National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program (NRT) | Apply Online

National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Program (NSF 14-548) FAQs

1) What is the NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program?

The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is a competitive NSF grant opportunity designed to push graduate STEM education in new directions. The focus is not only on supporting research, but on redesigning how graduate students are trained so they graduate with broader skills, knowledge, and professional competencies aligned with today’s STEM workforce.

2) What is the main purpose of NRT funding?

The main purpose is to create bold, potentially transformative graduate training models that can be scaled beyond a single lab or department. NRT emphasizes graduate education transformation and expects projects to build institutional capacity that lasts beyond the grant period.

3) Is NRT intended to fund research projects or training programs?

Based on the opportunity description, NRT is best understood as a training-focused program rather than a standard research grant. The central idea is to redesign graduate training, treating professional development and broader competency development as core features of master’s and doctoral education.

4) What kinds of careers should NRT trainees be prepared for?

NRT projects are expected to prepare trainees for a wide range of careers, including but not limited to academic research. The program emphasizes preparation aligned with diverse career pathways and treats professional development as integral rather than optional.

5) What does NSF mean by “crosscutting and interdisciplinary training” in NRT?

NRT places strong emphasis on interdisciplinary training that crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries. Proposals should center on compelling, crosscutting themes where new graduate training approaches are needed and where the model has value beyond a single unit.

6) What is DESE, and how does it relate to this solicitation?

DESE stands for Data-Enabled Science and Engineering. In this solicitation, NSF highlights DESE as an initial priority research theme, reflecting national demand for graduates who can work with data-intensive methods and computational approaches across scientific and engineering domains.

7) Are applicants required to propose a DESE-focused traineeship?

No. While DESE is highlighted as an initial priority theme, NSF explicitly encourages proposals built around other interdisciplinary themes as long as they are compelling, crosscutting, and connected to national research priorities.

8) What makes an interdisciplinary theme “compelling” for NRT purposes?

The description indicates that applicants should make a strong case that the chosen theme is important and timely, that it represents an area where new training approaches are needed, and that the proposed traineeship fills a clear gap in how graduate education is currently delivered.

9) What does NRT mean by “evidence-based training design”?

NRT places heavy weight on training approaches and practices that are grounded in evidence and can be assessed. Projects are expected to develop and test sustainable practices that measurably improve graduate STEM education for the trainees and more broadly across the institution.

10) What does NSF expect regarding long-term institutional impact?

NRT expects institutions to build lasting programmatic capacity rather than a short-lived cohort experience. Proposals should explain how successful elements will continue after the award period and how effective practices will be scaled institution-wide, becoming part of the institution’s training culture, policies, curricula, or partnership infrastructure.

11) What kinds of competencies does NRT want trainees to develop?

NRT is designed to support deep disciplinary expertise while strengthening transferable professional skills. While no single competency list is prescribed in the description, examples of competencies include interdisciplinary teamwork, communication to varied audiences, project management, and understanding how research connects to real-world contexts and stakeholder needs, alongside technical competencies tied to the chosen theme.

12) How important are external partnerships in NRT proposals?

External partnerships are explicitly encouraged when they meaningfully enhance training and broaden trainee experiences. Collaborations can strengthen both intellectual merit and broader impacts by exposing students to different work environments, problem types, and expectations and by helping build professional networks and job-relevant skills.

13) What types of partner organizations are encouraged?

The description specifically encourages partnerships with private sector organizations, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, museums, and other academic partners, when these collaborations add real value to the traineeship’s training model.

14) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this NRT solicitation?

The Funding Opportunity Number is 14-548.

15) What agency is offering this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

16) How many awards did NSF anticipate making under this solicitation?

NSF anticipated about 10 awards under this solicitation.

17) What was the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount was 30,000,000.

18) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The description states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

19) What type of grant is this?

This is described as a discretionary NSF grant in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category.

20) Which NSF program areas does NRT align with?

The opportunity aligns with a wide range of NSF CFDA areas, including engineering; mathematical and physical sciences; geosciences; computer and information science and engineering; biological sciences; social, behavioral and economic sciences; education and human resources; international science and engineering; and EPSCoR. This indicates NRT is intended to be broadly relevant across STEM and STEM-adjacent fields where graduate training innovation is needed.

21) Who is eligible to serve as Principal Investigator (PI)?

The description explicitly states that the principal investigator must be on the faculty of the submitting institution. Eligibility is otherwise described at a high level in the notice, with additional clarification referenced in the “additional eligibility text.”

22) What were the key dates for this archived solicitation?

The archived timeline included an optional letter of intent due May 20, 2014 (by 5 p.m. local time) and a full proposal deadline of June 24, 2014. The funding announcement was posted March 27, 2014.

23) Was a letter of intent required?

No. The letter of intent is described as optional.

24) Where were additional details published?

Further details were provided through NSF Publication 14-548.

25) Who should applicants contact for Grants.gov access issues related to this opportunity?

The notice directs applicants to NSF Grants.gov support via grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

26) What is the overarching way to think about NRT?

NRT is described as a graduate education transformation program: it funds institutions to design, implement, and institutionalize innovative traineeship models in priority and emerging interdisciplinary areas, using evidence-based training practices, strengthened through external partnerships, and built with a clear plan for continuity and scaling after NSF funding ends.