October 17, 2022
Dear Colleagues:
With this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), The National Science Foundation Division of Graduate Education (DGE) in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and the Division of Materials Research (DMR) in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) invites requests for supplemental funding from existing awardees of NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program (NSF 21-536) and Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) program (NSF 21-510) to collaborate and form new partnerships to enhance efforts to broaden participation in materials research in any research field supported by DMR and NRT.
Supplemental funding requests from partnering institutions in each program should represent mutual benefit and true intellectual collaboration between NRT and PREM. The NRT program aims to broaden participation through the development of interdisciplinary and/or convergent approaches to graduate research and traineeships that emphasize teamwork, communication, ethics, and cross-disciplinary experiences designed to prepare diverse graduates to tackle societally relevant challenges. The PREM program aims to broaden participation through the development of pathways for the recruitment, retention, and graduation of undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs from underrepresented groups in STEM through partnerships in research and education with DMR-supported centers and facilities.
In support of the NSF commitment to broadening participation by individuals, institutions, and geographic areas, supplemental funding requests should emphasize how the proposed partnership will increase participation by members of underrepresented groups in any research field supported by DMR and NRT.
The supplements are intended to support a partnership between a PREM team and an NRT team to broaden participation and mentorship of underrepresented groups through exposure of (1) PREM program students and PIs to interdisciplinary and/or convergent research and education activities in the NRT programs that presently incorporate or aim to incorporate materials research and traineeships, and (2) NRT program trainees and PIs to pathways, materials research, and partnerships in PREM program activities centered on the recruitment, retention, and graduation of underrepresented groups into STEM fields.
A white paper (2 pages maximum) describing the proposed supplemental activities, coauthored by partnering PREM and NRT PIs, should be jointly submitted by email to: nrt-prem@nsf.gov. Upon review of the white paper, the partnering PIs may be invited to submit a formal request for supplemental support. Only invited supplemental funding requests will be considered for funding.
Deadline for white paper: February 24, 2023 (5 p.m. submitter's local time)
Deadline for supplemental funding requests from invited PIs: April 7, 2023 (5 p.m. submitter's local time).