EPSCOR INTERNSHIP
PROGRAM
Connecting Students with Successful Science
and Tech Companies in Kentucky
The EPSCoR Internship Program supports hands-on learning experiences for Kentucky undergraduate students, while also providing a valuable workforce pipeline to Advanced Manufacturing companies across the commonwealth.
We work to kickstart STEM careers.
KY NSF EPSCoR provides financial support for Kentucky postsecondary undergraduate students to sponsor their internship experience with science and tech companies with an operating presence in Kentucky.
Hands-on
experience
8-week
internship
Focused on
undergrads
Frequently Asked Questions
How are the funds distributed?
Awarded applications to companies not affiliated with the University of Kentucky (UK) will be established as subcontracted awards. UK-affiliated companies (e.g., ASTeCC, Coldsteam Research Campus, etc.) receiving awards will not be subcontracted; instead, students will be paid directly from the University of Kentucky and will be required to submit biweekly timesheets and complete the necessary paperwork to be added to the UK payroll system.
What is the suggested internship pay rate?
A suggested internship pay rate is $15 per hour, but may need to be adjusted for institutional equity commensurate with applicant experience.
How long can the internship last?
The internship can support up to eight weeks at full-time effort (40 hours per week). The actual hours per week and the specific weeks chosen within the prescribed window are left up to the applicants.
What is the time window in which the internship must occur?
Year 1 funding for EPSCoR Internships is secured for the time frame of July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020. Note: A later amendment will be required of EIs awarded with funding requested beyond June 30, 2020, and will be subject to the availability of future funds from NSF.
Most EPSCoR Internships consist of 40-hour workweeks, over an 8 week period during the student’s summer break, generally between April 1 and June 30.
How can I find candidates for my EPSCoR Internship proposal?
The EI application requires that both the company and the student(s) are already known to each other. If that is not the case, companies are encouraged to reach out to Rosemary Fama at rosemary.fama@uky.edu with specified educational expectations and detailed project descriptions for each requested intern (max 2) by February 1.
KY NSF EPSCoR staff will attempt to recruit participants with matching interests so that a complete application can be developed by the application deadline.
A matching of interests cannot be assured and should not be expected.
Do I have to have student participants selected prior to submitting my application?
Yes. All students chosen to receive funding through your project must be identified in your proposal.
What are the reporting obligations of awarded applicants?
All awardees and funded participants are obligated to provide reporting about the outcomes of their KY NSF EPSCoR-supported projects. Awardees may download the reporting documents at http://kynsfepscor.org/reporting
Do student participants have to complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training prior to receiving the award?
Yes. The responsible and ethical conduct of research (RCR) is critical for excellence, as well as public trust, in science and engineering. Consequently, education in RCR is considered essential in the preparation of future scientists and engineers. More about NSF’s policy: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/rcr.jsp
NSF Statutory Requirement
“The Director shall require that each institution that applies for financial assistance from the Foundation for science and engineering research or education describe in its grant proposal a plan to provide appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers participating in the proposed research project.”
Please be advised that if awarded, a certification of completion of RCR training for all of the aforementioned participants, consistent with the sub-awarded institution’s policies, will need to be provided to KY NSF EPSCoR (jeff.mossey@uky.edu) before a subcontracted award can be fully executed with the University of Kentucky. View UKY’s Policy for the Responsible Conduct of Research.
KY NSF EPSCoR Proposal Application Requirements:
(1) Provide a statement certifying that a RCR training plan for the applying organization is in place. If the applying organization does not have a RCR training plan in place, a statement certifying they will create and implement a RCR training plan in the event they are awarded should be provided. (Training plans are not required to be included in proposals but institutions are advised that they are subject to review, upon request.)
(2) An institution must designate one or more persons to oversee compliance with the RCR training requirement. Identify these designees by name and provide their contact information.
Do proposing projects have to align to KY NSF EPSCoR research initiatives?
Yes. Applications must include a statement that justifies the proposed project’s alignment to one, or more, of the following research themes and initiatives:
- Advance the paradigm for additive manufacturing by developing the tools needed to incorporate electronic function within printed structures.
- Exploit enhanced structural electronic capability to develop and demonstrate hardware and adaptive software for autonomous or robotic structures with substantially increased ability to sense their environment and respond to unexpected changes based on sensor.
- Distribute a proven ecosystem of materials, tools, and software designed to embed sensing, logic, and communication capabilities within structural elements to constituents ranging from large-scale manufacturers to small maker communities.
- Attract, train, and retain a diverse workforce with specific robotics and advanced manufacturing knowledge and skills to meet industry needs and/or continue to higher levels of educational attainment.
What file format should be submitted for proposals?
KY NSF EPSCoR requires the use of standardized template forms for all sections of submitted proposals. Applications should be e-mailed as attachments to epscor@uky.edu. In addition to providing the individually attached files, also attach one PDF file that merges all the application documents within a single file.
What forms should be submitted with an Annual Award Program proposal?
KY NSF EPSCoR requires the use of standardized template forms for all sections of submitte proposals. You can download the templates from our dropbox folder. Applications should be e-mailed as attachments to epscor@uky.edu.
In addition to providing the following individually attached files, also attach one PDF file that merges all the application documents within a single file.
- Coversheet
- Project Summary
- Project Description
- Budget
- Budget Justification
- Biosketch
- Current & Pending Support
What does URM mean?
URM stands for under-represented minority. The Higher Education Act defines the term “minority” as an “American Indian, Alaskan Native, Black (not of Hispanic origin), Hispanic (including persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central or South American origin), Pacific Islander, or other ethnic group underrepresented in science and engineering.”
KY NSF EPSCoR acknowledges that the representation of certain groups of people in STEM education and employment also differs from their representation in the U.S. population. Women, persons with disabilities, Appalachian and Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are also included in our working definition of underrepresented groups in STEM. View data from the NSF Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering 2019 Report here.
What is the EPSCoR Internship (EI) program?
KY NSF EPSCoR will pay students enrolled at a Kentucky institution for their participation in an internship at a Kentucky company in a science and technology field. The program requires the participation of the student(s) and a company mentor/supervisor. A suggested internship pay rate is $15 per hour but may need to be adjusted for institutional equity commensurate with applicant experience. The internship can support up to eight weeks at full-time effort (40 hours per week) and must occur between April 1 and July 31, 2020. The actual hours per week and the specific weeks chosen within the prescribed window are left up to the applicants.
EPSCoR Interns must work on science and technology projects directly impacting KY NSF EPSCoR Advanced Manufacturing Research Initiatives:
1) Develop new sensing modalities designed to be integrated into structural robotic components, along with multi-functional materials required to serve as electronic interconnects and insulators. This theme is focused on developing the materials and fabrication processes needed to embed electronic function into structural components, and involves developing new materials, device configurations, and structural forms for demonstration of basic logic, sensing, and data processing arising from co-printed electronic and structural elements, along with on-board power generation and storage.
2) Explore synthetic biology approaches to yield structural materials with programmable lifetimes, to reduce generation of persistent electronic waste.
3) Fully integrate sensing, logic, and communication into structures using 3D printing and related techniques, and develop a general “toolkit” to allow these structures to take the wide variety of forms needed for robotic systems. This theme creates the printing environment and protocols for structurally-integrated electronics, including approaches to interconnecting devices, data input and output, and appropriate structural responses.
4) Develop enhanced, adaptive software and feedback modes to maximize impact of increased sensing capabilities, and bring collaborative Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) to the level needed for advanced manufacturing and health care applications. This theme will utilize extensive sensor data from structures made in themes 1, 2, and 3 to create the next generation of Collaborative Human-Machine Interfaces (CHMIs), broadly defined as the intelligent connection between novel multimodal arrays of sensors monitoring users and the environment, and collaborative control decisions and actions taken by machines to assist their human users.
5) Test prototype enhanced robotic systems in manufacturing environments. This theme focuses on testing structurally-embedded electronic systems and controlling software in real-world applications. Testbeds can include co-robotic part manipulation & assembly, manufacturing of MEMS devices, and machine shop and maintenance environments. Feedback from this task will be essential to optimizing and enhancing components from the other themes.
What are Broader Impacts?
Broader Impacts is one of two merit review criteria, along with Intellectual Merit, that the NSF expects proposers to fully address in their proposals. The definitions of the two criteria, as noted in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (Ch. III Section A), are listed below:
- Intellectual Merit: The potential to advance knowledge, and
- Broader Impacts: The potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes
In its Grant Proposal Guide (Ch. II Section C), the agency now only offers broad guidelines on how researchers can meet the BI requirement and potential social outcomes they can strive to achieve.
Guidance on How Broader Impacts Can Be Accomplished:
- Through the research itself (i.e., research that has potential to lead to breakthroughs in certain industries or contribute to solutions to societal problems)
- Through the activities that are directly related to specific research projects (e.g., using the research project as a training ground for students or early-career scientists)
- Through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project (e.g., running an educational workshop for high school students on your research topic)
Examples of Target Outcomes for Broader Impacts Activities:
- Full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in STEM
- Improved STEM education and educator development at any level
- Increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology
- Improved well-being of individuals in society
- Development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce
- Increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others
- Improved national security
- Increased economic competitiveness of the United States
- Enhanced infrastructure for research and education
What is meant by Intellectual Merit?
Intellectual merit is one of two merit review criteria, along with Broader Impacts, that NSF expects proposers to fully address in their proposals. The definitions of the two criteria, as noted in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (Ch. III Section A), are listed below:
- Intellectual Merit: The potential to advance knowledge, and
- Broader Impacts: The potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes
The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge.
The following elements should be considered in the review for both criteria:
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?
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 organization to conduct the proposed activities?
5. Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home organization or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities?
How to Cite Your KY NSF EPSCoR Support
For work supported under the KAMPERS project, please reference NSF Cooperative Agreement No. 1849213.
Suggested language for the acknowledgement is, “This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement No. 1849213. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.”
General Terms & Conditions
- Application submissions are due 11:59 p.m. ET on 3/15/2020. Void where prohibited.
- Funds for EI awards are secured through 6/30/2020, however applicants will be able to apply for a budget extension through 8/31/20.
- A suggested internship pay rate is $15 per hour but may need to be adjusted for institutional equity commensurate with applicant experience. The internship can support up to eight weeks at full-time effort (40 hours per week).
- Companies and interns must be known to each other at the time of application.
- A submitted application for funding should include a plan of activities, including RCR training, participants’ resumes, a project budget and a budget justification.
- Only one application per investigator per program per year is allowed.
- All awardees and funded participants are obligated to provide reporting about the outcomes of their KY NSF EPSCoR-supported projects. Awardees may download the reporting documents on our website: kynsfepscor.org/reporting
- Each institution that applies for financial assistance from the KY NSF EPSCoR must have a formal institutional plan to provide appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers participating in the proposed research project. KY NSF EPSCoR must receive verification and notification that participants on supported project have received appropriate training consistent with their established institutional policies.
- Foreign travel cannot be proposed.
- Requests for computers cannot be proposed.
- Any proposal submitted to KY NSF EPSCoR and declined for funding can be modified and resubmitted the next year (program cycle) but if declined more than once, can’t be submitted again.
- Please be advised that if awarded, a certification of completion of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training for all of the aforementioned participants, consistent with the sub-awarded institution’s policies, will need to be provided to KY NSF EPSCoR (jeff.mossey@uky.edu) before a subcontracted award can be fully executed.