Good Morning,

The Harvard internal call for proposals has been announced for the NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program, which provides up to $3M over five years in support of proposals that will test, develop, and implement innovative and effective STEM graduate education models, promote interdisciplinary and broad professional training for graduate students, and foster fundamental research advances in support of national priorities. Only two applications may be submitted with Harvard as a lead or as a non-lead collaborator. Interested applicants from Harvard must first submit an internal pre-proposal via the link below by June 19, 2022. More information on the award and the internal selection process can be found in the synopsis below:

NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program

Harvard Pre-Proposal Deadline: June 19, 2022

FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: August 29, 2022
Sponsor Deadline: September 6, 2022

Award Amount: Up to $3,000,000 for five years

The NSF 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. Proposals are requested that address any interdisciplinary or convergent research theme of national priority, with special emphasis on AI and QISE and the six research areas within 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. 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.

An eligible organization may participate in only two proposals per NRT competition as lead or collaborative non-lead. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research is facilitating the internal application, review, and selection process to identify proposals for nomination from Harvard for this opportunity. Internal applications must be submitted via the link above by June 19, 2022.

More information on the opportunity, including FAQs and an outreach webinar, can be found here.

Questions about this announcement may be directed to Erin Hale at erin_hale@fas.harvard.edu or Susan Gomes at sgomes@fas.harvard.edu.