Professional Research Experience Program (PREP-CSTL)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory (CSTL) announces that the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP-CSTL) is soliciting applications for financial assistance from accredited colleges and universities to enable those institutions to provide laboratory experiences and financial assistance to undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral associates in the CSTL at the NIST, Gaithersburg Laboratories in Gaithersburg, Maryland. In Gaithersburg, the CSTL carries out programs in the following fields of measurement science research, focused on reference methods, reference materials and reference data: Biochemical Science, Chemical and Biochemical Reference Data, Process Measurements, Surface and Microanalysis Science, Thermophysical Properties, and Analytical Chemistry. Financial support may be provided for conferences, workshops, or other technical research meetings that are relevant to the mission of the CSTL. The objectives of the PREP-CSTL are to encourage the growth and progress of science and engineering in the United States by providing research opportunities for students and post-doctoral associates, enabling them to collaborate with internationally known NIST scientists, exposing them to cutting-edge research. The PREP-CSTL will promote students’ pursuit of degrees in science and engineering, and post-doctoral associates’ professional development in science and engineering. The PREP-CSTL Coordinator and NIST/CSTL scientists will coordinate with appropriate division chiefs, outreach coordinators, and directors of multi-disciplinary academic organizations to identify students and programs that would benefit from the PREP-CSTL experience. Applicants must be able to ensure the availability of students for on-site collaborative research experiences at the NIST/CSTL Laboratories in Gaithersburg, Maryland, concurrent with their university studies. Any participating student must also be enrolled in an academic program acceptable to both the sponsoring institution and NIST/CSTL. Cost sharing and matching are not required under this program. However, applicants are encouraged to cost share on a voluntary basis. Voluntary cost sharing may include any eligible costs under the applicable cost principles that meet the test of reasonableness, allocability, and allowability. Indirect costs also are eligible project costs and applicants are encouraged to propose to cover them as cost share under this program. Any indirect costs proposed in an application under this program must not exceed the indirect cost rate negotiated with the applicant’s cognizant or oversight Federal agency prior to the proposed effective date of the award.