IRES-RR FAQs

Traditionally, the application window is during late fall. The application window is open for a minimum of six weeks. If there is not a link on the current web page that takes you to the application, the application window has not opened yet. If applications have closed for a program year, the web page will state that clearly.

You will receive an email confirmation of receipt from ETAP after you submit your application via ETAP. If you do not see this in your email inbox, please check your spam/junk mail folder. If you cannot find an email confirmation, please contact ETAP by calling 800-232-8024 or emailing help@nsfetap.org. If ETAP confirms that your application was received, then the IRES-RR selection committee has it, too.

Yes. The goal is to have all students and program personnel travel to and from Spain together as a cohort, but there is some minor flexibility. Please identify constraints you envision as part of your application materials, and these can be discussed with selected finalists as necessary.

Unofficial transcripts are suitable, and please provide transcripts for all universities attended. Note that if your current school’s transcript itemizes transfer credits from other institutions, then transcripts from the other institutions are not needed.

For graduate students: Along with your current transcript, a final transcript from your degree-granting institution(s) for previous degrees is sufficient.

Yes, although letters from faculty are preferred whenever possible, the IRES-RR program selection committee will accept references from employment/volunteer supervisors, teaching assistants, postdocs with whom you have worked, research collaborators, and academic advisors.

During the ETAP application process, you will be asked to enter email addresses for two references. Once you enter these and submit your application, emails will automatically be sent from ETAP to the individuals you indicated. These emails will include unique URLs that your references must use to submit letters of recommendation on your behalf. For your application to be considered complete, letters of recommendation must be submitted through ETAP (NOT emailed directly to the IRES-RR site or the Raptor Research Center). You will have the opportunity through the ETAP portal to monitor the response rate of references and prompt the system to send them reminder emails.

Finalists typically will be selected by early to mid-January in each program year. Rest assured, all applicants will be notified about the decision on their applications as soon as possible.

IRES-Raptor Research applicants who have questions about the application process can start with the ETAP (Education & Training Application) FAQ web page, or reach out to NSF ETAP (Education & Training Application) by calling (800) 673-6188 or emailing etaphelp@nsf.gov.

IRES-RR welcomes applications from all students, whether attending Boise State University or other undergraduate or graduate institutions. Specifics about participating dynamics may vary depending on a student’s home institution but will be discussed with finalists at the time of selection for the program.

Although some proficiency in Spanish will likely enrich your experience, students are not required to know Spanish to participate in IRES-RR. Foreign mentors are fluent in English, and many people in southern Spain know some English. That said, an interest in learning some Spanish while abroad is welcomed.

Absolutely. There likely will be a mixture of backgrounds and experiences in each IRES-RR cohort. Some research projects are perfect for students just learning about research, whereas others are more complex and require participation by students with prior research experience. Please just list your research experiences in the application, and the project team will pair you with the most applicable project.

We have funding from the National Science Foundation to support up to five students per year for the duration of our IRES-RR program. Currently our project has funding for participants in 2024 through 2026.

Maybe. IRES-RR is generally designed for students that will continue their undergraduate or graduate program into the fall semester following participation in summer international research. However, students enrolled in summer credits after their graduation in May will still be eligible. Those summer credits can be developed through Boise State University or a student’s home institution as necessary.

Core research projects are developed by the foreign mentors and Boise State University principal investigators, but there is flexibility depending on student interests and qualifications. Generally, a student’s specific research project and objectives are formalized during the spring semester seminar course in collaboration with foreign mentors and the project team.

Yes, depending on the requirements and expectations of your graduate program. Please discuss this with the IRES-RR team to see if and how this might be coordinated or become an option.

Yes. The spring seminar course will be delivered in a 1-cr. format and require enrollment by IRES-RR participants. Moreover, depending on interest, a participant can receive research or internship credit either from Boise State University or from a student’s home institution for participation in other program components. Specifics vary depending on a student’s home institution, so finalists for program participation should discuss interests in receiving academic credit with the IRES-RR team after being selected as a finalist.

Yes, of course, depending on the specifics of your program. Please discuss this possibility with the IRES-RR program principals if you become a finalist and are interested in this possibility.

IRES-RR students will be in Spain at the CIMA site for ~8 weeks. CIMA maintains former military barracks and buildings for its main research campus near Tarifa, Spain. Students will be housed in these barracks, at times with interns from Spain and other countries. While modest, just like at many field research sites, each room is equipped with a bathroom/shower, dressers/closets, and beds. Bedding and towels are provided by CIMA.

A kitchen facility complete with refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, coffee machines, dry storage, plates, cups, and utensils is located adjacent to the barracks for use by student researchers. There is also a laundry facility with a washing machine available for student use.

Grocery stores are located within about a 25-minute walk, but the IRES-RR cohort of students will also have access to a vehicle for shopping and research travel. Generally, students cook and eat when their research projects allow, as schedules among students will vary.

The IRES-RR project will provide a laptop computer for students that may not have one for use during the duration of the project. Binoculars, spotting scopes, and bird guides as needed will also be provided to research teams prior to departure to Spain. Other research supplies will be provided at the field site in Spain.

The weather in southern Spain in summer is hot and at times windy, with dry and thorny vegetation. Field researchers in this area prefer casual clothing that breathes but also protects. Hats, sturdy shoes, water bottles, and sunscreen are important. Tarifa is also a popular tourist and beach town, located simultaneously on the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Students will likely want to bring swimwear for trips to the beach and  comfortable clothing to enjoy pleasant Spain evenings in town.

A complete list of recommended clothing and other items to bring to Spain will be provided to all IRES-RR participants after selection.

You can reach the Boise State University Raptor Research Center via email at IRES-RR@boisestate.edu and we will be happy to respond.