NSF East Asia and Pacific NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes (EAPSI)Summer Institutes (EAPSI)

Shelley Hawthorne SmithUA Graduate CollegeOffice of Fellowships and Community Engagementssmith@grad.arizona.edu

What does an EAPSI What does an EAPSI involve?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 What does an EAPSI provide?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?Who is eligible?For an EAPSI, the graduate student applies

directly to NSF. The graduate student must be:

U.S. citizen or permanent residentEnrolled 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 What does the application involve?involve?

Part 1Part 1Applications 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 What does the application involve?involve?

Part 2Part 2o 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 How is the application reviewed?reviewed?Reviewed by internal NSF

reviewers within appropriate NSF program.

NSF Merit Review CriteriaNSF 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 ElementsFive Review Elements1. What is the potential for the

proposed activity to:a. advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); andb. 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 ElementsFive Review Elements3. 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 Special EAPSI Review CriteriaCriteriaQualifications of applicant,

including how the EAPSI program will contribute to his/her growth

Justification for selection of hostNSF program priorities and

efforts to broaden participationMerit and expected mutual

benefit of proposed international collaboration

How do I make contacts with How do I make contacts with a host university? a host university? Departmental contactsUniversity contactsPanel ideas?

EAPSI TimelineEAPSI Timeline

November – Application dueFebruary – 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 InstitutesDecember – Final reports due

What are some specific What are some specific examples of an EAPSI examples of an EAPSI project?project?Priscilla Shin: Anthropology and

LinguisticsGrey Nearing: Hydrology and

Applied MathematicsGarrett Hughes: Ecology and

Insect Science, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Christian Lytle: Optical Sciences