Information for Applicants
Applications are accepted from current students, graduates, and U.S. college/university faculty with participants selected by the NCSES. Review the information below and contact ORISE with any additional questions.
Additional Information
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Eligibility and Selection
To qualify for a NSF NCSES Research Ambassadors Program appointment, you must meet all outlined criteria for eligibility.
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Applicants must:
- Be 18 years of age or older at time of application
- Be currently pursuing, have received a degree or be expected to complete all requirements for a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree by the anticipated start date.
The program is typically open to qualified U.S. citizens, foreign citizens who are eligible to participate as J-1 Exchange Visitors, and foreign citizens eligible for other visa categories approved by NCSES and ORISE. However, a few NCSES offices may only appoint U.S. citizens due to the sensitive nature of the research performed and/or restricted facility access. Any such restrictions will be clearly stated in the project description of the opportunity posting. For more information on eligibility requirements for non-U.S. citizens, please see Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens . All appointment offers are contingent upon having a valid immigration status.
Eligibility requirements will vary depending on the opportunity. See current opportunities for more information on specific eligibility requirements.
Required Application Materials
- ORISE application and profile through Zintellect
- Essay Questions (goals, experiences, and skills relevant to the opportunity).
- Current résumé or curriculum vitae (CV)
- Academic Records - An unofficial transcript or copy of your academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted. An official transcript and/or academic records may be required if selected for an appointment.
- A minimum of one (1) Recommendation - Applicants are required to provide contact information for at least one recommendation to submit the application. You are encouraged to request a recommendation from a professional who can speak to your abilities and potential for success as well as your scientific capabilities and personal characteristics. Recommendation requests must be sent through the Zintellect application system. Recommendations submitted via email will not be accepted. Additional recommendations may be required depending on the opportunity.
Submitted documents must have all social security numbers, student identification numbers, and/or dates of birth removed or redacted prior to uploading into Zintellect. All documents must be in English or include an official English translation.
Application Selection
Application selections are based on application completeness, scientific and/or technical merit, and relevance to NCSES priorities. Criteria for selection includes:
- Academic performance
- Potential for success in research
- Background, skills, and experience relevant to the opportunity
Eligible applications are reviewed by subject matter experts at NCSES. The review process may include an interview. NCSES makes final selections and notifies ORISE. ORISE will notify applicants of the selection decisions.
Facility Access and Security Clearance
Appointments are contingent on the participant’s receipt of the necessary approvals to access assigned research facilities. If required, you must have or be eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance for the duration of your appointment. If you are selected for an appointment, a NCSES representative will coordinate with you about approval to access facilities.
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Prior to Starting the Appointment
Although the mentor may have selected a candidate for an opportunity, there are additional steps to follow before the candidate can be cleared to begin the appointment.
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After a selection has been made:
- The NCSES mentor submits the selection form to ORISE in Zintellect.
- Once ORISE receives and reviews the authorized selection form and confirms funding availability, ORISE initiates the official appointment letter.
- All candidates must accept the appointment offer from ORISE in Zintellect and submit required documents to ensure all contingencies for the appointment are met prior to reporting to the facility to ensure that they will be eligible to receive a stipend. The appointment letter will outline any contingencies that must be met prior to starting the ir appointment.
- All participants are required to have health insurance in place no later than the first day of the appointment and maintain health insurance throughout the duration of the appointment.
- Selected candidates who are U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) must verify their citizenship before starting the appointment.
- Selected candidates who are not U.S. citizens or LPRs must consult with ORISE immigration upon acceptance of the appointment to ensure they have the authorizations necessary for participation. Appointments cannot begin until cleared by ORISE immigration. Also, see Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens for clarification on the types of authorizations acceptable for the program .
- On the date participant begins, the NCSES mentor must certify that the candidate reported to the facility.
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Nature of Appointment
This program is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). Participants will not enter into an employee/employer relationship with ORISE, ORAU, NCSES, or hosting site. Instead, participants will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE appointment letter and Terms of Appointment.
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Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens
ORISE Immigration is required to verify your immigration status eligibility for selected candidates.
For more information, please visit the ORISE Immigration website.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions most commonly asked by applicants.
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Participants receive a monthly stipend to help defray living and other expenses during the appointment. Stipend rates are determined by NCSES and are based on the participant’s educational level. NCSES may also award relocation, a travel allowance, and/or a health insurance stipend.
Every participant is required to have health insurance on the first day of the appointment and throughout the duration of the program. Participants may not be present at NCSES facilities if their insurance coverage lapses.
Individual, individual plus one, or family insurance coverage may be purchased through ORISE, or participants may obtain another insurance plan from the company of their choice.
Non-citizens with appropriate immigration statuses are eligible for most NCSES appointments. Generally, participants are not required to hold U.S. citizenship. However, a few NCSES offices may have restricted areas that may only allow U.S. citizens access due to the sensitive nature of the research performed.
If you anticipate receiving your degree shortly, then you may apply. If you are selected, you will be required to show proof of degree completion before beginning the appointment.
The expected duration of the appointment is included in the opportunity description of each opportunity listed in Zintellect. Typically, appointments are initially for one-year, renewable up to four additional years upon program needs and funding availability. Some opportunities will allow shorter appointment durations or part-time appointments, such as for summer students and U.S. faculty.
Most opportunities require only one recommendation. However, some may require more than one; refer to each opportunity for the specified number of recommendations needed. You may request additional recommendations to ensure the correct number is received by the deadline. However, only the first recommendation(s) received will be included in your application.
A minimum of one (1) recommendation is required. You should obtain your recommendation from a person who is familiar with your educational and professional qualifications.
Application reviews are based on application completeness, scientific and/or technical merit, and relevance to NCSES priorities. Eligible applications will be reviewed by subject matter experts at NCSES. The review process may include phone, video, and/or in-person interviews with potential candidates. NCSES makes final selections and notifies ORISE. ORISE will notify the applicants of the selection decisions.
NCSES mentors determine the application open period as well as the total time of the selection process. Once the mentor has selected a candidate, there are several steps that must be completed before the candidate can receive an appointment letter with offer (which will come from ORISE via the Zintellect system). If selected, the process between receiving your official appointment letter with offer and your actual start date may vary depending on several factors including background checks and the security process.
If you see the opportunity on Zintellect then it is still actively accepting applications. If no deadline is listed, then applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants can always contact NSF-NCSES@orise.orau.gov with any questions regarding the status of your application and/or the opportunity.
You should ensure that all the necessary application materials have been received and that you have the required educational qualifications. You will know that your portion of the application is complete when you are able to submit it. Zintellect will stop you from submitting it if any required information is missing and will let you know what to fix. The application, however, is not considered complete until the correct number of recommendations has been submitted on your behalf. You can check the status in your Zintellect dashboard.
All opportunities for ORISE Research Participation Programs at NCSES are listed in Zintellect. Check back often for additional postings.
All ORISE appointment selections must be submitted by the NCSES. ORISE will send an appointment letter once this submission is received, and the funding for the appointment is in place.
We do not advise this since doing so might result in non-reimbursable expenses. Your appointment is not official until you formally accept the appointment offer.
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