NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes (EAPSI)
Shelley Hawthorne Smith UA Graduate College Office of Fellowships and Community Engagement
[email protected]
What does an EAPSI involve? 8 – 10 weeks of research. Individuals apply separately and propose their own location, host scientist, and research project. But each individual researcher becomes part of a cohort to their country. NSF provides funds for a pre-departure orientation, a summer stipend ($5,000), and travel expenses. The partner agencies provide in-country living expenses.
What does an EAPSI provide? 1) First-hand research experiences in Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore or Taiwan; 2) an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and 3) an orientation to the society, culture and language.
Who is eligible? For an EAPSI, the graduate student applies directly to NSF. The graduate student must be:
U.S. citizen or permanent resident Enrolled in a Master’s or Ph.D. program at a U.S. institution in the U.S. Propose a research project in a field of science, engineering, or science education that is supported by NSF
What does the application involve? Part 1 Applications are filled out in the FastLane system and involve the following: o Cover sheet: o Application:You can list up to 3 locations, as long as you identify a potential host at each location. o Project Summary: One page
What does the application involve? Part 2 o Project
Description: Five pages. Follow the outline! o References Cited: o Biographical Sketch: Use this to attend to the review criteria. o Letter of Reference: o Supplementary Documents: Includes a description of how you made contacts with host (keep emails).
How is the application reviewed?
Reviewed by internal NSF reviewers within appropriate NSF program.
NSF Merit Review Criteria 1. What is the intellectual merit of the applicant? 2. What are the broader impacts of supporting the individual’s graduate study?
Five Review Elements 1. What is the potential for the proposed activity to: a. advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and b. benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)? 2. To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts?
Five Review Elements 3. Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success? 4. How well qualified is the individual, team, or institution to conduct the proposed activities? 5. Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home institution or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities
Special EAPSI Review Criteria Qualifications of applicant, including how the EAPSI program will contribute to his/her growth Justification for selection of host NSF program priorities and efforts to broaden participation Merit and expected mutual benefit of proposed international collaboration
How do I make contacts with a host university? Departmental contacts University contacts Panel ideas?
EAPSI Timeline November – Application due February – Tentative offers sent to potential awardees. Nominations sent to counterpart organizations March/April – Pre-departure orientation (2 days) in D.C. April – Final acceptance sent to confirmed students. NSF makes the awards. June – August – Summer Institutes December – Final reports due
What are some specific examples of an EAPSI project? Priscilla Shin: Anthropology and Linguistics Grey Nearing: Hydrology and Applied Mathematics Garrett Hughes: Ecology and Insect Science, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Christian Lytle: Optical Sciences
