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TABLE OF CONTENTS |
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1. Eligibility |
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| 2. Login |
6. Sponsor |
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3. Applications |
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4. Selection |
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May I bring graduate students as part of the team?
No. Teams must consist of a faculty member and two or three undergraduate students.
May I apply if I or one of my students don't have permanent resident status (green card), but it will be obtained before the appointment starts?
PRA status is for citizens of foreign countries who have established permanent residency in the United States. It is preferred that you already have your PRA status at the time you apply. However, if you are sure you or your student will have it before you start your appointment, answer "yes" to the citizenship eligibility question in the application. Put the word "Pending" in the PRA number box and indicate your country of citizenship in the appropriate box. Keep in mind that, unless the PRA process is well under way at the time of applying, it may be difficult to complete it by the time your appointment is scheduled to start. Your tema will not be able to start your appointment if you or your student cannot provide documentation of PRA status.
This program states that it provides opportunities to undergraduate students. If one of my students will graduate before the summer for which the team is applying, am that student eligible to participate?
The FaST program is for undergraduate students. However, the DOE recognizes that there are some circumstances under which a graduating senior can benefit from this type of experience. You may recruit a graduating senior to be a part of your FaST team, given the following three conditions: (1) the student has not yet started a program of graduate study and will not matriculate as a graduate student prior to completing the FaST appointment; (2) the time period between the student completing his or her undergraduate degree and starting the FaST appointment is less than one year; and (3) the student has not already completed two FaST or SULI internships.
I'm planning to recruit an undergraduate student, but the student won't be 18 years old for another year. Can the student still participate as a team member?
Eighteen is the minimum age for participation regardless of education level.
Do team members have to have health insurance coverage to apply or can they wait until the team is selected to acquire it?
All team members must have health insurance in order to begin the FaST appointment. That means that the team will not be eligible to receive stipend payments or be allowed onto the lab until all team members can demonstrate proof of health insurance. Because some insurance providers have a waiting period from the time you apply for coverage, you may need to plan ahead in order to ensure that each team member has heath insurance prior to starting your FaST appointment.
If you are a new applicant, you must first create a new User ID and Password. Click New Account to begin.
If you have already created an account, make sure that you are entering the User ID and Password exactly as when you created them, including upper and lower case.
What do I do if the program asks me to log in again?
For security reasons, the website has a time out feature. After 60 minutes, if you have not completed and saved a page, the system will require you to log in again. We recommend that you complete your essays offline and copy and paste into the application (see ESSAY section below).
What do I do if I can't remember my password?
Click 'Forgot Your Password' and we will e-mail your password to the address you listed in your profile when you began the application process.
Is it possible for me to send in an application now and remain on file for consideration next year?
No, your application will only be kept on record for the current year. You must reapply to be considered for next year.
Do I have to click on the Final Submit button to complete the faculty portion of the online application before asking my students to submit their applications online?
No. The student portions of the application may be submitted at any time after you have started the faculty online application. The students will use a unique URL that will link their portion of the application to your portion of the application and your status page will show that the student portion has been submitted.
Do the student portions of the application have to be submitted by the deadline?
Yes, you should plan to have all parts of the application submitted by the deadline. The lab reviewers who make offers to the FaST applicants will not be able to see the application online until both the faculty portion and the student portions of the application are completed.
Can applications be sent by e-mail or postal mail?
No. You must use the electronic process. Part of your application includes a page with a URL unique to your application that you should print and give to the students who will be a part of your FaST team. Each team member must complete his or her portion of the application form and submit it electronically. This is the only way to ensure that the team portions of the FaST application are properly linked and available to be reviewed by the DOE at National Labs all over the country.
Are FaST student members required to submit transcripts?
No, not as part of the FaST online application. Faculty members are expected to recruit undergraduate students who have an appropriate background for the research that the FaST will accomplish during their appointment. Before beginning an appointment, students may be required to submit a transcript to your host lab. If the lab requires a transcript from the student, the lab will notify the student of this requirement and provide instructions for submitting transcripts to the lab.
How do I select a laboratory?
FaST applications are to a specific lab and a specific project at the lab. Project Descriptions are available on the FaST program website, and the faculty member should choose the project that most closely matches his or her research interests and qualifications. The faculty member should tailor the FaST application to demonstrate that he or she is well qualified to conduct research, leading a team of students, on that research project.
Can I get in touch with scientists at the laboratories I've chosen? Is this advisable?
Yes. As you explore the Project Descriptions and the laboratories' Web sites, you may identify scientists, offices, or divisions you would like to contact. The more you know about a laboratory and the FaST projects, the better chance you have of making a laboratory choice appropriate to your interests and skills. HOWEVER, laboratory scientists are NOT authorized to offer you an appointment. If you are selected you must receive an official notification from the Department of Energy. This notification will be followed by an official letter from the laboratory or its administrative agent. You have not been given an official offer until you receive these two things.
Will you let me know if you are missing parts of my application?
It is your responsibility to check your "Status Page" to ensure that your application is complete.
How does the selection process work?
When the date for laboratories to begin reviewing applications arrives, prospective mentors at the laboratories review the applications. The mentors and Education Personnel at the labs work together to determine the number of FaST teams and which teams are selected for a specific lab.
How are applications judged?
Researchers are looking for teams that are interested in the kind of research they are conducting, have appropriate backgrounds to participate in the research projects, and who will benefit from the expertise and facilities available at the DOE National Labs.
What are my chances of getting selected?
Several appointments will be made at several National Laboratories. There is no way of knowing how many applications will be received for any given cycle, nor what the quality of those applications will be. However, one thing is certain: If you don't apply, you certainly won't get selected!
When and how will I find out if our FaST team has been selected?
You will receive an e-mail from DOE notifying you of your selection. Your status page will indicate you have been selected. The DOE facility administering your appointment will follow up with an appointment letter and other documents explaining the details of your appointment. If you think you might have been selected and haven't heard anything, please check your status page. Mentor scientists at the laboratories are not authorized to make appointment offers by telephone. Official notification must come first from DOE and then from the laboratory. Please check your status page frequently, as you will only have 2 weeks in which to accept an offer once it has been made.
If our team application is not selected this time, will the application be reviewed again next year automatically or do I have to reapply?
You must reapply.
What if I can only participate for a portion of the appointment period due to other commitments?
Participation requires a full time commitment for the duration of the appointment period by the team members. All team members should plan to be at the facility full time and avoid obligations that will interrupt the FaST appointment.
Is there any flexibility in start and end dates?
Yes, at some facilities. Appointments are for 10 weeks in the summer. Although you should plan to participate for the entire appointment period, your may have flexibility at some facilities. Other facilities may have set dates. If you have restricted availability, check with the facility to see if they can accommodate your team. Remember that your team members must fulfill all eligibility requirements for participation, such as obtaining health insurance coverage, before you can start your appointment.
Does the team get any vacation during the appointment period?
The program does not include vacation or sick leave. You are not expected to be present on days that your facility is closed due to a holiday. Most mentors will help you design a schedule that is mutually agreeable.
How often does the team receive a stipend payment and where does it come from?
You will receive your stipend check according to a pre-arranged schedule from the DOE facility administering your appointment. It varies from lab to lab. Once you are accepted you will be given a pay schedule.
What is the tax liability for the stipends the team members are paid as participants in this program?
All stipends paid to you are reported to the Internal Revenue. Most facilities do not withhold taxes from these payments. Participants at these facilities should give consideration to filing Form 1040-ES on a quarterly basis and paying estimated income taxes in order to avoid late payment penalties.
What kind of travel reimbursement will team members receive?
FaST team members will be reimbursed for inbound and outbound travel between your home or school and the appointment site, if the distance is more than 50 miles one way. Reimbursements are made according to the standard travel policy of the DOE facility administering your appointment.
Where will the team live?
It depends on the DOE facility. Some sites have housing already arranged; at others the team will need to arrange it themselves (these sites generally provide information to help you). The program generally provides either a housing allowance or pre-arranged housing. Housing allowances are taxable. In some cases, your housing situation may result in costs to you over and above the housing allowance. In some cases, students who live within 50 miles of the host site are not eligible for housing or housing allowances.
Can the student team members receive undergraduate credit for the FaST appointment?
Team members will need to check with their school to see if the FaST research experience qualifies for college credit. DOE and the laboratory that administers your appointment will provide team members with appropriate documentation if necessary to receive course credits.
Does the program pay any tuition costs student team members might incur while participating?
No. The DOE will not reimburse tuition and fees incurred during student participation in the FaST program.
By participating in this program, do team members become employees of the administrator, the host laboratory, or DOE?
No. Team members are considered program participants and will not enter into an employer/employee relationship with the administrator, the host laboratory, or DOE.
Does the team have to prepare a report or give a presentation at the end of the FaST appointment?
Yes. The team is asked to jointly prepare a Research Paper and Abstract by the end of the appointment. Some laboratories have poster sessions for student team members or require oral presentations by student team members at the end of the appointment.
What should the team expect from the mentoring relationship at the laboratory?
Your mentor should provide the following:
Whom should I contact if I have problems which I have been unable to resolve on-line?
sc.helpwithapplication@science.doe.gov
(202) 586-9742
What is the source of funding for this program?
The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science and the National Science Foundation (NSF) provide the funding for this program.
Why is the DOE involved in science education?
Since its formation in 1977, DOE has supported education programs that help ensure an adequate supply of scientists, engineers, and technicians for energy-related research, basic science, energy production activities, and technology transfer.
Who administers this program for the Department of Energy?
Who administers the FaST program for the Department of Energy?
Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have education offices in their labs that administer the program. Oak Ridge National Laboratory internships are administered by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.
