Research
Training Program - 2006
Application Links
Special
2006 Waivers
We
still anticipate hosting a full program in 2006.
To compensate for canceling the '05 session
and limited availability of information throughout
the year, the following waivers apply for the
'06 session only.
DEADLINE:
The application deadline has been extended to
15 February 2006.
We will continue to accept new application documents,
via e-mail, fax, and mail until Wednesday, 15
February 2006. The review of application documents
will begin Thursday, 16 February 2006. Although
extending the application deadline, at this
time, we still anticipate notifying all applicants
of status by Wednesday, 8 March 2006.
APPLICATION:
Waiver of RTP-specific application form requirement.
Application information and forms for upcoming
sessions of the Research Training Program are
traditionally available the day following the
prior year application deadline (e.g. information
and applications documents for RTP '06 were
released 2 Feb 05 but then lost). Restoration
of all on-line forms and electronic submission
capacity was anticipated to be available 1 December
2005. However, delays continued beyond this
date. Therefore, students seeking to apply for
a position in the '06 RTP may submit application
information through another means.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Waiver of "currently enrolled" undergraduate
status. So as to provide an opportunity for
those students who would have been eligible
for participation in 2005 but this year will
no longer have "currently enrolled"
undergraduate status, we are waiving this requirement.
Specifically, undergraduate students graduating
in spring '06 are eligible for participation
in RTP '06 Program. In addition, any student
who earned their undergraduate degree in 2005
is eligible for participation in the RTP '06
session.
PROJECTS:
Waiver of "available advisor" selection.
Using the RTP Advisor lists, students applying
for participation in the RTP '06 may select
the scientist you most want to work with, regardless
of their availability.
Quick
Links to the RTP Advisor Lists:
Anthropology
- - Botany
- - Entomology
- - Invertebrate
Zoology
Mineral
Sciences - - Paleobiology
Birds
- - Fishes
- - Reptiles
& Amphibians - - Mammals
Special
Updates
BACKGROUND:
As a result of a catastrophic web server crash
9 Feb 05, including the irretrievable loss of
all data and on-line functions, and after very
careful consideration, the '05 summer session
of the Research Training Program was canceled.
Restoration of web capacities were estimated
to require only a couple months. However, complications
and delays set projections to at least 10 months.
Release of on-line functions were anticipated
before 1 December 2005 but expectations were
not met and delays continued.
So
as to not further delay application availability,
submission
details have been posted and alternative
application documents prepared.
3 December 2005:
A note from RTP Director, Mary Sangrey:
"We
are actively trying to restore our on-line application
and review system but continue to experience
delays and a variety of complications. I have
received your e-mails and also personally talked
to many of you who are anxiously awaiting the
opportunity to apply for our program and hopefully
join us this summer as part of the RTP, as well
as our other internship programs.
We
just can't wait any longer for our on-line system.
While
I realize paper process are out-of-date and
inconvenient, I also appreciate your need to
begin the submission process so I've made the
decision to launch an interim paper-based process
until our web capacities are reinstated. I have
prepared web-based forms for you to use and
these are now posted for the RTP (RTP
application form links) and our other internship
programs (NMNH
Internship Programs application form links).
While these forms can NOT be submitted on-line,
you can complete them electronically and print
or download and submit through another means.
We will be accepting your submissions via e-mail
attachment, fax and mail. Although the process
is manual instead of dynamic, each day I will
be posting new submissions received into the
list
of applicants web page so you can confirm
document receipt and note any comments. Upon
receipt we will be manually entering your application
documents into the on-line test system, so once
the system goes live - and like you I sure hope
this is very soon (!) - your documents will
already be there and available to you as well
as available for our panel review. Once the
system goes live you will be able to reference
your submissions using your applicant ID NUMBER.
Clearly
this has been an unfortunate, and confusing,
year for everybody. It was particularly difficult
for me to make the decision to cancel the RTP
'05 session, which would have celebrated 25
years of bringing students to the Museum. The
ARC was especially quiet this summer without
the RTP group. I know there were a lot of disappointed
students out there who had hoped to join us
last summer but didn't get the chance because
our program was canceled. Equally, here at the
Museum our community was not the same and every
day someone mentioned how much they missed the
RTP group. We will never be able to make up
for this lost summer but want to make sure that,
if at all possible, those impacted last year
are given the opportunity to join us this year.
Therefore, I have authorized several special
waivers for the RTP '06
session.
We
are all looking forward to the summer and an
active - and very fun (!) - RTP session. Having
missed a year we are anxious to get everything
going again and to welcome the new students
into our community. We hope our contacts, alumni
and friends encourage interested students to
apply. I'm looking forward to receiving and
reading your application documents!
I
will continue to keep you updated through regular
postings. If you have questions or unique concerns,
don't hesitate to contact me."
- - Mary
18 February 2006:
Review of applications for the '06 Research
Training Program is in progress. We received
a total of 192 applications for internship placement
including 19 for general internships and 6 for
the Notre Dame Partnership program. There were
167 applications received for the RTP, although
not all were complete. Of these 153 were complete
enough to review. Discipline breakdown:
Anthropology
- 61 applications
Botany - 8 applications
Entomology - 8 applications
Invertebrate
Zoology - 7 applications
Mineral Sciences - 22 applications
Paleobiology - 17 applications
Zoology - 30 applications
Due
to continuing problems with our electronic systems
our standard receipt and review process had
to me modified. All application documents received
(via e-mail, fax, mail and personal delivery)
processed as paper documents and also entered
separately into our on-line system. Three external
reviewers (located in California, Arizona, and
Pennsylvania) served as prescreeners, reviewing
electronic entries, to identify those best to
forward as semi-finalists. Initial external
pre-screening was completed Friday, 17 Feb 06.
In parallel, discipline-specific reviewers from
within the NMNH community screened "paper
copies" of applications. Results from both
reviews will be combine and the finalists announced
Wednesday, 22 Feb 06. Application documents
from finalists will then be reviewed by a panel
of judges. Each judge will review, score and
rank all finalists. Top ranking applicants will
be matched with an appropriate research mentor.
We anticipate announcing the results by Wednesday,
8 March 06.
"I
thank everyone for their on-going patience as
we continue to try to deal without our on-line
electronic processes. The application forms
and submission method proved archaic, at best,
if not difficult to deal with, both for you
trying to submit and us trying to receive. I'm
up to my elbows in pieces of paper and multiple
folders with many colored markings all over
them to help me index what's what. I appreciate
the good humor you all showed in dealing with
the glitches! There are so many good applicants
in the set this year. Our Judges will have a
difficult time in their selecting. I'm glad
I just administer the process! If it were up
to me we'd end up selecting all 192 applicants.
" - - Mary
