2027 NRT

Welcome to the 2027 National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Traineeship (NRT) at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). 

  The NSF Research Traineeship program in Quantum Information Science/Engineering and Artificial Intelligence (QISE-AI) at MTSU is supported by NSF Award DGE #2510274, NRT-QISE-AI: Middle Tennessee Interdisciplinary Graduate Research and Training in Quantum Information Science and AI, September 2025 – August 2030.

What is NSF Research Traineeship (NRT)?  The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program supports innovative, interdisciplinary, and evidence-based graduate training that prepares master’s and doctoral students with the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed for a broad range of STEM careers. NRT integrates research and education in high-priority interdisciplinary areas while promoting workforce development and institutional capacity building. 

Who Should Apply?    We are seeking enthusiastic students who are eager to engage in cutting-edge research and discovery in quantum information science and AI. Eligible applicants must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a STEM field prior to enrollment in the NRT program and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.  

Benefits as an NRT Stipend Trainee: 

• Stipend: $37,000 per year for a 12-month appointment; 

• Tuition and required fees: up to $16,000 per trainee in costs of education; 

• Participation in interdisciplinary coursework, research, mentoring, professional development, seminars, journal clubs, networking, and other NRT training activities.  

• Opportunity to earn a Graduate Certificate in Quantum Information Science (QIS). 

Location:  Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, near the geographic center of the state and just 35 miles south of Nashville. MTSU’s central location provides convenient access to major research, technology, and industry centers in the region, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Application and Eligibility Guidelines 

Eligible student applicants must: 

• Have Cumulative GPA over 3.0 

• Be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents  

• Hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a STEM field  

Final-year undergraduates may apply; Degree must be conferred before enrollment 

To apply and to be considered for the NSF sponsored MTSU NRT program, there are two required steps: 

1. Apply to the MTSU Graduate School (Skip if you are admitted/enrolled already) 
   Submit your graduate application to Middle Tennessee State University here: 
   ➤ https://www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply/ 

2. Apply to the MTSU NRT Program 
   After applying to the Graduate School, complete the NRT program application here: 
   • For Single Sign On Forms (MTSU students only); 
   • For Non-Single Sign On Forms (Non-MTSU students).  

Both steps must be completed for full consideration. All applications must be completed and received by January 15, 2027, for full consideration

• Please inform your recommenders that a request for an academic reference letter will be arriving by email and give them a lead time of at least 2 weeks to send a letter.  

• Please include your transcript(s) when you submit your MTSU NRT application. 

Contact:  

Dr. Wandi Ding (PI)  Wandi.Ding@mtsu.edu  

Ms. Aspen Malone (Project Manager): Aspen.Malone@mtsu.edu 

NRT Program Faculty 

Physics, QRISE Center:  

• Dr. Hanna Terletska  

Mathematical Sciences:  

• Dr. Wandi Ding  

• Dr. Abdul-Qayyum Khaliq      

• Dr. Donglin Wang      

Chemistry:  

• Dr. Jing Kong  

Computer Science:

• Dr. Joshua Phillips 

• Dr. Kritagya Upadhyay   

Program Themes and Research Activities 

• Theme 1 – Quantum Algorithms, Quantum Machine learning, and Cybersecurity (Terletska, Khaliq, Phillips, Upadhyay); 

• Theme 2 – Quantum Materials, Quantum Chemistry (Terletska & Kong); 

• Theme 3 – AI for materials, AI and Quantum Machine Learning for Biomedical Research (Terletska, Ding, Wang). 

Program Goals:   

1. Interdisciplinary curriculum and research experiences; 

2. Comprehensive professional development; 

3. Evidence-based continuous improvement that incorporates an individualized development plan (IDP); 

4. Multi-tier mentoring, and multi-modal program evaluation. 

Professional Development (PD) Activities :   

       Workshop Topics 

 Professional Development (PD) Schedule 2026-27 : NSF RESEARCH TRAINEESHIP PROGRAM  

2026–27 NRT Trainees (First NRT Cohort) 

Stipend Trainees: Tomy Chet, Laurel Koenig, Patrick Wong, Danlei Zhu.  

Non-stipend Trainees: Robert Dohner, Gavin Liles, Dongyu Liu, Hannah Osborne. 

  2026 NRT Kickoff & Orientation  

Program Expectations 

• Maintain satisfactory academic progress and remain in good standing in their graduate degree program. 

• Complete the required NRT coursework and training activities, including interdisciplinary training in quantum information science, AI, and related areas. Graduate Certificate in QIS. 

• Meet regularly with research mentors and NRT faculty and make satisfactory progress toward research and professional goals. 

• Actively participate in NRT seminars, journal clubs, professional development activities, cohort meetings, and other required program events. 

• Develop professional skills in communication, teamwork, leadership, ethics, responsible conduct of research, and career preparation. 

• Contribute positively to the NRT cohort by supporting peer learning, collaboration, mentoring, and community-building activities. 

• Participate in program assessment and evaluation activities, including surveys, interviews, progress reports, and other data collection required for NSF reporting. 

• Attend and contribute to NRT-related presentations, outreach activities, conferences, and dissemination efforts as appropriate. 

• Acknowledge NSF NRT support in publications, presentations, posters, and other scholarly products when applicable. 

• Represent the NRT program professionally and uphold high standards of academic integrity, research ethics, collegiality, and responsible conduct. 

Benefits for Non-stipend Trainees  

• Participate in all professional development activities;  

• Receive faculty mentoring for M.S. or Ph.D. study and research; 

• Develop an individualized development plan (IDP);  

• Receive a one-year Claude license;  

• Complete the required NRT coursework and have the opportunity to earn a Graduate Certificate in Quantum Information Science (QIS).