East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI)
Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and Taiwan

How to Contact Prospective Hosts

Identifying potential hosts and making initial contact with them can be challenging and intimidating for some graduate students. The very real payoff, of course, for successful communication with potential hosts is the greatly increased likelihood of realizing your first choice in host sites.

1. Utilize the attached materials (blank applicant profile form and fax cover sheet; adapting them as appropriate for your use) to initiate contact with potential host scientists.

2. You can identify specific hosts by visiting institutional Web sites appropriate to your interests; many of these URLs are listed at the NSF Tokyo Office Web site. The program announcement is available on-line at the NSF Web site at:

http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf03608

3. If the potential host institution has no directory of e-mail addresses for its researchers, but a fax number instead, transmit your materials by fax with a request to forward them to the appropriate scientist, office or laboratory.

4. Be certain to include a completed applicant profile with your initial contact letter. This will be very helpful to the host scientist in evaluating your suitability, and in deciding to offer you a summer position. You can send the profile by fax to potential hosts if your first contact is by e-mail.

5. Maintain communication with your potential host scientist. It may require more than one exchange to establish mutual interest and to negotiate an invitation. A sample invitation letter is included herewith for the potential host's use, if needed.

6. Please keep the NSF East Asia and Pacific Program (EAP) office informed of your progress in communication, even after the application deadline date. The demonstration of mutual interest (through an invitation letter, for example) can be useful during the matching process which occurs in the weeks after application evaluation.

7. Be creative in your use of the Web and scientific literature databases. Look up scientific reports from potential hosts to learn more about their research. For those applicants with access to on-line databases (Biological Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts, MedLine, etc.), use a search engine to locate articles where: (1) the citation title or abstract contain key words relevant to your interest AND (2) the author's address field contains one or more potential host institutions. Locate contact information for the particular author-scientists in your search results from the institution's Web site.

8. Contact the EAP office by e-mail (eapinfo@nsf.gov) or telephone (703-292-8704) if you have questions or need special assistance.

East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI)

Applicant Profile

APPLICANT

 　

Name:

Institution:

Department:

Mailing Address:

Phone:

Fax:

E-mail:

 　

　

EDUCATION

 　

Undergraduate Institution:

Department/Major Field:

Degree:

Graduatation Year:

Graduate Institution:

Department/Major Field:

Degree Program:

Expected Graduation Year:

 　

DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH INTERESTS




COURSEWORK IN RESEARCH INTEREST AREA
(List titles only of relevant coursework, seminars, etc.):














　

　

　

F A X

Date:


TO:


FAX No.:


FROM:

RE:

East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI)



No. of pages (including this cover sheet):

Notes:



















Suggestion for Letter of Introduction from:
EAPSI Applicant

Dear _________________________,

I am a graduate student at __________ [institution] studying __________ [research interest(s)]. I will apply to the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in Japan  for summer __________ [year]. These Programs are supported in Japan by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) through the Graduate University of Advanced Studies (Soken-dai).

I have read about your research studies on the ____________________ [name of institution] Web site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own research interests are [similar or complementary] to yours. I have included with this letter a profile of my interests for your information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in your laboratory in the summer of __________ [year]. I would be pleased to discuss the possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Program in Japan is available on-line through the U.S. National Science Foundation Tokyo Office Web site at:

http://www.nsftokyo.org/spmenu.html

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,
(Your signature)
Suggestion for Letter of Introduction from:

EAPSI in Korea Applicant

Dear _________________________,

I am a graduate student at __________ [institution] studying __________ [research interest(s)]. I will apply to the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in Korea for summer __________ [year]. These Programs are supported in Korea by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF).

I have read about your research studies on the ____________________ [name of institution] Web site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own research interests are [similar or complementary] to yours. I have included with this letter a profile of my interests for your information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in the summer of __________ [year]. I would be pleased to discuss the possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Institute in Korea is available on-line through the U.S. National Science Foundation Web site at:

http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf03608

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,
(Your signature)
Suggestion for Letter of Introduction from:
EAPSI in Taiwan Applicant

Dear _________________________,

I am a graduate student at __________ [institution] studying __________ [research interest(s)]. I will apply to the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in Taiwan for summer __________ [year]. These Programs are supported in Taiwan by the Taiwan National Science Council.

I have read about your research studies on the ____________________ [name of institution] Web site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own research interests are [similar or complementary] to yours. I have included with this letter a profile of my interests for your information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in the summer of __________ [year]. I would be pleased to discuss the possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Institute in Taiwan is available on-line through the U.S. National Science Foundation Web site at:

http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf03608

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,
(Your signature)
Suggestion for Letter of Introduction from:
EAPSI in China Applicant

　

Dear _________________________,

I am a graduate student at __________ [institution] studying __________ [research interest(s)]. I will apply to the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in China for summer __________ [year]. These Programs are supported in China by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

I have read about your research studies on the ____________________ [name of institution] Web site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own research interests are [similar or complementary] to yours. I have included with this letter a profile of my interests for your information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in the summer of __________ [year]. I would be pleased to discuss the possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Institute in China is available on-line through the U.S. National Science Foundation Web site at:

http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf03608

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,
(Your signature)
Suggestion for Letter of Introduction from:
EAPSI in Australia Applicant

　

Dear _________________________,

I am a graduate student at __________ [institution] studying __________ [research interest(s)]. I will apply to the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in Australia for summer __________ [year]. These Programs are supported in Australia by the Australian Academy of Science.

I have read about your research studies on the ____________________ [name of institution] Web site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own research interests are [similar or complementary] to yours. I have included with this letter a profile of my interests for your information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in the summer of __________ [year]. I would be pleased to discuss the possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Institute in Australia is available on-line through the U.S. National Science Foundation Web site at:

http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf03608

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,
(Your signature)
[Suggestion for Invitation Letter from Potential Host]

Dear _________________________,

Thank you for your communication of ____________________ [date].

If you are successful in your application to the EAPSI, I would like you to work in my laboratory during the summer.

Based on our mutual research interests, I will be able to provide necessary laboratory facilities and supplies for your work.

Sincerely,
(Your signature)