Bridging Academia and Industry
The National Science Foundation investing in graduate student STEM career development
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued a Dear Colleague Letter for the Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (INTERN) Supplemental Funding Opportunity to ensure graduate students are well prepared for the 21st-century STEM workforce. NSF will consider supplemental funding requests for up to an additional six months of graduate student support on active NSF grants with the following goals:
- To provide graduate students with the opportunity to augment their research assistantships or NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) fellowships with non-academic research internship activities and training opportunities that will complement their academic research training;
- To allow graduate students to pursue new activities aimed at acquiring professional development experience that will enhance their preparation form multiple career pathways after graduation; and
- To encourage the participation of graduate students from underrepresented groups such as women, person with disabilities, underrepresented minorities in STEM veterans, and persons from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The PI or co-PI on an active NSF award can request supplemental funding for one or more graduate students to gain knowledge, skills, and experiences that will further prepare them for a successful long-term career through an internship in a non-academic setting, including for-profit industry laboratories or industry research and development groups; start-up businesses; government agencies and National Laboratories; museums, science centers, and other informal learning settings; policy think-tanks; and non-profit organizations. Graduate students must have completed at least one academic year in their graduate programs and making satisfactory profess towards the completion of their degrees to be eligible. The total amount of funding requested must not exceed $55,000 per student per six-month period.
To learn more about this opportunity, special conditions for certain NSF Directorates and Offices, and how to prepare and submit your proposal, reference the NSF Dear Colleague Letter available via this web link.