The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program is designed to support the development of skills, knowledge, and competencies necessary for graduate students in research-based master's and doctoral degree programs to pursue a range of STEM careers. It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary or convergent research areas of national priority, providing a comprehensive, evidence-based traineeship model. The program aims at workforce development, broad participation, and institutional capacity building in graduate education. It encourages strategic collaborations with a variety of partners, including the private sector, NGOs, government agencies, national laboratories, and others. A special encouragement is made for proposals that partner with NSF INCLUDES to develop STEM talent inclusively from all sectors and groups in society.