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RAP Research Opportunities |
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Associateship Programs at US Military Academy/US Army Research Laboratory (USMA/ARL)
The information contained on this site combines the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the US Military Academy (USMA), Opportunities for Teaching and Research Associateships (Davies Fellows Program), and for Photonics Research Associateships. We highly recommend you contact a representative from USMA (names and addresses are below) for specific details. The National Research Council conducts the Research Associateship Programs in cooperation with sponsoring federal laboratories and research organizations approved for participation. The National Research Council, through its Associateship Programs office, conducts a national competition to recommend and make awards to outstanding scientists and engineers at recent postdoctoral and experienced senior levels for tenure as guest researchers at participating laboratories. These Programs have been conducted on behalf of a number of federal agencies since 1954. The objectives of the Programs are (1) to provide postdoctoral scientists and engineers of unusual promise and ability opportunities for research on problems, largely of their own choice that are compatible with the interests of the sponsoring laboratories and (2) to contribute thereby to the overall efforts of the federal laboratories. For recent doctoral graduates, the Programs provide an opportunity for concentrated research in association with selected members of the permanent professional laboratory staff, often as a climax to formal career preparation. For established scientists and engineers, the Programs afford an opportunity for research without the interruptions and distracting assignments of permanent career positions. Participating laboratories receive a stimulus to their programs by the presence of bright, highly motivated, recent doctoral graduates and by senior investigators with established records of research productivity. New ideas, techniques, and approaches to problems contribute to the overall research climate of the laboratories. Indirectly, Associateships also make available to the broader scientific and engineering communities the excellent and often unique research facilities that exist in federal laboratories. The Associateship Programs office receives all application materials and supporting documents and conducts the competitive evaluation of applications. Evaluations for all USMA/ARL Associateships are conducted by special panels convened for this purpose. Panelists are chosen to review applications on the basis of their stature and experience in the fields of science and engineering, and their evaluations become the basis from which awards are made on behalf of all USMA/ARL directorates. Applicants are recommended for awards only after this open, national competition, in which the panels rank candidates only on the basis of quality. Final ranking in order of quality and the recommendation of applicants for awards are the exclusive prerogatives of the panels, and only notification by the Associateship Programs office of an applicant's status in the competition is authoritative. A Research Associate is a guest researcher, not an employee of the National Research Council or of the laboratory. Associateships are analogous to fellowships or similar temporary programs at the postdoctoral level in universities and other organizations. They are not intended to be, or to compete with, permanent professional career positions. No commitment on the part of an Associate, the sponsoring laboratory, or the National Research Council with regard to later employment is implied or should be inferred by the offer or acceptance of an award. Associates must devote their full-time effort to the research program proposed in their applications and must be in residence at the sponsoring laboratory during the entire period of the Associateship. No period of tenure may be spent in residence at another laboratory or institution. Associates have the status of visiting scientists or engineers but are subject to the general regulations of the laboratory. No additional monetary aid or other remuneration may be accepted from another appointment, fellowship, or similar grant, except for sabbatical leave, during the period of the Associateship. This website contains abstracts, or opportunities for research that describe areas of research in which Associateships may be awarded at the directorates of USMA/ARL, which includes the following directorates:
USMA/ARL's directorates provide the funds for this program and furnish all necessary support services, facilities, and equipment for the approved research program of each Associate. While every effort has been made by each directorate to provide opportunities of ample scope and relevance, the publication of any opportunity in this website does not guarantee that it will be available at the time awards are offered. Changes and/or deletions may occur because of temporary lack of equipment, laboratory renovation, staffing already sufficient to meet research goals, or a lack of funding. Since an Associate's later scientific and technical career will be judged by others, publication in the accepted open technical literature is highly encouraged. Publications should include a statement indicating that the research was conducted while the author held a National Research Council Research Associateship. Research Adviser, Directorate Program Representative, and Laboratory Program Representative Shown with each opportunity for research are the names of one or more Research Advisers who conduct or direct the work described in the opportunity. An Adviser is a scientist or engineer at an USMA/ARL directorate with whom a Postdoctoral Research Associate works most closely. An Adviser acts as a surrogate of the National Research Council in monitoring an Associate, and all matters relating to an Associate's research program fall under his or her purview. The Directorate Program Representative, listed in the Opportunities for Research section of this website, is a professional staff member who is responsible for managing that directorate's Research Associateship program and for assistingan Associate with all administrative aspects of tenure. The Laboratory Program Representative for the overall US Army Research Laboratory is: Mr. Joseph Gamson, Physical Scientist
Telephone: (301) 394-3813
The Laboratory Program Representatives for the individual directorates are: Dr Sandra Collier, Directorate Program Representative
Telephone: (301) 394-2641
Dr Tomasz Letowski
Telephone: (410) 278-5864
Ms. Teresa Kipp
Telephone: (301) 394-0804
Dr. Rose A. Pesce-Rodriguez, Research Chemist
Telephone: 410-306-1877 (lab)
The Laboratory Program Representatives for the US Military Academy are: Dr. Stephen Landowne, Associate Dean for Academic Research
Telephone: (845) 938-5868
Major William Pearman, Director
Telephone: (845) 938-4013
Colonel Michael Phillips, Professor USMA
Telephone: (845) 938-5870
The Laboratory Program Representative for the Davies Fellows is: Joseph Gamson, Physical Scientist
Telephone: (301) 394-3813
Prospective applicants may also contact the Program Representatives if they have not received a response from the Research Adviser. The NRC Program Administrator for USMA/ARL is: Dr. Eric Basques
Please direct ALL Application inquiries directly to the Research Associateship Programs at rap@nas.edu or by phone at (202) 334-2760. Each applicant must submit a research proposal that relates to a specific opportunity for research at an USMA/ARL directorate. A proposal must be the original work of an applicant and be approved by an Adviser listed with the opportunity. Before writing a proposal, however, an applicant is advised to communicate directly with the Adviser, who can provide more specific information on current research and available technical facilities and offer scientific support of proposal development. To be eligible for an award, an applicant's proposal must be approved by one of the Advisers listed in this booklet and endorsed by the Program Committee of the USMA/ARL directorate to which he or she has applied. The endorsement affirms that the proposal is compatible with the directorate's interests and that adequate programmatic support will be available if an award is offered. A directorate's action on the proposal, together with a copy of the Adviser's comments, will be provided directly to the applicant by the Directorate Program Representative. No applicant will be eligible for further consideration until the Associateship Programs office has been advised by the directorate that his or her proposal has been approved by an Adviser and endorsed by the Program Committee. Otherwise, the Associateship Programs office will assume that the proposal is not of sufficient current interest to the directorate or that support facilities cannot be made available. Since the final review of applications is conducted by special panels appointed by the National Research Council, all applicants should note that endorsement by an Adviser or directorate, while essential to the application process, does not imply or guarantee an award by the National Research Council. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, creed, color, age, sex, or national origin. Awardees must hold the PhD, ScD, or other earned research doctoral degree recognized in US academic circles as equivalent to the PhD or must present acceptable evidence of having completed all the formal academic requirements for one of these degrees before tenure may begin. Applicants must have demonstrated superior ability for creative research. An applicant's training and research experience may be in any appropriate discipline or combination of disciplines required for the proposed research. Opportunities at USMA/ARL are open only to US Citizens. Although opportunities are limited to unclassified research, all guest investigators, including Research Associates, are subject to Army regulations governing visiting scientists. Eligibility and Length of Tenure Research Associateships are awarded to persons who have held the doctorate less than five years at the time of application and will be made initially for one year. Renewal for a second year is based on an evaluation and recommendation by the Research Adviser, and availability of continued funding from the directorate. Under certain conditions, extensions may be granted to allow Associates to bring their research to a reasonable stage of completion. However, extensions are not automatically granted, and applicants are advised to plan their research programs to conform to the length of tenure stated above. Prior Affiliation with the Laboratory A primary objective of the Associateship Programs is to provide a mechanism for new ideas and sources of stimulation to be brought to the sponsoring laboratory. Thus, persons with recent prior affiliation with a specific laboratory may not be eligible to apply for an Associateship there. Prior affiliation includes direct employment relationships either with the laboratory or with a contractor whose work is performed there. A long-term consulting relationship usually makes an applicant ineligible. Research contracts with universities that provide support for graduate students or faculty who perform research on campus are not ordinarily considered to be disqualifying. Persons who have previously held an Associateship may apply for another award only if a period of at least two years will have elapsed between termination of the first award and the proposed tenure of a second. Persons who have previously applied for an Associateship, but who were not recommended for an award by the panels, may reapply after one year. Candidates who were recommended for an award by the panels, but who were not offered an award because of funding or other limitations, may reapply at any time without a mandatory waiting period. Associateship awards at USMA/ARL are not subject to the issuance of a security clearance. Associates will not be involved in classified or sensitive research programs. An Associate receives a base stipend with annual increments from the National Research Council while carrying out his or her proposed research. At USMA/ARL, the current base stipend for a Postdoctoral Research Associate varies by directorate, as follows: Computational and Information Sciences Directorate
Human Research and Engineering
Sensors and Electron Devices--$74,000 US Military Academy Teaching/Research--$72,000
Weapons and Materials Research--$74,000 This stipend is subject to adjustments from time to time in accordance with general national guidelines pertaining to scientists and engineers. Applicants are cautioned against entering into any agreement or understanding with individual Advisers or other laboratory personnel for additional funding or other remuneration for work as an Associate. Stipends for Associates are limited to the amounts and by the conditions set forth above, and any other arrangement, formal or informal, between an applicant and laboratory personnel for additional monies or other considerations is strictly prohibited by the National Research Council. As a guest investigator, an Associate is self-employed. All arrangements for payment of income taxes are the responsibility of the individual Associate, who is advised to become familiar with the relevant sections of the current tax codes. A group health-insurance program is required for Associates and is optional for dependents. If you are not covered under a spouse's plan, you must participate in the National Research Council's plan. The cost of this program is shared by the Associate and the sponsoring agency. A suitable relocation reimbursement is determined for each awardee. Funds are also available for limited professional travel during tenure, provided such travel is approved in advance by the Associate's Adviser, the Directorate Program Representative, and the Associateship Programs office. Details will be provided at the time of the award. Complete the WebRAP electronic application that can be accessed through this site. This system requires uploads of your proposal and other information. After completing the WebRAP application, you must submit supporting documents (transcripts, if applicable, and references) either electronically to RAP@nas.edu or by mail to the Associateship Programs office at the address listed below. Application deadlines are February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. All deadlines for receipt of application materials are strictly observed by the laboratory and the Associateship Programs office. No allowances or exceptions are made for late submissions. Application materials from previous competitions may not be used. If you need to contact us: Associateship Programs
Phone: (202) 334-2760
E-Mail: rap@nas.edu
Sufficient time must be allowed between the offer of an award and the beginning of tenure to enable the Associateship Programs office and a directorate to complete all necessary administrative procedures. The date on which tenure may begin is negotiated on an individual basis, normally within six months of the award. The starting date may be delayed by mutual agreement of the directorate, the Associate, and the Associateship Programs office but cannot be later than 12 months from the date on which the award was originally offered. If this condition cannot be met, a new application, including a newly approved research proposal, must be submitted to the Associateship Programs office and will be judged without prejudice in the next competition. Research Associateship awards are made by the National Research Council on behalf of sponsoring federal agencies. The endorsement of an application and research proposal by the sponsoring agency, while essential to the application and review processes, does not constitute an agreement or obligation to confer an award. A review board, comprised of Chairs and Co-Chairs of the National Research Council panels, determines a cutoff score. Applicants who score below this cutoff score cannot be considered further for an award. All applicants will be notified of their results one week after the review board meets. Applicants who score above the cutoff score are recommended to the sponsoring agency as eligible for an award. Final decisions on awards are made by the sponsoring agency based on ranking of the NRC panels and the availability of funding. Applicants are generally notified of final award status within 4-6 weeks following the review. Acceptances and declinations must be made directly to the Associateship Programs office of the National Research Council. For NIST awards only: NRC awards for applicants to NIST are made directly by NIST. |
