Once you register, you may return to the system as often as you like. It is not necessary to complete all forms in one step. Also, you can return after you Submit to check the status of receipt of your Support Documents.

Profile

The Profile section consists of the Eligibility through References screens. On these screens, applicants provide core information that will be submitted with each completed application.

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Eligibility

You are eligible to apply for a National Academies Research Associateship award only if you meet one of the following criteria: 1) you hold the Ph.D., Sc.D., M.D. or another earned research doctoral degree that is recognized in the United States as equivalent to the Ph.D.; or 2) you can present acceptable evidence of having completed all the formal academic requirements for one of these degrees before tenure begins.

Special Notes:

• Applicants who were not offered awards may reapply in the following Review.
• Applicants who are not approved by the Board must wait one year before they can reapply.
• When an Associate ends their tenure, they must wait two years before they can reapply.

Additional eligibility requirements apply to some or all Research Opportunities. Please read the Eligibility questions carefully and respond accordingly. If your answers to any of the questions are ‘Not Applicable’ you will still be eligible to apply. If your answers to any of the questions are ‘NO; then you are not eligible to apply to this program.

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Address/Citizenship

Provide your current and permanent mailing addresses in the sections provided. If at all possible avoid using post office boxes for mail addresses. Please use an address that is acceptable for express delivery.

Provide all information on citizenship. If you are in the United States and are not a U.S. citizen, please indicate what visa you now hold. Be sure to verify that the Agency to which you are applying accepts applications from foreign nationals. In general, the NRC awards are open to foreign nationals who hold permanent resident, F-1 and J-1 status only, as determined by the policy of the relevant Agency.

Also see the Support Documents section

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Confidential Information

Most of the information requested in this section is required for the NRC to process your application. Information on race and ethnicity is optional, but it is valuable to the NRC and its sponsors in determining how effectively we meet our objectives of participation among underrepresented groups.

Spouse and dependent information is required for the NRC to estimate the cost of relocation and health insurance should you be offered an award.

Note that the information you provide here will not be seen by the reviewers.

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Education

Provide complete and accurate information listing all post-secondary (undergraduate and graduate) institutions attended. Indicate degrees or diplomas, received or expected. List these beginning with the most recent.

Also see the Support Documents section.

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Honors and Awards

Provide information on any honors, awards, fellowships, scholarships, prizes, or other recognition of achievement received since entering college or a university. Include any fellowships or scholarships held at the present time. List these beginning with the most recent.

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Employment

Provide information on scientific, administrative, and other professional positions held since entering college or a university. Include any positions held at the present time. List these beginning with the most recent.

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Previous Research (includes Current Research and Publications)

Postdoctoral applicants only - PhD information: provide the name of your Thesis Adviser, title and status of your Dissertation. Upload an abstract of your Dissertation (maximum of 350 words).

Previous and Current Research

All applicants must provide Previous and Current Research information to reflect the last five years of their professional career. Upload a maximum of 1200 words, keeping the amount of graphs and pictures to a minimum. Include information on where, when, and with whom these investigations were carried out.

Publications

All applicants must provide a list of publications from the last five years. Upload a maximum of 1800 words.

Publications should be listed in the following order: (1) refereed journal articles; (2) books, (3) published proceedings; (4) non-refereed articles; and (5) patents. Include the (a) author(s); (b) year of publication; (c) title; (d) full name of journal; (e) volume number; and (f) page number(s). If your list exceeds the maximum length, please only include the most important publications.

Carefully follow the UpIoad Instructions located below.

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References (listing)

No respondents may be employed in any capacity at any location of the Agency to which you are applying.

Only two exceptions -

• - for applicants to the NIH/NIST Joint Postdoctoral Program - if you are currently at NIH or NIST on another fellowship, then we will allow one respondent to be from NIH or NIST; however, the others must be from non-NIH/non-NIST scientists.
• - for applicants to the NIH Postdoctoral Program - if you are currently at NIH on another fellowship, then we will allow one respondent to be from NIH; however, the others must be from non-NIH scientists.

Provide information on individuals who are acquainted with your academic and professional background. Please note that applicants must provide four reference reports (Summer Faculty applicants must provide three reference reports). At least two of these referees should be persons with whom you have recently worked in your major field. For Postdoctoral applicants, your thesis adviser must be used as one of your four references.

Postdoctoral applicants: List the doctoral thesis adviser as the first respondent. Reference Reports are available on our website. You can distribute hard copies to your respondents or you may direct them to our website to complete the form electronically. The completed electronic forms may be sent from the respondent directly to our office (rap@nas.edu) as email attachments. If each respondent returns the Reference Report to you-- it must be completed, signed, and in a sealed envelope with the respondent's signature clearly written across the envelope flap and then you submit the Reference Reports (and transcripts) to our office in one envelope.

Senior applicants: your respondents may elect to write Letters of Reference instead of using the Reference Report forms. They may send their Letters of Reference or Reference Reports directly to our office (rap@nas.edu) as email attachments. If they return them to you then they must be completed, signed, and in a sealed envelope with the respondent's signature clearly written across the envelope flap and then you submit them to our office in one envelope.

All Reference Reports (and/or Letters of Reference) if sent as a hard copy , must be in English, must have a current date, and must bear the original signatures of the respondents who are listed on your Application.

Also see the Support Documents section.

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Application

The Application section consists of the Research Opportunity Number (for each Agency) through the Reference Screens. Each Application consists of several screens on which applicants provide information specific to each research opportunity (for each Agency), and uploads a research proposal.

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Opportunity (Research Opportunity Number)

To begin an Application, enter the Research Opportunity Number (example: 13.24.36.B1790) that corresponds to the Proposed Research Adviser you have selected and contacted. Enter only one Research Opportunity Number for each Agency to which you are applying.

Carefully read the information that describes the Agency of interest to you. Check eligibility requirements and restrictions. Certain Agencies are open only to United States citizens; some are open only to Postdoctoral applicants; and some Agencies do <i>not</i> participate in all reviews.

The Agency is a major federal agency, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). You may apply for a maximum of 3 different Agencies, an example would be:

1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
2. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and
3. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL).

You may not apply to multiple locations, Laboratories or Centers within the same Agency.

Adviser

Select the Adviser name that corresponds with the Research Opportunity Number chosen. You MUST contact the Adviser to verify interest and funding for your research.

Previous Affiliation

Include information about any affiliation with the Agency to which you are applying.

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Tenure

Estimate the length of tenure and proposed start date for your award. Note that many agencies make awards for 12 months, and renewal for a second or third year is contingent on satisfactory progress. Unless otherwise specified in the Program Description for your Research Opportunity, indicate 12 months as the Initial Period of Tenure. Senior applicants may request a minimum of three months.

Although your start date is negotiable, based on completion of your degree and agency funding, you should indicate a date that you consider reasonable to begin your award.

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Proposal

Your Research Proposal is a major component of your Application.

Complete the Statement of Anticipated Research Needs by listing any of the following: special facilities; computer resources and time; travel related to your proposed research; observatory time; animal care or human subject approvals; or other special activities. Questions regarding the availability of equipment or facilities should be discussed with your prospective Adviser.

Your proposal :

(1) should address a problem of your choice that is within the scope of the research interests of the Agency to which you are applying

(2) must represent your own intellectual effort. Proposed Research Advisers are free to suggest revisions to improve a proposal's scientific or technical quality or to complement the ongoing research at an Agency or Center.

(3) should be double spaced and limited to a total of 3000 words (including citations), keeping the amount of graphs and pictures to a minimum.

(4) must include the following: a) statement of problem; b) background and relevance to previous work; c) general methodology and procedure(s) to be followed; d) explanation of new or unusual techniques; e) expected results and their significance and application; and, f) literature citations where appropriate (use complete citations including titles).

Guidelines for Preparation of the Research Proposal provides additional guidance on preparation of your research proposal.

Carefully follow the UpIoad Instructions located below.

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References (selecting)

Select the names of individuals who will be providing Reference Reports for this Research Opportunity. Please note that Postdoctoral and Senior applicants must provide four reference reports. Summer Faculty applicants must provide three reference reports.

For Postdoctoral applicants, the thesis adviser (TA) must be added and used as one of the four referees.

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Upload Instructions

To ensure error free uploading of documents please follow the instructions below:

Uploads must be in RTF or Microsoft Word format, no smaller than 12-point font
Include your name
Do NOT include headers. Footers or page numbers
Remove all 'Endnotes'
Keep the amount of graphs and pictures to a minimum

PhD Dissertation - maximum of 350 words
Previous & Current Research - maximum of 1200 words
Publications - maximum of 1800 words
Research Proposal - maximum of 3000 words

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Data Review

The Data Review page outlines all information you have entered and all documents you have uploaded. You may use the page links at the top of each section to navigate through the application.

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Data Validation

The Data Validation page provides the validation status of all pages of your application. Before you can submit your application, it must pass a series of validation checks to ensure all required fields have been completed and all necessary documents have been uploaded.

A yellow exclamation mark under Status is alerting you of incorrect or missing information in a particular section but will still allow you to submit your application. A red check with a line drawn through it will not allow you to submit until that particular section is corrected.

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Submit

After you have reviewed the content of your applications, made any changes, and completed a final data validation, click on the Submit button and proceed through the dialog box to submit your application(s).

Once submitted, you will no longer be able to add, edit, or delete data or files. To review and print a copy of your application after submission, click on the View/Print Data link on the Main page.

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Support Documents

Support Documents consist of Transcripts (if applicable) and Reference Reports.

Transcripts

Postdoctoral applicants must provide a record (transcripts) of courses and grades from all post-secondary (undergraduate and graduate) institutions attended. Transcripts and other documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a certified translation into English. (Transcripts are not required of Senior applicants).

Postdoctoral applicants, who hold a doctoral degree from a non-U.S. institution that does not issue transcripts, must request an official statement to this effect; in addition, the university statement must confirm that you are currently in a doctoral program or have been awarded the doctorate. Furthermore, when transcripts are not available, you must provide the National Academies with a complete listing of all courses and grades for your undergraduate and graduate studies. These listings are to be signed and dated on each page.

Student Issued transcripts or photo copies are acceptable at the time of application but if you are selected for an award, official transcripts bearing the university seal must be sent from the institution directly to the National Academies.

Reference Reports

All applicants must obtain Reference Reports (or Letters of Reference for Senior applicants) from their referees. The NRC does not request these for you. To expedite the processing of your file please refrain from submitting two-sided documents.

If not being sent electronically from your referees directly to our office then all Reference Reports or Letter of Reference should be completed, signed, and placed in their own sealed envelope with the respondent's signature clearly written across the envelope flap.

Immigration Documents

All non-U.S. citizens who are in the United States now, or who have recently held J-1 status in the United States, must send legible copies of their immigration documents. Depending on your status, these may include:

- passport, showing personal data and dates of validity
- visa(s)
- I-94 Departure Card
- DS-2019 or I-20 form
- Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
- Permanent Resident Alien card

All Support Documents should be mailed by Express Delivery to:

Research Associateship Programs
National Research Council
500 Fifth Street, NW (Keck 568)
Washington, DC 20001

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Page Help

Each screen has a Page Help link for explanations of all required fields.

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E-mail Support

You can send questions, comments or suggestions to our office mailbox using the E-mail Support link.

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Logout

Logout will take you out of the electronic application.