Recommend a Student

*Deadline to Submit a Recommendation Letter is January 31, 2024*

If you have any questions or concerns about meeting this date, please email internships@btiscience.org. However, we are unable to upload letters on your behalf for students. Any issues with ETAP’s upload sites should be directed to etaphelp@nsf.gov.

Applications without letters of recommendation are considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

Instructions for Submitting a Recommendation Letter

1. Prepare Your Letter

In your recommendation letter, please describe the applicant’s characteristics (review About Successful BTI Summer Intern Applications below). Save this letter on institutional letterhead, as a PDF document. Letters of recommendation should be submitted online through the link provided by the National Science Foundation within their application system, ETAP. This email request is autogenerated after the student requests your recommendation letter and provides your email. These emails will be sent through “no-reply-etap@nsf.gov” with the title “National Science Foundation Request from ‘Applicants Name‘”

We encourage you to be as specific as possible about how the student is a good fit for our program and how they could benefit from this experience. We receive many applications a year, and compelling recommendation letters are key to successful applications.

2. Receive Recommendation Auto-E-mail Request

Please add the following email address to your contacts: no-reply-etap@nsf.gov to avoid the e-mail being sent to your spam or junk folders. Once you receive the request, please follow the link to upload your letter, and be sure to fill out the request form in its entirety. There are questions provided beforehand to rate the student’s abilities, as well as a space for you to upload your letter.

3. Upload Your Letter

After you have uploaded your PDF version recommendation letter, you will receive an automated email confirmation. You must upload your letter through the link provided. Please reach out to etaphelp@nsf.gov with any issues related to uploading the recommendation.

The deadline for submission is Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Applications without letters of recommendation are considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

*Note, if you are uploading letters for multiple students, please follow the link and instructions for each applicant. There is no limit to the number of students you may recommend.

About Successful BTI Summer Internship Applicants

Successful applicants will have a genuine interest in scientific research and will have completed some introductory life science courses. Interest in plant molecular biology is weighed heavily, as are characteristics such as enthusiasm, motivation, their professional skills, and the ability to work collaboratively, that display their ability to take on rigorous experiences. We do not require previous research experience or the highest grades; rather we look for students who will take full advantage of an intensive research-based learning opportunity.

Contact

For questions regarding the submission of letters of recommendation contact Education & Outreach.