Frequently Asked Questions

• Who is eligible to apply?

  Domestic and international PhD students from the participating departments (Africana Studies, Psychology, Economics, Linguistics, Sociology, Neurobiology & Behavior, Political Science,  Computer Science, and Applied Math and Statistics) are encouraged to apply. In order to be a funded trainee (fellow), one must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident. Most trainees will start out as non-funded trainees and then can apply for funding if eligible. 

• How do I become a funded trainee and what does the funding look like?

  Funded trainees (fellows) must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. The ideal time to become a fellow is around the time you advance to candidacy (the year before you advance, or the year just afterward). This is because you need to succeed in your primary PhD program, as well as your NRT-related activities. Trainees eligible for funding will receive one year of funding and can apply for a second year by presenting their accomplishments from year one. 

• What is the difference between a funded trainee and a non-funded trainee?

  Funded trainees (fellows) must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents in order to receive the funding of $34K per year from NSF. However, all, whether domestic or international, are eligible for travel grants. 

• What are the expectations for participation?

  Currently enrolled in a PhD program in one or more of the participating departments (Africana Studies, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Computer Science, Economics, Linguistics, Neurobiology & Behavior, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology)

  Remain in good standing in home PhD program (minimum GPA of 3.0)

  Participate/enroll in at least 2 Research Practica (0-3 credits; to be taken over the course of the traineeship)

  Participate/enroll in courses that may lead to a graduate certificate (focus selection)

  Contribute to yearly evaluations (required by NSF, the funding agency) that will involve responding to occasional surveys, interview requests, and calls for research highlights

  Participate in NRT-related, community building activites

  Remain involved with the project until graduation

• As an international student, what advantages are there to participating in this project?

  As an international student trainee, you will be eligible for travel funds for research presentations, and assistance and guidance with (optional) internships.  In the research practica, you will collaborate across disciplines on projects that may lead to publication and strengthen your teamwork skills. If you are a human-centered scientist, you will be able to take courses to hone your data science skills and add techniques such as ML (machine learning) to your toolkit. If you take the bridge courses, you can efficiently gain foundational knowledge to prepare for success in Computer Science graduate courses. If you are already a data scientist, applied mathematician, or computer scientist, you will learn about quantitative and qualitative methods from the social sciences, as well as apply your data science skills to human-centered applications. All trainees will learn to detect bias in their research projects and contexts of application. This kind of interdisciplinary knowledge can lead to greater job prospects and awareness of different career paths. 

• What will the research practica entail?

  Three research practicum topics will be offered 2-3 times each during the course of this program as Special Topics seminars. As a trainee, you will enroll in at least two practica, where you will gain basic knowledge about current topics related to bias, conduct research with faculty and trainees from other disciplines, engage in collaboration, and present your work. The three rotating topics are: Bias in Data, Bias in Humans, and Bias in Institutions. These are expected to be collaborative and supportive settings, where trainees and faculty alike will have the opportunity to learn from one another. Click here to learn more!

• Will there be assistance with internship opportunities?

  Yes. After advancing to candidacy in your home department, completing at least one year as a trainee, and at least one research practicum, you will be encouraged to participate in a 2-12 month internship tailored to your interests and career goals. Guidance from both the executive committee and your advisor will help facilitate. Click here to learn more!

• How do I apply?

  In order to apply, please prepare a CV and a personal statement on your motivations for wanting to be a part of this project. The personal statement should be 1-2 pages long and include your current research direction, as well as what interests you about the theme of this traineeship. Files must be uploaded as PDFs. It is important that you speak with your advisor prior to applying and that they be supportive of your participation; we will be contacting them upon receiving your application. Click here to be directed to our Become a Trainee page. 

• Who can I contact if I am looking for more information?

  Contact the Project Coordinator, Kristen Kalb-DellaRatta, for more information. Kristen.Kalb@stonybrook.edu or 631-632-7098