Number 34, June 2002

Education Highlight

Initiated in 1997, the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program was developed to meet the challenges of educating Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the multidisciplinary backgrounds and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education, for students, faculty, and universities, by establishing new, innovative models for graduate education in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. It is also intended to facilitate greater diversity in student participation and preparation and to contribute to the development of a diverse, globally-aware, science and engineering workforce.

IGERT is an NSF-wide endeavor involving the Directorates for Biological Sciences; Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Education and Human Resources; Engineering; Geosciences; Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences; and the Office of Polar Programs.

The deadline for IGERT preproposals will be sometime in the September/October 2002 time frame. Specific dates will be established shortly and posted.