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Virtual Symposium & Poster Session - join us on-line Thursday, 1 August 2002, to view research poster presentations by the '02 RTP participants. Information
about the Research Training Program:
Application Procedures : go directly to the current RTP on-line application forms
Smithsonian
Center for Education and Museum Studies Smithsonian Office of Fellowships - internships GRADUATES Smithsonian Office of Fellowships - fellowships POST GRADUATES PROFESSIONALS Academic Appointees in-residence
Professional Visits OTHER ACADEMIC LINKS Office of Fellowships: For information and application materials about fellowships and other scholarly appointments offered at the Smithsonian, visit the Smithsonian's Office of Fellowships web site at: http://www.si.edu/ofg/ SOARS: produced by the Smithsonian Office of Fellowships, "Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study" is a guide of research and study programs at the Smithsonian plus a complete listing of scientific staff and their research specialties. The site address is: http://www.si.edu/ofg/sorsnmnh.htm CONTACT
US
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Research
& Collections |
Smithsonian
Institution
National Museum of Natural History Research
Training Program 25 May 2002 - 3 August 2002 A total of 20 students are anticipated to participate in the '02 session of the Research Training Program. Schedule
of Events |
Poster |
Program
Summary Following are some notes especially for students selected to participate in the '02 RTP. Much of the information has already been provided though e-mail and mailings. However, we'll continue to post new information as questions arise. What are the apartment assignments? Although apartment assignments will most likely be revised as alternates fill currently vacant slots, and selectees submit apartment preferences, preliminary apartments assignments has been made. View
the preliminary listing at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/rtp/students/2002/apartments02.html Where will students be housed? Housing for our Program this year is being provided by The Alexandria Apartment Complex (140 South Van Dorn Street) in Alexandria, Virginia, 22304 (phone: 703-212-2666). Apartments have been prepaid by the Program and come completely furnished. Compensation for RTP
students who do not select Smithsonian provided housing is not available. What are the apartments like? All apartments are four person occupancy, two bedroom, two bathroom units. Although a safe facility, for additional security, we have requested 2nd, 3rd, or 4th floor room assignments. The Alexandria offers an apartment community built on 36 acres of land. The complex consists of 20 mid-rise (four-story) buildings with patios or balconies included in every apartment. Special features of this complex include: 2 swimming pools and hydromassages, 8 lighted tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, indoor practice golf range, gas grills, convenience store with deli on property, and dry cleaning services on property. Currently, five, fully furnished, two bedroom (two bathroom), four person occupancy apartments have been reserved for the '02 summer session. What do the apartments include? We have selected the "Basic Intern Package" with furnishings including:
Where are the apartments located? The location is listed as: The
Alexandria phone: 703-212-2678 The Alexandria is located directly off Route 395 at Duke Street East in Alexandria, Virginia. It is convenient to interstate 95 and the Capital Beltway (495) making travel to downtown DC. very accessible. A shopping center located directly across the street from the complex includes a grocery store, bank, and other conveniences. Do the apartments include a telephone? A telephone is being provided for your use but you will be responsible for your own telephone charges. A deposit for phone service will be required during check-in. To initiate phone service, either supply your credit card number or provide a deposit of $200 per apartment. Your telephone deposit will be refunded at check-out if all phone debts have been paid. It is recommended that students use calling cards for long distance service. When can I check into my apartment? Apartments will be available Saturday after 3:30 p.m. 25 May 2002 and occupancy will run through Saturday 3 August 2002 (check-out is before 10:00 a.m.). Do not arrive prior to Saturday unless you are prepared to provide your own accommodations until the May 25 move-in. How long can I stay in the apartment? Occupancy runs through Saturday, 3 August 2002 and you MUST check out by 10:00 a.m. on this date. How to I get to DC? Students are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to/from Washington, DC and The Alexandria Apartment Complex (140 South Van Dorn Street). An airline flight into Washington National (Regan) Airport then taxi to The Alexandria is an easy, efficient, option. Other airports in the area include Dullis and BWI (Baltimore Washington International). A train to Union Station then taxi or subway ride to Van Dorn metro stop will require some walking but is also a good option. The Bus will also deliver to Union Station where you can proceed to The Alexandria via taxi or subway. If driving, connect
with Capital Beltway (495) then take the Duke Street East exit. Go through
the first stop light and take the Van Dorn Street ramp to your right.
The Alexandria Complex is straight ahead through the light. Once at the
complex, report to the residence services building, located to the left
as you enter the complex from the Van Dorn Street entrance. Will someone be available to meet me at the airport or at the apartment? Students are generally responsible for getting to The Alexandria Apartment complex via the best method that fits your needs and budget. We typically don't have anyone available to meet you. However, if you have particular concerns we may be able to make arrangements How do I get from The Alexandria to the Natural History Building? Although many students have appreciated bringing their cars to DC with them, and there is free outdoor parking available at The Alexandria, there is no parking available anywhere near the Smithsonian so you should plan on taking public transtransportation to/from the Museum. You will be responsible for the daily commuting cost to and from the Smithsonian. Maximum commuting cost is about $5.00 per day (or about $500 for the 10 week internship). There are three basic commuting options: the bus, the metro rail, and the bike trail. However, in summary, these are the options:
Where will I be stationed? All '02 RTP participants will be located in Smithsonian's Natural History Building. The building is located on the National Mall between the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument. The street address is 10th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. For those of you who know the different Smithsonian buildings, Natural History is "the one with the elephant" in the lobby on the mall side. Should I bring my computer? You can, but this is not a requirement. The apartments do NOT come furnished with a computer, but do have computer hook ups. At your office work station, we have requested that advisors make arrangements for you to have access to a computer. However, not all research advisors have an extra computer for intern use so we have reserved seven (7) common use computers to be shared by all NMNH academic appointments including three (3) computers located in the Academic Resources Room and four (4) Academic Services office locations with computers available by reservation on an hourly, first come basis. What should I wear at the Smithsonian? Dress at the Smithsonian is informal. Casual clothing that is easy to work in is best (yes, blue jeans are fine!). Keep in mind that Washington summers tend to be very hot and humid but the collection areas are maintained at cool temperatures to preserve the specimens so you may want to include a sweater or long sleeve shirt in your packing. Students also wonder about what to wear during the presentation session. The answer: that's up to you. But, we suggest including one "professional" outfit in your packing. In addition to your presentation there may be other events, where old jeans and a stained t-shirt might not be a good idea. What are the typical work hours? Although work hours vary for different individuals, you are expected to be in attendance for eight hours each day, Monday through Friday. Your research team may require a special schedule but for the most part, people are here for the official hours of 8:45 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. We will expect you here during the core period of 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. You are always welcome to come earlier and/or work later (including weekends) on Program activities or other projects that interest you. As an official associate of the National Museum of Natural History, you will be given the privilege of unlimited access to the Museum which includes 24 hour access, seven days a week. Should I bring my car? Public transportation in the DC area is a safe, easy and convenient means to get around. Your own transportation is not necessary. However, previous RTP groups have suggested that, if possible, bringing your car is a good idea so as to explore the sites around the DC area. What can I expect from the RTP curriculum? As a program reserved exclusively for undergraduates, our curriculum is designed to help you to explore your interests in natural history research and career options before you make your graduate school and career decisions. Through participation in the Research Training Program, and with the guidance of a mentoring Smithsonian science advisor, you will learn how to design a research project, how to develop the protocol to test your research question, and how to communicate your results through oral and written presentation. However, the research project is only one aspect of the program. We also incorporate into the ten-week program a rigorous schedule of required lectures, discussions, workshops and tours to share insights into the research efforts of our professional staff and to highlight how to use, learn from, manage, and maintain the 124 million specimens of the NMNH including the great variety of ways museum collections can contribute to solving multi-discipline research questions. Like learning to unlock the wealth of information available from a library, you will learn about the research and collections of anthropology, botany, entomology, geology, invertebrate zoology, mineral sciences, paleobiology, and vertebrate zoology. In addition to the formal program there will be a lot going on this summer at the Smithsonian and in Washington, DC. How is the curriculum structured? The RTP is based on a weekly schedule of project time and program events. Out of the standstandard five working days per week, three full days are designated as "research days" (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) and two half days (Monday and Friday) are reserved for learning collections procedures, attending lectures, participating in tours, and laboratory demonstrations. Our lectures this summer will vary depending on the topic of the talk, from casual lunch time discussions to formal presentations. In general, there will be two lectures/discussions per week during the first half of the program and all students are required to attend and participate. If you would like to learn about a specific Smithsonian curator's research or have an interest in a particular topic, please let us know and we will try to accommodate your request. Watch for the regular schedule updates on the web at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/rtp/students/2002/schedule02.html What are the student requirements as part of the curriculum? Each RTP participant will be responsible for hosting at least one of the curriculum events - more details about this will be available at a later time. As part of the lecture series, at the close of the Program, you are required to give a 15 minute oral presentation about your project to the Smithsonian research staff and your fellow Program participants. In addition, we will host a scientific poster presentation session for you to display your research in "poster format" and this will also be presented on the web. And, we hope you take the initiative to publish the results of your research in a scientific publication. Assistance and advise for your presentations and publication are available to you from your Project Advisor. Please take advantage of their expertise from the very beginning. Should I contact my research advisor before arriving? Yes! We encourage you to contact your advisor ASAP to define and refine your project hypothesis and to design the research protocol. To ensure that all supplies and equipment are available, and to conserve precious time, we strongly suggest that you and your advisor (through e-mail and telephone contact) have your project well thought out at least three weeks prior to your arrival. A description of the project your advisor is proposing is posted at our web site. However, we encourage you and your advisor to coordinate efforts to design a research investigation that incorporates your career goals with your advisor's current projects - the web site listing is just a concept of one option. After talking to your advisor, please send via e-mail a revised, more thorough description of your proposed project for posting at our web site. This preliminary description from you is due (via e-mail, please) by 31 March 2002. What are the guidelines for developing our research project? The research project must be suitable for a eight week research period and effectively utilize the Smithsonian collections and facilities. The research project should be hypothesis testing and address a natural history research question. Most advisors have already given this considerable thought and will be presenting several ideas for you to select from. Please consider your own research goals and interests when deciding a topic but do not try to undertake projects that are too ambitions or too far removed from your advisor's expertise. Remember, you and your advisor together are responsible for developing a challenging research topic and then successfully completing it in the time allowed. What can I do to prepare for my research project before the RTP begins? We suggest that you begin to prepare for your project prior to your arrival by asking your advisor to explain the research topic in detail including the techniques which will be used, the types of laboratory facilities and equipment available, and how this specific project fits into their "overall" research program. You may also consider asking your advisor to provide background readings and inquire about other things you can do to prepare before you arrive in DC. The ten weeks go by very quickly and with all the other RTP activities there are only about 24 days of actual research time. From "day one" you will need to be efficient in your use of time to glean all the benefits from your association with the Smithsonian. What do the different funding sources mean? We are pleased to announce that the '02 RTP is being supported by grants from several sources including the Smithsonian Women's Committee, the NMNH Office of the Director, the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program and three named endowments. Students have been assigned to a particular funding source based on several key matching points, including restrictions of the grant, Although students participating in the '02 RTP have different funding sources tagged to their appointment, the program requirements are the same, including answering NSF REU reporting questions - even if you are funded by a different source. What does the award package include? Official notification of your award will be mailed directly from the Smithsonian's Office of Fellowships (OF). Although subject to change, we are recommending that your award package include: housing accommodations, stipend ($2,400), and either a transportation allowance or travel (yet to be determined). Specific information about your award can only be provided by the Office of Fellowships (OF) after you officially accept this appointment. No money will be available before your arrival. Travel allowance and stipend payments will be direct deposited into your bank account. No payments will be made directly. Further details about this, including the forms for "direct deposit," will be sent to you from OF. Expect your official award letter from OF sometime in mid May. Note: Final payment will not be released until all Program requirements have been met - don't say we didn't warn you! Is
my stipend considered taxable income and how will this be managed? Your award (stipend and transportation) is taxable income and must be will be reported to the IRS. Payment of US tax is the personal obligation of each awardee, and all funds provided under this appointment may be subject to tax. In general, taxes are not withheld from awards made to US citizens, permanent residents, or those considered to be US residents for tax purposes. Awards to non-U.S. citizens, however, ARE subject to withholding of taxes. Determination of tax status of non-U.S. Citizens, and calculation of any taxes to be withheld from this award will be made at the beginning of the appointment. In some cases the payment of the award may be delayed due to calculation of tax withholding requirements. During registration you will receive important documents and guidance about how to claim your award. Non-US citizens will need to pay special attention to these details! Please contact the OF (phone: 202-275-0655) directly if you have questions about this or would like further information about the classification of your award. More about how your award is managed as far as TAXES - this is important! You will be awarded an internship appointment, not employed position. Therefore, you will not receive a tax form W2. Smithsonian's Office of Fellowships (OF) will send a very informal Financial Statement of Income to all fellowship and internship appointments. These will be sent sometime after the first of the year. Please remember that this statement is not an attachment to your tax form 1040/1040EZ form. The Smithsonian Institution, as the grantor of your award, does not have to report your earnings to the IRS. The grantee, you, are responsible for reporting this award on your tax form. If you used any of
the funds for tuition during the calendar year you can exclude the amount
that you paid out of the amount awarded to you. You should enter this
award (or the portion after tuition) on the same line you would enter
"wages, tips, compensation, etc....." If you earned more than
the internship award, that is other income, you should enter at the left
of the dollar amount the amount you received as a fellowship. See sample
here: I'm a foreign student, how do I get a visa? Students are responsible for obtaining their own visa. However, information will be provided by the Smithsonian's Office of International Affairs to assist you. If you have questions about this, contact International Affairs Officer Raymond Seefeldt (phone: 202-357-2519). What are the "terms" of participation? The National Museum of Natural History Research Training Program operates under a specific set of guidelines. As a participant, you will be expected to observe these guidelines to successfully graduate from the Program.
* We especially remind all student participating in the Research Training Program that the collections must remain very secure areas. Visitors and guests are not welcome "behind-the-scenes" without prior approval. Through participation in this Program you will be shown many valuable, fragile and scientifically important collections. Although we understand your excitement and desire to share these discoveries, visitors and guests (including yourself) must contact the collections manager for prior approval before entering any area outside of your own responsibility. What is the first day like? We will hold RTP orientation on Monday, the Memorial Day Holiday - yes, that's right! Although the rest of the Smithsonian staff will have the day off, we host RTP orientation while everybody else is at home so we take our time, give you a chance to explore the building, and answer your questions before things get too busy. To officially register, report to the Smithsonian's Natural History building Monday, 27 May 2002. Enter the building through the Constitution Avenue entrance (10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.). We will be expecting you at 8:45 a.m. Please be prompt! We can not proceed until everyone is present. Because the museum does not open to the public until 10:00 a.m., you must meet the guard at the door at 8:45 a.m. so you can be issued a visitors badge. This badge will allow you temporary (one day only) admittance into the research sections of the building. To begin your authorization into the building, please sign the guard's registry. They will have a listing that includes your name and will ask that you exchange a photo ID for a temporary badge. At 9:00 a.m. you will be escorted to the Academic Resources Room where the registration meeting will take place. During our meeting we will take some time to get to know each other, answer questions, and if needed, solve any problems that may have come up. |
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