Trainees

Trainees
You must complete the application form to be selected as a USF NRT STEP-UP Trainee. Applications for Funded and Affliated STEP-UP NRT Trainees will be reviewed immediately after submission.

Funded vs. Affliated STEP-UP NRT Trainees 
USF Graduate students can be Funded or Affiliated STEP-UP NRT Trainees, both of which are prestigious positions. Once accepted as a Trainee, students are considered part of the STEP-UP NRT Traineeship for the duration of their graduate studies and are expected to participate fully each year.
Funded STEP-UP NRT Trainees will receive the following:

• $34,000 stipend for year 1 from USF NRT Program.
• A set amount of health insurance up to one year from USF NRT Program
• Up to 24 credit hour tuition coverage for Fall and Spring Semester for one year from USF NRT Program
• An additional $34,000 stipend from Florida High Tech Corridor for year 2, with no tuition coverage or health insurance.

For students to receive NSF funding through the USF NRT program, applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents affiliated with US universities per the National Science Foundation (NSF) requirements.
Additional benefits include:

• Semiconductor and Microelectronics Certificate.
•  Internship Opportunities.
• The ability to participate in social and professional activities.
• The opportunity to work and learn from NRT collaborators.

As a funded NRT trainee, you are not eligible to receive departmental support (e.g., Research Assistantship, Teaching Assistantship, or other fellowships) from your home program at the same time you are receiving funding from the USF NRT STEP-UP Program and The Florida High Tech Corridor.

After two years of support from USF NRT STEP-UP Program and The Florida High Tech Corridor, NRT dissertation/thesis advisors will be responsible to provide assistantship (e.g., Research Assistantship, Teaching Assistantship, or other fellowships) from their home department until the completion of your graduate degree.

Support from USF NRT STEP-UP Program and The Florida High Tech Corridor is dependent on your satisfactory progression in the program and funding continuation from NSF and Florida High Tech Corridor.

If you have any inquiries regarding applying to the USF NRT program, please do not hesitate to contact the Program Director Ashok Kumar at kumar@usf.edu.

Who is Eligible?

The USF NRT program is open to current and incoming MS and PhD students in the following USF degree programs:

• Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Computer Science and Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Industrial and Management System Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Medical Engineering
• Department of Physics
• Department of Chemistry

USF graduate students whose research interests align with a strong interest in semiconductor-related topics will be given priority to be selected as STEP-UP NRT Trainees.
There is no citizenship restriction for applications. To receive NRT stipend support and tuition waiver, applicants must be US Citizens or Permanent residents. There is a limited number of Affliated STEP-UP NRT Trainees that are available for other citizens.

Application Process

Incoming or current MS and PhD students may apply to the NRT program by submitting their application package to the program coordinator at NSFNRT@USF.EDU. Incoming students must be admitted to their respective programs first to be eligible for the NRT program. This program intends to hire 5 funded trainee positions and 10 affiliated trainee positions per year.

To apply for the NRT program, students will submit the following application materials listed below.

Application Components: Applicants should submit the following items to be considered.

• Completed Application Form
• Curriculum Vitae (CV), 3 page maximum
• A personal statement that outlines the proposed research and explains how it fits within the scope of the NSF-funded USF NRT Project, 2 page maximum.
• Letter of recommendation from any potential advisor whose research is related to semiconductor topics and who agrees to serve as the applicant's faculty advisor or co-advisor.
• Unofficial (or Official) Transcripts for all universities and colleges attended.
  

Deadline: The application deadline for funded STEP-UP NRT trainee positions is June 15th starting each Fall Semester. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis after the deadline, if there are available positions for funded and affiliated trainee positions. Affiliated trainee's can be hired at any time during the year, depending on the available spots in the program. If there are available positions for funded NRT Trainee, then the application deadline is December 1st to be considered as a funded trainee starting the Spring semester.

The NRT Recruitment Committee will review applications and interview finalists before making a final decision. Interviews for funded trainee positions will be held after the application deadline (June 15th).

For questions and to submit your completed NRT application package, contact the NRT project team at NSFNRT@USF.EDU.
Curriculum

STEP-UP NRT Trainees must choose from the NRT core courses shown in the table below. (Requirements will vary for MS and PhD-funded trainees; details are listed below the table). Two faculty members will co-advise all funded STEP-UP Trainees to promote the interdisciplinary education and training objectives of the NRT program. Unless noted, courses run every year and will continue to be offered for each semester as listed (Spring or Fall) each year. The NRT core courses establish the foundation of understanding and knowledge that NRT trainees will use as they continue in their degree programs. 

Course Name	Course Number	Description
Micro and Nano Manufacturing Instructor: Dr. Ashok Kumar, Mechanical Engineering Department	EML 6290 Course Syllabi Offered in Fall Semester	This course introduces fundamentals of semiconductor processing and technology (Topics: crystal growth, silicon oxidation, photolithography, etching, diffusion, ion implantation, film deposition, assembly & packaging & material characterization techniques).
CMOS/VLSI Design Instructor: Dr. Srinivas Katkoori or Assigned Instructor, Computer Science and Engineering Department	CIS 6930 Course Syllabi Offered in Fall Semester	This course introduces fundamentals of CMOS technology and digital VLSI design (Topics: History, MOSFET operation, non-ideal behavior, fabrication steps, design corners, static/dynamic logic styles, area, delay, and power estimation and optimization, SRAM/DRAM memory, and interconnect).
Microelectronics Fabrication Lab Instructors: Dr. Ashok Kumar, Robert Tufts, & Rich Everly Nanotechnology Research & Education Center (NREC)	EML 6930 Course Syllabi Offered in Spring Semester	This semester-long experiential learningcourse will be developed with enriching hands-on experience in the USF Class 1000 cleanroom facility of NREC. Students will be required to learn safety protocols and pass a written exam before entering the cleanroom. They will collaborate in teams of 1-2 students and work with state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing equipment on a semester-long project to fabricate a semiconductor device with progressive labs on substrate cleaning, thermal silicon oxidation, lithography, basic wet etching, and metal thin film deposition, including metrology and analytical characterization of semiconductor devices.
Fundamentals of BioMEMS Instructor: Dr. Albert Kim, Medical Engineering Department	BME 6931 Course Syllabi Offered in Spring Semester	This course introduces students to the biomedical application of microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMS) and microsystems. It covers the principles of biomedical microdevices, including sensors, actuators, stimulators, and microfluidics, material properties for biomedical instrumentation, interfacing living/non-living organisms, and safety. Currently, the learning process is primarily through lecture-based literature review. In this setup, students engage in group discussions regarding the latest advancements in microfabrication technology.
Industrial-Organization Psychology Instructor: Dr. Steve Kozlowski, Department of Psychology	INP 6935 Course Syllabi Offered in Fall Semester	This course provides an overview of human aspects of organizations, with a particular emphasis on emerging technologies for work environments. Students will gain an understanding of 1) how organizations acquire and maintain a workforce that can perform all necessary functions through recruitment and training, 2) acquire knowledge of human behavior in organizations, and 3) how the organizational environment affects people. Topics include employee attitudes, motivation and performance, teams and leadership, and organizational change.
Project Management Instructor: TBD Muma College of Business Note: Strategies in Technology Entrepreneurship (ENT 6126) (Course Syllabi) may be substituted for Project Management (ISM 6316) (offered in Fall only)	ISM 6316 Course Syllabi Offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer	This course provides students with practical knowledge of Project Management (PM) and its application in organizational projects, with a strong focus on Agile Project Management (APM), a key methodology in today’s project environments. The course covers Agile principles, starting with understanding Agile and its application through the Agile Manifesto and a Composite Approach to Agile methods. It also includes an in-depth exploration of Scrum, a widely used Agile framework that can be applied to various project types beyond software development. Moreover, the course delves into the crucial role of leadership in promoting Agile adoption, including the psycho-social dimensions of leadership in Agile environments. Through collaborative teamwork, students will enhance their leadership skills in Agile projects and gain hands-on experience with online collaboration tools like Trello. Additionally, the course introduces industry-recognized certifications such as Professional Scrum Master (PSM) and Scaled Agile Framework for the Enterprise (SAFe), which are highly valued by employers, though not mandatory. Students have the option to pursue these certifications independently to improve their career prospects further.
Strategies in Technology Entrepreneurship Instructor: Dr. Dirk Libaers  Muma College of Business	ENT 6126 Course Syllabi Offered in Fall, Spring Semester	Students will learn that entrepreneurial opportunities are both identified in the existing socioeconomic environment and created through innovation. Students will learn theory based models and their application through case studies and a final project.
NRT Microelectronics Seminar	EML 6930 Offered in Fall and Spring	This seminar is mandatory for all NRT trainee’s and will include communication workshops, guest speakers from industry and academy on semi-conductor related research topics.

NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) Training Program (Coordinator: Dr. Sudeep Sarkar): All STEP-UP PhD NRT trainees will participate in USF I-Corps program which assists teams of university grad students to go outside of their laboratories and into the marketplace where they can learn first-hand about entrepreneurship while they explore and validate the commercial landscape surrounding their innovation. This immersive, seven-week experiential training program prepares engineers to extend their focus beyond the university laboratory—accelerating the economic & societal benefits of NSF-funded & other basic research projects that are ready to move toward commercialization. I-Corps addresses four urgent national needs: 1) Training an entrepreneurial workforce, 2) Translating technologies, 3) Enabling positive economic impact, and 4) Nurturing an innovative ecosystem.

STEP-UP NRT Trainee Communication Workshops (Coordinator: Dr. Joanna Burchfield): All STEP-UP NRT trainees will participate in Communication Workshops designed to teach trainees essential competencies they need to become leaders in research, industry, and academia. Through the workshop, trainees will develop a foundation of communication concepts and principles that underlie all professional communication, including written and oral communication, teamwork, and research-related written and oral communication. Trainees will apply learned concepts to workshop projects that are designed to advance their professional competencies and prepare them for global citizenship and civic engagement.

 

STEP-UP NRT Trainees Course Requirements for MS Thesis Track-Program

STEP-UP Trainees on MS Thesis Track must take 3 NRT core courses as mentioned in above table to satisfy the USF NRT core course requirements. EML 6930 (Microelectronics Fabrication Lab) is required for all STEP-UP Trainees on MS Theis Track. STEP-UP Trainees will choose either NP 6935 (Industrial Organization Psychology or ISM 6316 (Project Management) as their second core course and may choose between EML 6316 (Micro and Nano Manufacturing), CIS 6930 (CMOS/VLSI Design), or BME 6931 (Fundamentals of BioMEMS) to satisfy the total 3 core courses required for the STEP-UP MS Thesis Track Program.

The USF NRT Project Director or Associate Program Director will consult the STEP-UP Trainee advising/collaborative faculty as well as the Departmental Graduate Coordinator of the respective eligible department to ensure that STEP-UP Trainees are on track to satisfy the requirements of the MS thesis degree requirements.

STEP-UP NRT Trainees Course Requirements for PhD Track-Program

STEP-UP NRT Trainees on the PhD Track must complete 4 of the NRT core courses listed in the table above to satisfy the USF NRT core course requirements, including mandatory courses such as EML 6930 (Microelectronics Fabrication Lab), NP 6056 (Industrial-Organizational Psychology) * and 6316 (Project Management). For the fourth course, PhD Track NRT Trainees can select from EML 6290 (Micro and Nano Manufacturing), CIS 6930 (CMOS/VLSI Design), or BME 6931 (Fundamentals of BioMEMS). In addition, all PhD Track NRT Trainees are required to attend the NRT Microelectronics Seminar and other NRT sponsored activities.

*Note: Strategies in Technology Entrepreneurship (ENT 6126) may be substituted for NP 6056 (Industrial-Organizational Psychology).

The USF NRT Project Director or Associate Program Director will consult the STEP-UP PhD Trainee advising/collaborative faculty as well as the Departmental Graduate Director of the respective eligible department to ensure that STEP-UP Trainees are on right track to satisfy the requirements of the Departmental PhD degree program.

In addition, NRT funded STEP-UP PhD Trainees must take NSF I-Corps training program as part of the curriculum requirement for the NRT project.

Note: STEP-UP Ph.D. Trainees will complete the required 12 hours of NRT core courses.  STEP-UP MS Trainees will complete 9 hours of NRT core courses. STEP-UP Trainees will complete courses required for their program of study, recognizing that many of these core courses may overlap or to be appropriate substitutes for courses in their programs. STEP-UP Trainless should discuss their planned coursework with their NRT Faculty Research Advisors, committee members, and Departmental Graduate Director to ensure they comply with both USF NRT requirements and the requirements of their degree programs.

Participants in NRT Programmatic Activities

• NRT Orientations and Retreats 

NRT orientations and retreats are held annually. Orientations occur at the beginning of Fall semester and retreats occur at the end of each academic year. STEP-UP Trainees are expected to attend these meetings and may be asked to present a poster at the retreat event.
Trainees will meet the project PI and coordinator bi-monthly as a group. Other activities such as attending project related seminars, public outreach events, and other activities will occasionally be required.

• STEP-UP Training Learning Competencies

This NRT program is innovatively designed such that the STEP-UP Trainees on completion will gain 10 essential competencies, namely, transdisciplinary knowledge, communication, teamwork, experimental & computational skills, informed decision making, entrepreneurship skills, project management, ethics, leadership, and safe and sustainable manufacturing.

The NRT will host a weekly seminar and workshops series where STEP-UP Trainees have the opportunity to brainstorm with other NRT participants and learn from invited guests and researchers. STEP-UP Trainees are required to participate in all NRT sponsored project workshops that will take place about once a semester.

Research Training