The National Science Foundation and selected foreign counterpart science and technology agencies sponsor seven East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes (EAPSI), held between June and August each year. U.S. STEM graduate students are encouraged to apply by the deadline of 11/14/2013.

These Summer Institutes (EAPSI) operate similarly and the research visits to a particular location take place at the same time. Although applicants apply individually to participate in a Summer Institute, awardees become part of the cohort for each location. Applicants must propose a location, host scientist, and a research project that is appropriate for the host site and duration of the international visit.

An EAPSI award provides U.S. graduate students in science, engineering, and education: 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. It is expected that EAPSI awards will help students initiate professional relationships to enable future collaboration with foreign counterparts. The NSF award includes participation in a pre-departure orientation, a summer stipend, and travel expenses to the research site. EAPSI partner agencies pay in-country living expenses during the Summer Institutes.

Eligibility
Applications are submitted directly by individual graduate students, not through the institutions at which they are enrolled. This requires that, during the application process, each student must register as an institution and serves as his or her own Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). Similarly, awards are made to the individuals.

Applicants must:
be U.S. citizens or permanent residents; be enrolled in a research-oriented Master's or Ph.D. degree program, and, if enrolled in a joint Bachelor/Master's program, have graduated from the undergraduate degree portion of the program; be enrolled at a U.S. institution located in the United States; and propose a research project in fields of science, engineering, and science education supported by the National Science Foundation. One application per student per year will be accepted.

Funding
The NSF portion of the EAPSI award consists of several parts: a stipend of $5,000, attendance at the pre-departure orientation and round-trip transportation from the Fellow's home to the host location in the form of a non-refundable airline ticket on a U.S. flag carrier in accordance with GSA requirements and issued by the NSF travel contractor. The foreign counterparts provide in-country room and board and travel for research visits.

Further Information
Click here (http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12498/nsf12498.htm) for further information. Updated handbooks and a How to Apply Guide will be available on the website by the end of July. Or contact Elena Hillenburg, Program Specialist, Office of International Science and Engineering, National Science Foundation (ehillenb@nsf.gov; 703-292-2993).

Todd St. Vrain, Manager for International Initiatives at the University of Rochester (todd.stvrain@rochester.edu; 585,275.4821) can help facilitate introductions to host scientists at partner institutions in Australia (University of Sydney and University of Western Australia), China (Zhejiang University and Nanjing University) New Zealand (University of Auckland), and Singapore (Nanyang Technological University) in particular.

Helpful tips for EAPSI applicants (.pdf)