Institute for Interdisciplinary Science (i4)

For more information about i4 programs and initiatives, please contact us at i4_institute@stedwards.edu 

OVERVIEW

The Institute for Interdisciplinary Science (i4) is currently coordinating PAID summer internships for NSCI students interested in working at non-profit or for-profit partners sites. These 8 - 10 week in-workplace or "remote" training opportunities are designed to expand the preparation of STEM students as they engage in research and development (R&D) projects in a high-paced and competitive setting. Additionally, these experiences allow students to learn about the professional expectations from an employer regarding job responsibilities, firm deadlines, budgetary constraints, and technical knowledge needed for a particular R&D project. 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

For participation in the Summer 2024 program applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are currently enrolled at St. Edward’s University in the School of Natural Sciences and will be entering their junior or senior year in Fall 2024.  At this time i4 cannot accept applications from graduating seniors (May 2024).

INTERNSHIP INFORMATION

• Pay: $16.25/hour (that is $6,500 if employed fulltime for 10 weeks, subject to applicable taxes based upon your employment status with St. Edward's University).
• Internship Period: Up to 10 weeks of fulltime employment (40 hours/week) during Summer 2024.
• Application Deadline: All applications must be received by Feb. 28, 2024.

Summer 2024 Call for Industry Partners, see: Call for Industry Partners.

Summer 2024 Internship Guidelines will become available in January 2024.

Summer 2024 Internship Industry Partners and Projects will become available in January 2024.

Internship Application for Summer 2024 will open on February 1st, 2024.

OVERVIEW

The Institute for Interdisciplinary Science (i4) is currently offering tuition awards for specialized training and micro-credentialing to NSCI undergraduates. These tuition awards will aid in the transition to the 4th industrial revolution workplace, allow St. Edward’s students to stay on pace with emerging technologies, and train future employees for the sophisticated  STEM labor market.

TUITION AWARD INFORMATION

This tuition award program provides three classes of tuition awards for certificates or micro-credentialing:

• Up to $250
• $251 to $1,000
• $1,001 to $2,000

Applications for tuition awards for certifications and micro-credentials are accepted throughout the year. While multiple applications may be submitted, we will prioritize impacting as many students as possible during any single grant year. There is a cap of $2000 per academic year per student.  Students typically receive feedback on their applications within two weeks.

All tuition award submissions must be associated to courses that grant certificates or micro-credentials and prepare students for the 4th Industrial Revolution. This tuition award is to be used for courses not offered at St. Edward’s University.

For tuition award categories and examples, see: CATEGORIES AND EXAMPLES

For tuition award applications and instructions, see: CALL FOR TUITION AWARDS

APPLY to submit a tuition award application. Please allow the i4 Review Team at least two weeks to review, prior to the start date of the training)

OVERVIEW

The Institute for Interdisciplinary Science (i4) supports a funding mechanism for the distribution of Research Opportunity Awards (ROAs).

During Summer 2022, we had 23 students and 10 faculty members participate in ROA-related work. Currently, the Institute is supporting four ROAs, led by 8 faculty members that will be working with their students during the academic year 2022-2023. These awards provide opportunities to facilitate the incorporation of emerging technologies and interdisciplinary science in faculty research and co-curricular undergraduate experiences.

ROA Frequently Asked Questions, see: ROA FAQs

ROA Application for new proposals is now closed.

OVERVIEW

The Institute for Interdisciplinary Science (i4) supports a funding mechanism for the distribution of Professional Development Grants (PDGs). The Institute has funded four PDGs that involved 9 faculty members, with one current project titled "Increasing the Opportunities for Inclusive Teaching Training".

The PDGs provide opportunities for faculty to expand or develop competencies recognized as key to success in educating the 21st century STEM workforce while preparing students for the 4th industrial revolution.

PDG Frequently Asked Questions, see: PDG FAQs

PDG Application for new proposals is now closed.

OVERVIEW

The Institute for Interdisciplinary Science (i4) is currently offering Professional Development Certifications for specialized training and micro-credentialing to NSCI Faculty and Staff. These Professional Development Certifications will aid in the transition to the 4th industrial revolution workplace, allowing St. Edward’s Faculty and Staff to stay on pace with emerging technologies and therefore train students to be future employees for the sophisticated  STEM labor market.

Applications for Professional Development Certifications and micro-credentials are accepted throughout the year. While multiple applications may be submitted, we will prioritize impacting as many Faculty and Staff as possible during any single grant year.  There is a cap of $2,000 per academic year per Faculty or Staff member. Applicants typically receive feedback on their applications within two weeks.

All Professional Development Certification submissions MUST be associated with courses that grant certificates or micro-credentials and prepare Faculty and Staff for the 4th Industrial Revolution. 

PDC Application Instructions, see: PDC CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

PDC Application for new proposals is now closed.

Lucian Symposium 2023 (co-sponsored by i4) - Three Keynote Speeches

Friday, September 29th, 2023 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (Carter Auditorium - JBWS 186)

Keynote Talk 1: "Optimizing pediatric cancer treatment and survivorship" by Dr. Joya Chandra. Video available here.

Keynote Talk 2: "Youth-onset type 2 diabetes: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and implications for health" by Dr. Elizabeth Jensen. Video available here.

Keynote Talk 3: "Using immunotherapeutic strategies to combat tumors" by Dr. Todd Triplett. Video available here.

NSCI Senior Symposium 2023 - Keynote Speaker Address

Friday, March 3rd, 2023 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (Carter Auditorium - JBWS 186)

Speaker: Dr. Brad Hayes, Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, director of the Collaborative AI and Robotics Lab, and the CTO of the Circadence Corporation

Talk Title: "Making our Future with Artificial Intelligence into One We Want"

Watch Dr. Hayes's keynote speech here, also available in 360 view here.

Documentary Screening "CODED BIAS" film

Watch Trailer

• Screening 1: Wednesday 3/01/2023 @ 5.00 pm at Carter Auditorium (JBWS 186)
• Screening 2: Thursday 3/02/2023 @ 3.30 pm at Carter Auditorium (JBWS 186)

Lucian Symposium 2022 (co-sponsored by i4) - Three Keynote Speeches

Friday, September 23th, 2022 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (Carter Auditorium - JBWS 186)

Keynote Talk 1: "The Art of Making Vaccines" by Dr. Alfredo G. Torres. Check out the video in 360 View.

Keynote Talk 2: "Vaccine Hesitancy: it doesn’t matter if the vaccine works if nobody gets it" by Dr. Julie Bettinger. Check out the video in 360 View. 

Keynote Talk 3: "Mapping global and local trends in vaccine confidence" by Dr. Alex Dr. De Figueiredo. 

NSCI Senior Symposium 2022 - Keynote Speaker Address

Friday, March 25th, 2022 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (Carter Auditorium - JBWS 186)

Speaker: Dr. Ilya J. Finkelstein, Associate Professor of Molecular Biosciences,  UT Austin

Talk Title: "COVID-19: Viruses, Vaccines, and Variants"

Watch Dr. Finkelstein's keynote speech here, also available in 360 view here

NSCI Senior Symposium 2021 - Keynote Speaker Address

Friday, March 5th, 2021 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (Virtual Zoom Event)

Speaker: Dr. France A. Córdova, former NSF Director

Talk Title: "One Woman's Response to Challenges in Science Leadership"

Watch Dr. Córdova's keynote speech here

Documentary Screening "PICTURE A SCIENTIST" film

Watch Trailer

Watch Movie (SEU credentials required)

You can also scan this QR code with your mobile device's camera to watch it on your smartphone or tablet.

Global Health Challenges Symposium

September 25, 2020: 8:50am - 12 Noon, St. Edward's University

Speaker: Juliano Calil, MESM, PhD., Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Virtual Planet Technologies

Talk Title: Using Virtual Reality in Climate Adaptation

NSCI Senior Symposium 2020 - Keynote Speaker Address

Friday, February 28, 2020 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm in Jones Auditorium

Speaker: Thong Nguyen, Tech Entrepreneur, Business Leader and TEDxMinneapolis Curator

Talk Title: Out of Our Minds: Creating Futures That Don't Exist Yet

Watch event in 360 View (for best results, watch with VR Goggles)

Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion: "Human Nature"

Thursday, November 7, 2019 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm in Jones Auditorium, St. Edward's University

INFO SESSIONS

Want to know more about i4?

The i4 Team is available to speak to faculty and students regarding upcoming i4 funding opportunities. These include Tuition Awards, Internships, and faculty Research Opportunity Awards (ROAs) and Professional Development Grants (PDGs) for tenured and tenure-track NSCI faculty. Please email us at i4_institute@stedwards.edu to schedule a meeting or presentation with us.

i4 interns, Saraya AlSaffar (Bioinformatics ’23), Jacob Brandis (Computer Science ’23), and Madison Pierre (Computer Science ’23), were featured in the St. Edward's news article sharing their internship experience during Summer 2022.

Launching Students into STEM Careers

i4 student Sabur Khan ’22 featured in the St. Edward's magazine who talked about his experience interning at VMware, an opportunity made available through i4. The internship ultimately led to a full-time job offer with VMware. Congratulations Sabur.

A Day at St. Edward's with Sabur Khan

i4 student Ruvi Jaimes '22 representing St. Edward's University at an HSI Roundtable with Texas Senator John Cornyn

Central Texas universities highlight federal support for Hispanic students

i4 leadership team member Dr. Andrea Holgado and i4 student Ruvi Jaimes interviewed by CBS Austin: Hispanic Heritage Month: Latinas in tech community grows in Austin

Hispanic Heritage Month: Latinas in tech community grows in Austin

The Institute for Interdisciplinary Science (i4) is among the Top 10 Reasons for Hilltop Pride

St. Edward’s Is Ranked a Top 10 University in the Western Region, again

Summer 2021 Intern Student Highlights:

Interns' highlight videos sorted by industry partner:

VMware  |  TCEQ  |  USDA-GTAC   NEON  |  Macromoltek  |  The Nature Conservancy

Summer 2020 Intern Student Highlights:

Interns Interview Video (2020)

Summer 2019 Intern Student Highlights:

Interns Interview Video (2019)

Karlee Bradley (intern '19): How a Tree’s Life can Change an Ecosystem: Plant Phenology, Gypsy Moths, and Heat Accumulation

Stella Cunningham (intern '19): A Summer Internship Connects Stella Cunningham ’21 to the City of Austin and a Possible Career

Hilltop Views - "Human Nature" November 2019:

Professionals, students talk upsides and downfalls of DNA editing through CRISPr

St. Edward’s University Receives $1.5 Million STEM Grant from the National Science Foundation