Lessons learned from interdisciplinary US national science foundation research traineeship-supported graduate...

Area of Science:

• Graduate STEAM Education
• Interdisciplinary Research Training

Background:

• The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Traineeship (NRT) Program supports interdisciplinary graduate education.
• The program aims to develop scholars capable of transcending disciplinary boundaries for workforce development.
• Innovative graduate educational opportunities are central to the NRT Program's mission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess professional development skills and activities within 20 NRT projects.
• To identify commonly highlighted technical and transferable skills.
• To analyze skill integration, stakeholder targeting, and time allocation in NRT educational programming.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of annual reports from 20 NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) projects.
• Documentation review to identify professional development skills and activities.
• In-depth case studies of three NRT projects to explore challenges and successes.

Main Results:

• Communication (43%), job readiness (42%), and team science (26%) were the most frequently reported professional development skills.
• Varied integration of skills into educational programming across projects.
• Identification of common programmatic challenges and successful strategies.

Conclusions:

• NRT projects commonly focus on communication, job readiness, and team science skills.
• Strategies for managing challenges can inform other graduate professional development initiatives.
• These innovations hold potential for transformative change in graduate STEAM education nationally.