Purpose: The
National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (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 a comprehensive traineeship model that is innovative,
evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs.
For FY2021, the NRT Program encourages
proposals in any interdisciplinary research theme of national priority, with
special emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Information Science and
Engineering, and the six research areas within NSF’s
10 Big Ideas, which are
Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR), The Future of Work at the Human-Technology
Frontier (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 (ROL).
The NRT program addresses
workforce development, emphasizing broad participation, and institutional
capacity building needs in graduate education. The program encourages proposals
that involve 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. NRT especially welcomes proposals that include partnership with NSF
Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented
Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) and leverage INCLUDES project
efforts to develop STEM talent from all sectors and groups in our society
(https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/big_ideas/includes.jsp). Collaborations between NRT proposals and existing
NSF INCLUDES projects should strengthen both NRT and INCLUDES projects.
Note: An individual may serve
as Lead Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI on only one proposal submitted to
the NRT program per annual competition.
Funding Amount/ Project
Period: up to$3,000,000
total costs over 5 years for Track 1 projects, the only track for which UK is
eligible.
Link
to Funding Opportunity Announcement
Institutional Limit:
2 as lead organization, non-lead organization, or subawardee on any proposal.
Organizations participating solely as evaluators on projects are excluded from
this limitation.
Internal
Competition: To
participate in the university’s selection process,please upload the
following,assembled
into a single PDF file, to the Office of the Vice President for Research via
this
portal
with a copy to your Associate Dean for Research by January 5,
2021:
·
Names
and departments of UK PI, Senior Project Personnel, and collaborating
researchers at participating institutions (including their roles and the names
of their institutions)
·
Title
of the program and/or funding opportunity announcement
number
·
Type
of proposed proposal submission: lead organization, non-lead organization, subawardee
·
Brief
project description (2 pages maximum)
·
Brief
biographical sketch
A committee will be
convened to review the material and make a recommendation.
For questions or issues
with submission through the portal, email the limited submission mailbox
(limitedsubmissions@uky.edu), or call 257-2861.
Agency Deadline: February
25, 2021