NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT)

WHAT: Limited Submission Proposal for the (NSF 08-540) National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT)

WHO:  Texas A&M University faculty, including TAES, TEES and TTI personnel.

WHY:  NSF anticipates making awards for Traineeships up to $600,000 per year for a maximum of five years and one award for a Resource Center up to $600,000 per year for a maximum of five years.

WHEN: Internal proposal deadline of February 25, 2008.

HOW:  Faculty should submit internal proposal via email for review by the internal selection committee.   

THE FINE PRINT:

The funding agency below has limited the number of proposals to four Traineeship preliminary proposals and one Resource Center proposal per institution. If the number of faculty wishing to submit a preliminary proposal exceeds the number allowed by the agency, we will conduct an internal selection process. Below are due dates for the program, including the due date of the internal proposal for review by the internal selection committee, the date for announcement of the internal selection and the due date for submission of a preliminary proposal to the agency.

AGENCY:  National Science Foundation (NSF)

AGENCY PROGRAM TITLE:  NSF 08-540 Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT)                                                      

BRIEF PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:  The IGERT Program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education for students, faculty and institutions by establishing innovative models for graduate education and training for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.  Two types of grants are Traineeship and Resource Center grants.  IGERT traineeship proposals must describe integrative, research-based, graduate education and training activities in emerging areas of science and engineering.

IGERT traineeship proposals should be organized around an interdisciplinary theme that is based on transformative interdisciplinary research in science/technology/engineering/mathematical sciences.  The IGERT project should provide students with experience relevant to both academic and nonacademic careers, and may involve activities such as internships and mentoring in industrial, national laboratory, academic or other settings.

Also, IGERT projects are expected to integrate the following features:  a comprehensive interdisciplinary theme appropriate for doctoral-level research; integration of interdisciplinary research with innovative graduate education; an environment that exposes students to a broad base of state-of-the-art research instruments, equipment, educational tools and methodologies; career development opportunities; program strategy and plan for recruitment, mentoring, retention and graduation of U. S. graduate students; strategy and methodology for formative assessments of the project’s effectiveness; administrative plan and organizational structure that ensures effective management of the project resources; plan for dissemination of innovative graduate education activities both within and outside the institution; and institutional commitment to facilitating and furthering the plans and goals of the IGERT traineeship project.

One IGERT Resource Center will be funded by NSF to provide information and tools through a web-based, electronic venue for sharing, interaction, communication and information disseminated with, among and about both the IGERT program, overall and IGERT projects.  The electronic venue IGERT Resource Center will be the primary site for comprehensive information about and for IGERT and IGERT projects.

The Resource Center will develop and maintain a web-based electronic presence and develop an e-community for IGERT including:  developing mechanisms to foster collaboration and sharing of best practices across all IGERTS on recruiting and retaining Trainees with particular attention to broadening participation; supporting communication mechanisms among the various cohorts of the IGERT community and between these cohorts and NSF; developing and supporting an e-community to be created via these communication and collaboration mechanisms that is expected to share and make available online knowledge including curricula and professional development advancements and approaches to evaluation having a proven evidentiary base and which can be drawn upon by all IGERT projects as well as the external community; and the responsibility for national dissemination of program models, materials and best practices among IGERT projects and with the external community.

The lead institution for IGERT Resource Center proposals should have known expertise in the targeted program areas of interdisciplinary graduate education and professional development.  Further, it is expected that the lead institution will have know expertise in the IT field, developing and maintaining cyber-communities and communication modes, as well as addressing the needs of the community the Resource Center is meant to support. 

More information can be found here. 

AGENCIES ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT:  The IGERT Program is open to U.S. academic institutions in the United States, its territories or possessions that grant the Ph.D. degree in the sciences and engineering.

AWARD INFORMATION:  NSF anticipates making awards for Traineeships up to $600,000 per year for a maximum of five years and one award for a Resource Center up to $600,000 per year for a maximum of five years.

ELIGIBLE PROJECT COSTS:   Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:  Limited to 8% of total direct costs, excluding equipment and cost-of-education allowances, but not excluding participant support.

COST SHARING:  NONE.     

Internal Selection Procedures and Deadlines

February 13, 2008:  An IGERT informational meeting for faculty who are considering preparing a proposal for an IGERT will be held by the Office of Proposal Development from 10-11:30 am on Wednesday, February 13 in the Jack Williams Administration Building, Room 310.  We will discuss program requirements, what reviewers are typically looking for, and attributes of successful IGERT proposals.  For more information contact Lucy Deckard in the Office of Proposal Development or 458-4290. 

February 22, 2008:  Deadline for an email of intent, including the names of the PI and co-PIs, title of internal proposal and a 1-3 sentence description of the project.  Send email of intent. This will allow us time to identify internal review committee members, if necessary.    

February 25, 2008: Deadline to obtain signatures of approval from your department head and college dean to submit an internal proposal to the Office of Sponsored Projects for review by the internal selection committee.  The internal proposal should include:

• An executive summary, up to three pages, based on the proposal description as outlined in the NSF program announcement;
• Tentative budget;
• Project and Management Plans (including team members);

If your proposal is a resubmission, you may include a summary of the reviews from the last submission.

The form for completing the internal proposal is here.

This completed form should be submitted electronically for review by the internal selection committee.

Please read the RFP carefully for specific requirements of the program here.

Selection of a proposal will be based on NSF guidelines.  Meeting the needs of the university’s reinvestment plan will also be taken into account. 

During the selection process, the internal selection committee may contact departments and colleges for their opinions and commitments.  They may also request additional information from PIs.

March 7, 2008: The Internal Selection Committee will notify PIs of the result of the internal competition.

April 24, 2008:  Deadline for preliminary and resource center proposals: (due by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time).  Full proposals for preliminary proposals are by invitation only. 

October 20, 2008:  Deadline for full proposals, by invitation only:  (due by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time).  Institutions are restricted to a maximum of three single-institution or lead institution in multi-institution full proposals.