National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Program

The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, potentially transformative, and scalable models for STEM graduate education training. The NRT program seeks proposals that ensure that graduate students in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. The NRT program includes two tracks: the Traineeship Track and the Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Track. The Traineeship Track is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary research areas, through the use of a comprehensive traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, aligned with changing workforce and research needs, and scalable. For this solicitation the Traineeship Track has one priority interdisciplinary research theme — Data-Enabled Science and Engineering (DESE); proposals are encouraged also on any non-DESE interdisciplinary research theme that is a national priority. The IGE Track is dedicated solely to piloting, testing, and evaluating novel, innovative, and potentially transformative approaches to graduate education, both disciplinary and interdisciplinary, to generate the knowledge required for their customization, implementation, and broader adoption. Whereas the Traineeship Track promotes building on the current knowledge base to more effectively train STEM graduate students, the IGE Track supports test-bed projects with high potential to enrich, improve, and extend the knowledge base with attention to transferability and innovation. For both tracks, strategic collaborations with the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, national laboratories, field stations, teaching and learning centers, museums, and academic partners are encouraged.

Application Instructions

Please submit:

1. A two-page letter of intent that includes:
• The name and departmental affiliation of the Principal Investigator (PI);
• The name(s) and departmental affiliation(s) of the Co-PI(s);
• Other participating institution(s);
• Project title: The title should begin with “NRT-DESE:” for projects with a Data-Enabled Science and Engineering theme, or with “NRT:” for projects on a cross-cutting, interdisciplinary theme other than DESE;
• Synopsis : Provide a brief summary of the vision and goals of the proposed training program including a brief description of the interdisciplinary theme, the main training elements, and the plan to extend training benefits beyond NRT trainees to a greater population of STEM graduate students on campus; and
• Keywords: Up to four keywords that specify the disciplines encompassed by the project’s interdisciplinary research theme.

to research@uw.edu by 5:00 PM Thursday, March 19, 2015. Full proposals are due to the sponsor 5/6/15, so you will need to have your materials in to the Office of Sponsored Programs by 4/28/15 for processing, if given the go ahead by the Proposal Review Committee.