Announcement - National Science Foundation fellowships, partnerships and research experiences

PIRE project scientists and students from the United States and Russia in the field at Mutnovsky Volcano in Kamchatka, Russia. Image courtesy of John Eichelberger, University of Alaska

The U.S. National Science Foundation provides a number of grants promoting the participation of U.S. scientists and students in international research projects and collaborations, many of which are well suited to grid-powered partnerships.

A sample of their offerings is detailed below:

International Research Experiences for Students
Due: 15 September and 15 February, annually, for activities beginning at least six months after the target date
Eligibility: Proposals may be submitted by a U.S. institution, organization, or professional society.

• IRES provide high quality educational experiences for groups of U.S. undergraduate and/or graduate students through active research participation in collaboration with foreign researchers at an international site.  Proposals involving more than one institution are encouraged and should describe the research focus of the proposed activity; the intellectual collaboration with the foreign team; details on mentoring, professional development, and training that students will receive; plans for leveraging U.S. or foreign resources to strengthen the program; and arrangements for housing, health insurance, and other logistics.
  

Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement Projects
Due: Any time
Eligibility: Proposals may be submitted by a U.S. institution, organization, or professional society. Eligible students should be U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled in Ph.D. programs at U.S. institutions who have advanced to candidacy before the submission date. Students from developing countries who are enrolled in Ph.D. programs at U.S. institutions may also apply, but preference is given to qualified U.S. applicants.

• DDEP grants support dissertation research conducted by graduate students at a foreign site. Students are expected to work in close cooperation with a host country institution and investigator, and the applicant is responsible for making all necessary arrangements with the host country institution and scientist.
  

International Research Fellowship Program
Due: 2nd Tuesday in September, annually
Eligibility:  Applications proposing a research collaboration at a foreign institution should be submitted directly by individual researchers, who must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and have been awarded a Ph.D. within two years of the application deadline or expect to receive their doctoral degree by the start of the project.

• The IRFP introduces scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers to international collaborative research opportunities, thereby furthering their research capacity and global perspective and forging long-term relationships with scientists, technologists and engineers abroad. These awards are available in any field of science and engineering research and education supported by NSF.
  

Partnerships for International Research and Education
Due: The next PIRE competition is being planned for 2009.
Eligibility: Proposals may be submitted by Ph.D.-granting organizations in the United States.

• PIRE grants seek to catalyze cultural change in U.S. institutions by establishing innovative models for international collaborative research and education. The program enables U.S. institutions to establish collaborative relationships with international groups or institutions in order to engender new knowledge and discoveries and to promote the development of a globally-engaged, U.S. scientific and engineering workforce. The program supports forward-looking research whose successful outcome results from all partners—U.S. and foreign—providing unique contributions to the research endeavor.