NSF - Research Traineeship (NRT) Program

Published September 16, 2020

AGENCY

National Science Foundation

DEADLINES

Limited Competition October 4, 2020
Letter of Intent to NSF November 25 -
December 6,2020
Full Proposal February 6, 2021

PROGRAM

Complete guidelines can be found at Research Traineeship (NRT) Program.

OBJECTIVES

The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative models for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduate education training. The NRT program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers.

The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas, through the use of a comprehensive traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs. Proposals are requested in any interdisciplinary or convergent research theme of national priority, with special emphasis on the research areas in NSF's 10 Big Ideas. The NSF research Big Ideas are Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR), The Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier (FW-HTF), Navigating the New Arctic (NNA), Windows on the Universe: The Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (WoU), The Quantum Leap: Leading the Next Quantum Revolution (QL), and Understanding the Rules of Life: Predicting Phenotype (URoL).

The NRT program addresses workforce development, emphasizing broad participation, and institutional capacity building needs in graduate education. Strategic collaborations with the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, national laboratories, field stations, teaching and learning centers, informal science centers, and academic partners are encouraged. Collaborations are encouraged between NRT proposals and existing NSF INCLUDES projects, provided the collaboration strengthens both projects.

PLEASE NOTE

The LOI is REQUIRED.  The applicant must address organizational partnerships in the letter of intent to NSF. The letter of intent requires prescribed language that all partner organizations have been informed by the lead organization that their involvement may impact their organizational eligibility limits or that no partner organizations, aside from an evaluator, will be involved in the project.

ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS

UB may participate in two proposals. Participation includes serving as a lead organization, non-lead organization, or subawardee on any proposal. Organizations participating solely as evaluators on projects are excluded from this limitation.

FUNDING INFORMATION

NRT Awards (14-15 anticipated each year) are expected to be up to five (5) years in duration with a total budget up to $3,000,000.

INTERNAL REVIEW PROCESS

If you would like to be considered, please submit the following Internal Review Documents. These documents will be reviewed by an Ad hoc committee, which will recommend to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development the candidate/project with the best chance of being awarded.

Internal Review Documents Required

  • Project Synopsis (2,500 characters). Provide a brief summary of the vision and goals of the proposed training program, including a brief description of the interdisciplinary or convergent research theme, the main training elements, the integration of the research and training, and the need for the program.
  • Target Disciplines: List up to 5 primary disciplinary areas contributing to the research focus.
  • The names(s) of any other (non-lead) participating institutions or organizations.
  • The name of the PI and name(s) and departmental affiliation(s) of the co-PI(s) and others composing the Core Participants (maximum 10).

Please submit the internal review documents in a single PDF file to ovpr.limitedsubmission@research.buffalo.edu by 5pm October 4, 2020.  The selected UB applicants will be notified and invited to submit a Letter of Intent to NSF.