called the STEPS Center Director’s Fellowship Awards, provides one year of support for stipends, fringe benefits, and tuition (if relevant).

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STEPS Managing Director Maude Cuchiara Awarded 2023-24 Provost’s Faculty Fellowship

STEPS Managing Director and Department of Materials Science and Engineering Research Associate Professor Maude Cuchiara joins the 2023-24 class of the Provost’s Faculty Fellows awarded by the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor, Provost and the Office for Faculty Excellence at North Carolina State University. Fellowships are granted for one full academic year. In addition, the home departments of fellows will be provided with 25 percent salary release funds to cover the time commitment required for participation. The program aims to provided talented faculty the ability to explore academic leadership roles at the university’s highest levels.

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OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar Visits STEPS

Dr. Arati Prabhakar, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, visited North Carolina State University’s campus on February 10, 2023. Her visit included a tour of the Plant Sciences Building and the STEPS Center. During her visit, Dr. Prabhakar met with Doug Call and Jessica Deaver to view their research on how to improve the biological removal of phosphorus from wastewater using microorganisms.