National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Program | 18 507

Opportunity Information: Apply for 18 507

The National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is a competitive NSF grant opportunity that supports new, ambitious approaches to graduate education in STEM. Its main goal is to push universities to design and run bold training models that better prepare graduate students in research-based masters and doctoral programs for the wide range of careers they may pursue, including roles both inside and outside academia. Rather than focusing only on traditional disciplinary training, NRT is aimed at building programs that deliberately teach the skills, knowledge, and professional competencies graduates need to thrive in a changing research and workforce landscape.

A defining feature of NRT is its emphasis on interdisciplinary, high-priority research areas paired with a comprehensive traineeship model. Proposals are expected to go beyond simply funding students to do research; they should lay out an integrated training environment that is innovative and grounded in evidence about what works in graduate education. The program encourages institutions to rethink how graduate training is structured by incorporating elements like cross-disciplinary coursework, team-based research experiences, career and professional development, mentoring structures, and pathways that connect research skills to real-world applications. In short, NSF is looking for training models that could reshape graduate education and be adopted or adapted more broadly.

For the FY2018 competition described in the notice, NSF invited proposals in any nationally important interdisciplinary research theme, but highlighted two areas for special emphasis: Harnessing the Data Revolution (HDR) and Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS). HDR reflects NSF interest in data-intensive research and training, including the ability to manage, analyze, and draw insights from complex data across fields. INFEWS focuses on interconnected challenges where food systems, energy demands, and water resources interact, requiring integrated scientific, engineering, and policy-aware approaches. The notice also indicates that HDR was expected to remain a priority in FY2019 and FY2020, with an additional new priority area to be announced later.

Workforce development is central to the NRT program, and that includes a strong focus on broad participation and building institutional capacity. The opportunity emphasizes expanding access and strengthening the systems that support graduate education, not just supporting a handful of students. Proposals are encouraged to incorporate strategies that broaden participation in STEM and create training environments where talent from many backgrounds can enter, persist, and succeed. The solicitation specifically notes alignment with NSF INCLUDES, an NSF-wide initiative intended to develop STEM talent from all sectors and groups across society, and encourages collaborations with existing NSF INCLUDES projects when those partnerships clearly strengthen both efforts.

Another major expectation is meaningful collaboration beyond a single academic department or even beyond the university itself. NRT encourages strategic partnerships with organizations that can expose trainees to different research cultures and career paths, such as private sector employers, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, national laboratories, field stations, teaching and learning centers, informal science centers, and additional academic partners. These collaborations are positioned as a way to make training more relevant to workforce needs, to provide experiential learning or internships, and to ensure that trainees develop transferable skills that map onto real employment settings.

Administratively, this opportunity is a discretionary NSF grant (Funding Opportunity Number 18-507) in the science and technology research and development category, with CFDA numbers listed across multiple NSF directorates and programs (47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.079, 47.083). The posting date in the source data is October 27, 2017, with an original deadline of February 6, 2018, and an expected 12 awards. The award ceiling is listed as 0 in the provided record, which typically signals that applicants should refer to the full solicitation for detailed budget guidance rather than relying on a single fixed cap in the summary field. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with clarification deferred to the solicitation’s additional eligibility language, which is common for NSF programs where proposals are generally submitted by accredited U.S. institutions and may have specific requirements about lead organizations, participating units, and trainee support structures.

Overall, the NRT program is best understood as NSF funding for institutions that want to build a structured, interdisciplinary graduate training ecosystem: one that is intentionally designed, connected to national priority research themes, informed by evidence on effective education practices, strengthened through partnerships, and oriented toward preparing STEM graduates for multiple career trajectories while expanding participation and improving long-term institutional training capacity.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.079, 47.083.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 27, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 06, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 18 507

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