The US National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a new research partnership with Chile through the Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) program. This is a coordinated effort that enhances international collaborative research opportunities for NSF Graduate Research Fellows. There are now GROW agreements between NSF and science agencies in 10 countries.

José Miguel Aguilera, president of Chile’s National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research, says, “Chile has extraordinary Natural Labs where postgraduate fellows can conduct frontier scientific research.”

GROW was announced in December 2012, at the sixtieth anniversary celebration of the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRF), NSF’s flagship program for graduate students in science and engineering within NSF’s mission. The Fellows, selected through the NSF GRF program and invited to participate in GROW, are hosted by a science agency in a partner country for a period of 3 to 12 months. While overseas, they receive a living allowance from the host country as they pursue their research in a host institution. They are also eligible to receive an international travel allowance from NSF. This partnership with Chile adds to existing collaborations with NSF partner agencies in Denmark, Finland, France, Japan, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and South Korea. It is anticipated that additional partners from other countries will join GROW in the months ahead.

GROW supports NSF’s broader commitment to address the internationalization of science and engineering and to provide multiple pathways to engagement with top researchers worldwide. GROW joins other recent NSF efforts such as Science Across Virtual Institutes (SAVI) and Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) in providing mechanisms to foster international partnerships and address global challenges.