2012 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416): Research will be conducted as part of the student’s research training toward a Ph.D. degree. The research will be in the area of animal waste management with a special focus on Microbiological activities in relation to odor, atmospheric emission, and nutrient transport. 1b.Approach (from AD-416): A Ph.D. candidate student from Alabama A&M University will be trained and mentored by an advisory committee from USDA-ARS scientists in Bowling Green, KY, and scientists from Alabama A&M University, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. The student will complete her academic course works at the university, while conducting most of the research at USDA-ARS Bowling Green during summers and at the end of the course works requirement. The topic of the research requirement for the Ph.D. program will be determined at the first advisory committee meeting no later than the spring 2011 semester. However, the focus of the research will be in the area of animal waste management. This research will also be used as an opportunity to train a minority graduate student that will potentially become an USDA-ARS scientist upon graduation. 3.Progress Report: A minority Ph.D. candidate student was selected for training toward a Ph.D. degree program at Alabama A&M University in 2012. Two ARS scientists and scientists from Alabama A&M University have met and discussed research and the degree program for the student. A potential advisory committee from USDA-ARS and Alabama A&M University will be selected in the near future. The student spent more than two months during the summer of 2011 at the USDA-ARS Animal Waste Management Research Unit to receive training in molecular microbiology. She will receive more summer training for the next 2 to 3 years prior to finishing the requirement for her degree program. In general, project objectives and goals have been attained.