NSF News

NSF's Division of Graduate Education and Division of Materials Research partner to help bridge gap between classrooms and labs

$1.6M in supplemental funding will help connect students and early-career researchers with NSF-funded centers and facilities, expanding access to hands-on training and broadening participation in cutting-edge lab work

The U.S. National Science Foundation Division for Graduate Education (NSF DGE) and Division of Materials Research (NSF DMR) are partnering to help provide underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and math with additional access to diverse education, research and training opportunities. These opportunities will empower minority-serving institutions to deliver materials research expertise that strengthens the future scientific workforce and builds institutional capacity for researchers at NSF-funded centers.

This partnership granted 11 supplemental awards to existing awardees of the NSF Research Traineeship program and NSF Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials program (NSF PREM), with the overarching goal of strengthening the U.S. scientific workforce and broadening participation in the scientific enterprise.

"The NRT program is constantly looking for new ways to expand the reach and scope of research traineeships," said NSF DGE Director Jacqueline E. Huntoon. "Through this collaboration with the PREM program, we are better positioned to prepare diverse cohorts of STEM graduate students for a range of careers in high-priority research areas, such as materials research."

Each supplemental award will support new collaborations aimed at facilitating innovative and multidisciplinary research in the field of materials science. In total, the $1.6 million in supplemental funding will provide hands-on materials research experience for more than 550 students and 20 postdoctoral researchers.

"This partnership allows NSF to greatly amplify our efforts to expand and broaden participation in materials research and education," said NSF DMR Director Germano Iannacchione. "There is a critical need to fully tap the nation's talent wherever it may be. By engaging with NRT projects, PREM sites will create stronger connections within the scientific community and provide enhanced opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds."

The new 2023 NSF Research Traineeship-NSF PREM supplement awardees are:

  • University of Puerto Rico at Humacao PREM in partnership with University of Pennsylvania NSF Research Traineeship.
  • Florida International University PREM in partnership with University of Georgia NSF Research Traineeship.
  • Navajo Technical University PREM in partnership with Stony Brook University NSF Research Traineeship.
  • California State University, Northridge PREM in partnership with University of California, Merced NSF Research Traineeship.
  • The University of Texas at El Paso PREM in partnership with Stony Brook University NSF Research Traineeship.
  • The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley PREM in partnership with Tuskegee University NSF Research Traineeship

The NSF Research Traineeship program aims to broaden participation through the development of interdisciplinary approaches to graduate research and traineeships designed to prepare graduates to tackle societally relevant challenges. The PREM program aims to broaden participation in materials research and education by developing pathways for college students and postdocs from underrepresented groups in partnership with DMR-supported centers and facilities.

For more information, visit the NSF Research Traineeship and PREM webpages.

Research areas

Division of Graduate Education (EDU/DGE)
Division of Materials Research (MPS/DMR)
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