International Study Opportunity

Under IGERT 2, we have significantly expanded our opportunities for international exchange. They now fall into three categories:

1. Traditional exchange programs in which students spend 10-12 weeks at another institution, interacting with researchers and students on a particular project;
2. Short courses or workshops, typically from 1-4 weeks duration, held in international settings;
3. Meetings or conferences, in which a group of IGERT students, along with a faculty mentor, would attend an international conference and arrange for a meeting with a local research group before or after the conference for a workshop (or other activity) on a particular topic.

At least initially, there will be no deadlines for applications to any of the categories. Instead, students should work with Dr. Kinzig to develop a proposal on a schedule that makes sense with respect to their own program; these proposals will be reviewed by the Co-Directors as they come in. (If we receive significantly more proposals than funding will allow, we may have to institute deadlines and collective review of proposals.) If you think you might be interested in one of these exchange opportunities, please inform Dr. Kinzig (kinzig@asu.edu). Expressing such an interest will not obligate you to submit a proposal, but we would like an initial assessment of interest relative to budget.

An application for any of the categories of activities would involve the following:

• Statement from the student that describes:
  • the exact nature of the exchange (traditional exchange, short course, conference)
  • the contact person at the remote location (for traditional exchange or conferences)
  • the other IGERT members involved (for conferences)
  • the nature of the research to be undertaken (traditional exchange), subject to be studied (short course), or topic to be discussed (conferences); and
  • most importantly, the impact the international opportunity is expected to have on the student's intellectual development, thesis research, and/or career trajectory
• Updated CV (for traditional exchange or short courses)
• Letter of support from the student's advisor (required for all students proposing to attend a conference)

We have tentatively budgeted for 6 students to engage in traditional exchange, six to attend short courses, and 12 to attend conferences (4 trips of 3 students each). If there is significantly more interest in one of these opportunities than in others, we can adjust budgets accordingly. Preference will be given to IGERT Fellows, but IGERT Associates are welcome to apply as well.

A bit more information on the traditional exchange program. We are no longer requiring students to go to particular institutions, as in IGERT I. Instead, students can propose to attend any international institution as part of an exchange. It is essential, though, that there be an identified individual who assumes responsibility for the student's stay and there be a clear idea of the types of research the student will engage in while there. This may require a bit of dialogue and work in advance of submitting the proposal. It would be best to identify an institution with which some member of ASU (ideally a committee member or an IGERT PI) already has a relationship, so that we can increase the chances of the exchange being fruitful. If you are interested in this type of international experience, but do not have any ideas about where you might go, contact Dr. Kinzig to get started. Otherwise, work with your advisor or other committee members to identify promising opporunities. Any questions? kinzig@asu.edu