Hopkins NIST
PREP Consortium
HNPC Information Session held at Morgan State University
Larry Nagahara, JHU WSE Associate Dean of Research, speaks to faculty at Morgan State University about the Hopkins NIST PREP Consortium on April 25, 2019.
A special program between NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) and the Johns Hopkins University PREP (Professional Research Experience Program) consortium, the program places undergraduates, graduate students, research faculty, and recent alumni in NIST labs for a professional research collaboration with NIST scientists.
For more information, contact:
Michelle Cagan
Hopkins NIST PREP Consortium
Program Coordinator
410-456-3214
mcagan2@jhu.edu
Hopkins NIST
PREP Consortium
Johns Hopkins University has been awarded up to $30 million to lead a consortium of three Mid-Atlantic universities that will work together on research projects with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Dr. Larry Nagahara, Associate Dean of Research at WSE, is the PI for this effort and was supported in the proposal process by the Commercial and Government Program Office (CGPO), where the program will be housed.
The NIST program, called the Professional Research Experience Program, will combine educational programs with real-world experiences to help students understand industry demands and advance measurement science. The five-year program will involve undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and academic affiliates and aims to facilitate more students choosing careers in scientific research. The JHU NIST PREP Consortium will be led by the university's Whiting School of Engineering under Nagahara, and Krieger School of Arts and Sciences under Dr. John Toscano. JHU will work closely with the other members of the consortium, Morgan State University and State University of New York at Binghamton.
Transportation may be provided from the Morgan State University and Johns Hopkins University campuses to and from NIST as needed.
PREP will give students at varied stages of their education, the opportunity to work at NIST labs alongside NIST scientists in a real world setting while still being advised by their JHU faculty advisor. All participating students are paid a stipend or salary and some students will receive tuition as well (dependent on matriculation stage), all funded by NIST PREP.
This program will also provide unique opportunities for collaborative research between NIST Scientists and JHU faculty. Areas of interest include (but may not be limited to) cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, biochemistry, bioeconomy, quantum science, artificial intelligence and the internet of things. To learn more about this opportunity, please visit: https://cgpo.jhu.edu/nist-prep/. Please see some testimonials from a few of our members, below.
Asad Anwar Butt, Ph.D.
“My experience with the Johns Hopkins University/NIST PREP program has been excellent. Since joining in January 2019, I have been involved with TRECVID, which is the leading international forum for information retrieval in videos. I have also been working on exciting projects and have the freedom to choose interesting topics for research. The PREP program has provided me with the opportunity to work with great researchers at JHU and NIST. I believe that this experience has been very beneficial for my personal and professional growth, and has made me a better researcher.”
Matthew DiSavlo, Ph.D.
“Being part of the HNPC affords me dual-status as a full JHU postdoc and a full NIST associate, with the benefits and resources that come with these positions. For me, one of the critical benefits is access to mentoring from both JHU faculty and NIST staff. This has not only opened up paths to collaborate scientifically but also given me a broader space to share and receive feedback on my ideas. My mentors have been truly open with their knowledge about navigating various career paths. I value the flexibility to be able to operate within my scientific team at NIST-Gaithersburg while also being part of the JHU family and glad my research is supported by the HNPC program.”
Zhidong Zhang, Ph.D. candidate
“My name is Zhidong Zhang, a third year PhD student in the Civil and Systems Engineering department of Johns Hopkins University. I started my NIST Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) research work just recently in February of 2020. I am working on improving the nation’s ASCE 41 Standard for Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings and am focused on applications involving cold-formed steel structures. I appreciate this program a lot because I can get research guidance and advice from both my JHU advisor and NIST mentor and such collaborative work is of great advantage. In addition NIST has one of the world’s premier earthquake risk groups and getting to know my new NIST colleagues greatly expands my ideas for my thesis research which is also in earthquake analysis for cold-formed steel structures. This program not only provides financial support for the research work, but also more importantly, it continues to enhance my ability for research collaboration and advance my professional research knowledge and experience more efficiently.”
To apply or inquire about opportunities, please contact:
Michelle Cagan
Hopkins NIST PREP Consortium
Program Coordinator
410-456-3214
mcagan2@jhu.edu
Hopkins NIST
PREP Consortium
The NIST PREP combines research-intensive educational programs with real-world experiences, helping students (and faculty) understand industry demands and gain knowledge in advancing measurement science and technology. Areas of interest include biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical sciences, physics, and statistics.
The NIST program supports participants to work on-site at NIST in Gaithersburg, Md., and covers both stipend/salary and graduate tuition for periods of 3-12 months. Candidates for the program will fall into one of six categories — undergraduates, post-bachelor’s degree, graduate students, master’s degree holders, postdocs, and research faculty.
Undergraduate/Graduate Students and Postdocs:
Please complete the interest form. Interested graduate students must be in good academic standing, be enrolled full-time, and have a faculty reference. All submissions are evaluated based on the above-mentioned criteria and the availability of positions at NIST; we will be in touch if an opportunity arises at NIST that matches your interests.
- Undergraduates can work at minimum of 10 hours per week (and full time during the summer) for as long as they are enrolled in their university or college.
- Post-bachelor’s Degree candidates can work at NIST for up to five years before entering graduate school or seeking other employment.
- Graduate students can participate up to six years, as long as they are continuing to make progress toward their degree(s) in the participating university. They usually work part time during the school year and full time in the summer.
- Master’s Degree holders are those not pursuing a Ph.D. based on their experience and education.
- Postdocs can work full time, and their tenure at NIST can be extended indefinitely. Their salary level is based on their experience and education.
Faculty:
Please identify potential NIST sponsors (see NIST's Projects/Programs listing) and send them an e-mail introducing yourself and your research and mentioning your interest in a NIST PREP collaboration. Please copy HNPC Program director Jennean Everett @ jeverett@jhu.edu on all introductory emails you send so she can help facilitate. In addition you are welcome to contact the HNPC administrative team if you would like assistance reaching out.
We will keep interest form submissions on file for when applicable positions are made available, as well as share them with NIST researchers to try to encourage their interest. Faculty participation will be more collaborative and require deeper planning and outreach on the part of the faculty member to establish a relationship with a lab head at NIST.
Sometimes, lab heads at NIST will reach out to JHU to try to identify suitable candidates for a specific opening/need they have in their lab. In those cases, we will refer to our file of interested researchers as well as conduct additional outreach as necessary, first to the JHU and Hopkins NIST PREP Consortium research communities and then beyond to try to find a match. Any researcher who fits NIST’s need for a specific position will need to complete the interest form, and then additional paperwork if selected for hire.
- Research Faculty may be employees of almost any university or college, and can work at NIST for up to a year. They don’t have to be tenure-track faculty.
NIST PREP Faculty Orientation Slides
Current openings at NIST: Opportunities
If interested, please contact Program Coordinator Michelle Cagan at mcagan2@jhu.edu and send your current CV, cover letter, and position of interest.
Hopkins NIST PREP Consortium Administrative Team
Project Director: Jennean Everett, jeverett@jhu.edu
Program Coordinator: Michelle Cagan, mcagan2@jhu.edu
Hopkins NIST
PREP Consortium
Employment Opportunities
Undergraduate Opportunities
Students enrolled full-time in a two-year or four-year degree program at an accredited U.S. academic institution seeking an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree. Undergraduate students are eligible to collaborate with NIST as PREP researchers for five (5) years in this category. PREP researchers in the undergraduate student category may request one (1) additional year of eligibility under extenuating circumstances. The extension is subject to approval by NIST and the recipient and must show compelling evidence for requesting the eligibility. Students can work at minimum of 10 hours per week (and full time during the summer) for as long as they are enrolled in their university or college.
To apply to any of the opportunities below, please fill out this application, and submit it to Jennean Everett at jeverett@jhu.edu.
Graduate Students
Students enrolled full-time at an accredited U.S. academic institution seeking a master’s degree or doctoral degree. PREP researchers in the graduate student category are eligible for three (3) years as master’s degree seeking students and six (6) years as doctoral degree students. PREP researchers in the graduate student categories may request one (1) additional year of eligibility under extenuating circumstances. The extension is subject to approval by NIST and the recipient and must show compelling evidence for requesting the eligibility.
They usually work part time during the school year and full time in the summer. To apply to any opportunities listed here, please fill out this application and submit it to Jennean Everett at jeverett@jhu.edu.
Bachelor's and/or Master's Degree Holders
An individual holding a bachelor’s degree and/or master’s degree from an accredited U.S. academic institution who is engaged in temporary mentored research and/or scholarly training to acquire the skills necessary to pursue a career path of their choice. Additionally, these individuals are not allowed to enroll in a degree seeking program at any university/college in the United States or abroad during their time participating in this category. Bachelor’s degree holders or master’s degree holders are eligible to collaborate as PREP researchers for three (3) and five (5) years, respectively.
To apply to any opportunities found here, please fill out this application and send it to Jennean Everett at jeverett@jhu.edu.
Postdoctoral Fellows
An individual holding a doctoral degree for five (5) years or less who is engaged in temporary mentored research and/or scholarly training to acquire the skills necessary to pursue a career path of their choice. Post-doctoral fellows are eligible to collaborate as PREP researchers for five (5) years in this category.
Postdocs work full time, and their tenure at NIST can be extended indefinitely. Their salary level is based on experience and education. To apply to any opportunities found here, please fill out this application and send it to Jennean Everett at jeverett@jhu.edu.
Senior Research Fellows
An individual holding a doctoral degree for more than five (5) years. PREP researchers participating as senior research fellows are eligible to collaborate with NIST on research projects for five (5) years in this category.
Academic Affiliates
Individuals holding appointments at academic institutions. These appointments include, but are not limited to, the following designations: faculty, research faculty, adjunct faculty, research associates, instructors, and lecturers. There is not a term limitation for this category.
Faculty
Please identify potential NIST sponsors (see NIST's Projects/Programs listing) and send them an e-mail introducing yourself and your research and mentioning your interest in a NIST PREP collaboration. Please copy HNPC Program director Jennean Everett @ jeverett@jhu.edu on all introductory emails you send so she can help facilitate. In addition you are welcome to contact the HNPC administrative team if you would like assistance reaching out.
We will keep interest form submissions on file for when applicable positions are made available, as well as share them with NIST researchers to try to encourage their interest. Faculty participation will be more collaborative and require deeper planning and outreach on the part of the faculty member to establish a relationship with a lab head at NIST.
Sometimes, lab heads at NIST will reach out to JHU to try to identify suitable candidates for a specific opening/need they have in their lab. In those cases, we will refer to our file of interested researchers as well as conduct additional outreach as necessary, first to the JHU and Hopkins NIST PREP Consortium research communities and then beyond to try to find a match. Any researcher who fits NIST’s need for a specific position will need to complete the interest form, and then additional paperwork if selected for hire.
Note that PREP cooperative agreements are awarded for a maximum of five (5) years. Though certain PREP researcher categories may have an eligibility of five (5) years or beyond, individual PREP researcher appointments cannot exceed the period of performance of the governing cooperative agreement. If a subsequent cooperative agreement is established with a given PREP recipient, the PREP recipient may request to extend a PREP researcher’s appointment, up to the maximum eligibility for a given category.
Hopkins NIST
PREP Consortium
Founded in 1876, JHU was the nation's first research university that brought together creative faculty given the freedom and support to pursue research; fellowships to attract the brightest students; education emphasizing original work in laboratory and seminar; and scholarly publication.
Today, JHU remains a leader in education and research, which attracts mostly highly qualified and driven undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to its eight academic divisions and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL). JHU comprises approximately 4,700 faculty members, and 6,000 undergraduates (14 percent international) and 18,000 graduate students (25 percent international) who study under the auspices of 264 degree programs at the baccalaureate, master, and doctoral levels.
Morgan State University (MSU) was founded in 1867, and designated as Maryland's preeminentpublic urban research university by the Maryland Legislature. MSU offers a comprehensive range of academic programs in engineering and natural sciences, and currently enrolls more than 7500 undergraduate and graduate students. Currently, the School of Engineering has approximately 1,200 students enrolled. According to U.S. News and World Report, MSU is tied for 20th on the list of historically black colleges and universities and is the only university in the state of Maryland to offer a industrial and systems engineering undergraduate and graduate degrees. In addition, MSU produces the most African-American engineers in the state of Maryland, and historically ranks among the top public campuses nationally in the number of black graduates receiving doctorates.
Founded in 1946, Binghamton University (BU), also known as State University of New
York (SUNY) at Binghamton, is one of the premier public research universities. According to U.S. News & World Report, BU ranks 36th among a list of top public schools. The university comprises seven schools and colleges with a combined undergraduate and graduate student population of approximately 17,200 students. As a mid-size research university, BU has a well-established infrastructure to support the training and research activities of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as post-doctorate researchers.