Additional
information and details about planning your
visit to the Museum are available at:
What
are the apartment assignments?
Apartment
assignments can be anticipated on 16 March
2007.
View
the preliminary listing at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/rtp/students/2007/apartments07.html
Where will
students be housed?
We
recommend that students stay at George
Washington University
When
can I check into my apartment?
Apartments
will be available Sunday after 3:00 p.m.
27 May 2007 and occupancy will run through
Saturday 4 August 2007 (check-out is before
11:00 a.m.).
Do
not arrive prior to Sunday unless you are
prepared to provide your own accommodations
until the May 27 move-in.
How
long can I stay in the apartment?
Occupancy
runs through Saturday, 4 August 2007
and you MUST check out by 11:00 a.m.
on this date.
How
to I get to DC?
Students
are responsible for making their own travel
arrangements to/from the Washington DC as
well as the selected housing location.
An
airline flight into Washington National (Reagan)
Airport then subway or taxi to housing location
is an easy efficient option. Other airports
in the area include Dulles and BWI (Baltimore
Washington International).
A
train to Union Station then taxi or subway
ride to the housing location is also a good
option. The bus will also deliver to Union
Station where you can proceed to the housing
location via taxi or subway.
Will
someone be available to meet me at the airport
or at the apartment?
Students
are generally responsible for getting to the
housing location via the best method that
fits your needs and budget.
How
do I get from the housing location to the
Natural History Building?
Although
many students have appreciated bringing their
cars with them to DC 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 daily commuting cost
to and from the Smithsonian. There are three
basic commuting options: the bus, the metro
rail, and taxi cabs. For information and a
Metrorail map visit: http://wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm
BIKE:
For information visit: http://bikewashington.org/trails/wad/wad.htm
If you want to clean up after your travels,
showers and lockers are available in the
NMNH East wing.
Where
will I be stationed?
All
'07 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?
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 in the Academic Resources
Center (ARC).
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.
We
also suggest including at least one "professional"
outfit in your packing. In addition to your
presentation there may be other events where
formal attire is preferred.
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 your research,
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 a convenient means to get around. Your
own transportation is not necessary.
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.
Also included in the ten-week program is 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 126 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 standard
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. Events are scheduled for weeks
1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. Week 4 is reserved for
focused, full-time research as are weeks 7,
8, and 9. Week 10 features presentations and
exiting.
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/2007/schedule07.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 may be required to give a
15 minute oral presentation about your
project to the your department.
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. For
an example, see presentations from prior years
virtual
poster session.
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?
Students
selected to participate in the RTP should
make prior contact with their advisor. We
encourage you to contact your advisor to define
and refine your project hypothesis and to
design the research protocol before your arrival
in DC.
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 on 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 30 March 2007.
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 concept
including the techniques that could 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?
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 '07 RTP have
different funding sources tagged to their
appointment, the program requirements are
the same.
What
does the award package include?
Official
notification of your award will be mailed
directly from the Smithsonian's Office of
Research and Training Services (ORTS).
Although
subject to change, we are recommending that
your award package include: housing
accommodations, stipend ($3,000), and
a transportation allowance based on distance
traveled and standard rates.
Specific
information about your award can only be provided
by the Office of Research and Training Services
(ORTS) 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 ORTS.
Expect
your official award letter from ORTS sometime
before mid May.
Note:
Final payment will not be released until all
Program requirements have been met - don't
say we didn't warn you!
If
I need to do banking in the area, what are
some of the local DC banks?
Here's
a quick reference of some of the banks in
the DC area.
Bank of America
http://www.bankofamerica.com
Chevy Chase Bank
http://www.chevychasebank.com
Citibank
http://www.citibank.com
First Union National Bank
http://www.firstunion.com
First Virginia Bank
http://www.firstvirginia.com
Presidential
Bank
http://www.presidential.com
Wachovia
Bank
http://www.wachovia.com
Is
my stipend considered taxable income and how
will this be managed?
Your
award 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 ORTS
(phone: 202-633-7070) 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 Research and Training Services (ORTS)
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 1050/1050EZ 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.
I'm
a foreign student, how do I get a visa?
Foreign
students - you are responsible for obtaining
your own visa but help is available from the
Smithsonian Office of International Relations
(OIR).
Foreign
students studying in the U.S. already have
some sort of visa and usually don't need any
additional immigration assistance from the
Smithsonian to enable participation in an
internship but are encouraged to check with
their school's foreign student advisor to
see if other paperwork is needed.
With
certain exceptions, every foreign national
who wants to come to the U.S. must first obtain
a visa from an American embassy or consulate.
The
exceptions are 1) Canadians, and 2) people
entitled to use the Visa Waiver Program.
For
foreigners who need a visa, not just any old
visa will do. RTP interns need either the
F-1 (student) or J-1 (exchange
visitor - trainee) visa. The Smithsonian Office
of International Relations (OIR) is responsible
for issuing I-20 and IAP-66 forms for foreigners
coming to any other Smithsonian unit.
In
OIR, these forms are generally prepared and
signed by Raymond Seefeldt as "Responsible
Officer" of the Smithsonian's exchange
visitor program, or "Designated School
Official" of the Smithsonian's student
visa program. The forms list biographic data
about the traveler, information concerning
the activities to be performed and, most importantly,
the amount and source of funding that will
be available for the person's support. Please
note that I-20 and IAP-66 forms can be faxed
to the traveler. The student must have the
signed original before he/she can apply for
a visa. So the forms are normally sent by
regular international airmail or Federal Express.
Canadians
do not need visas to enter the U.S. for any
temporary purpose. But this does not excuse
them from meeting other requirements applicable
to the immigration category they're seeking
to use. In other words, Canadian RTP students
still need Form IAP-66 to enter as an exchange
visitor, Form I-20 to enter as a student,
etc.
In summary, information will be provided by
the Smithsonian's Office of International
Affairs to assist you. Under policy from the
State Department, foreign undergraduate students
seeking an academic appointment at the Smithsonian
are to be issued the new "J-1 trainee"
visa instead of the previous "F-1 student"
visa. If you have questions about this, contact
International Affairs Officer Francine
Berkowitz (phone: 202-633-4795 e-mail:
FCB@si.edu).
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.
