The U.S. National Science Foundation announced $45 million to fund 15 new awards through the NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program, with projects focusing on artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology and translational science.
These represent NRT's most significant annual investment in institutions located in NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) jurisdictions and extend the program's reach to science, technology, engineering and math graduate students in 47 states, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including two new states, Idaho and North Dakota.
"Students are the foundation for a strong STEM enterprise," said NSF Assistant Director for STEM Education James L. Moore III. "Through effective, evidence-based graduate education closely aligned with the nation's workforce priorities and research needs, NRT ensures that today's STEM graduate students are prepared and equipped to become tomorrow's STEM leaders and innovators."
The NSF-sponsored projects will use critical and emerging technologies to develop the AI and quantum workforce to meet regional economic needs, strengthen health care systems, support rural agricultural and economic development, improve infrastructure, prepare bioengineers and much more.
This investment also marks the first time NSF has made awards through the NRT Institutional Partnership Pilot (NRT-IPP) program. NRT-IPP supports graduate student projects with high industry relevance through partnerships between non-R1 institutions, institutions with existing or completed NRT projects, and industry partners, including Apple, Clark Construction and Draper.
Below is the list of the 2025 NSF Research Traineeship awards:
NRT: Converging Research on Edge Artificial Intelligence and Training Enhancement - University of South Alabama
NRT-IPP: Smart Construction, Infrastructure, and Buildings Through Education, Research, and Cutting-edge Technology - San Diego State University and University of Virginia*
NRT-IPP: Universal AI - Gallaudet University and Rochester Institute of Technology*
NRT: Convergent Graduate Training Program on Coastal Resilience - University of Miami
NRT: Building Responsible AI Researchers: Advancing Research and Innovation at the Intersection of AI and Human Actors - Boise State University
NRT: Strengthening Healthcare Innovation Through Nurse-Engineer Education - University of Massachusetts Amherst
NRT-IPP: Preparing Future Bioengineers for Careers in Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Through Hands-on Training and Industry Partnerships - Wentworth Institute of Technology and Boston University*
NRT: Smart Agriculture Energy Innovation Network: Building the Workforce for Sustainable Rural Energy Communities - Mississippi State University
NRT: Training Next Generation Resource Managers With Converging Technologies for Sustainable Uses of Water and Land - University of North Dakota
NRT: Accelerating Transdisciplinary Training of an Oklahoma Workforce for the Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Revolution - Oklahoma State University**
NRT: An Interdisciplinary Training Program to Accelerate Fundamental Science Translation - The University of Oklahoma
NRT: Data Science-driven, Sustainability-centered Advanced Materials Processing - The Pennsylvania State University
NRT: Training Scientists to Solve Biofilm Challenges Using Artificial Intelligence and Smart Materials - South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
NRT-QISE-AI: Middle Tennessee Interdisciplinary Graduate Research and Training in Quantum Information Science and AI - Middle Tennessee State University
NRT-QL: Quantum Cross-platform Advanced Training for Future Innovators - The University of Texas at Austin
*Award partially funded by NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships
**Award partially funded by NSF Office of International Science and Engineering
