**How to Contact Prospective Hosts**

**East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes**

**For U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI)\
**

**Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan**

Identifying potential hosts and making initial contact with them can be
challenging and intimidating for some graduate students. The payoff for
successful communication with prospective hosts is the increased
likelihood that graduate students will realize their first choice in
host sites. The following guidance is offered to help graduate students
successfully make contact with prospective hosts.

1\. Students may approach hosts at nearly any academic or research
institution in a participating location. If you are having trouble
identifying a host, you may start the process of searching for specific
hosts by visiting institutional web sites appropriate to your interests.
Many of these web sites are listed at:

> <http://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/eapsi-host-lists-all.jsp>

If your desired host is not listed on the web site, the host may still
be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students who have identified a
potential host at an institution not listed are encouraged to coordinate
with EAPSI staff (e-mail: <eapinfo@nsf.gov>) to determine the
possibility of receiving support.

2\. As appropriate, utilize and adapt the templates below (i.e.,
"Applicant Profile Form," "Fax Cover Sheet," and "Letter of Introduction
from EAPSI Applicant") to initiate contact with your potential host
scientist.

3\. If the potential host institution has no directory of e-mail
addresses for its researchers, but a fax number instead, transmit your
materials by fax with a request to forward them to the appropriate
scientist, office or laboratory.

4\. Be certain to include a completed applicant profile with your
initial contact letter. This will be very helpful to the host scientist
in evaluating your suitability, and in deciding to offer you a letter of
invitation.

5\. Maintain communication with your potential host scientist. It may
require more than one exchange to establish mutual interest and to
negotiate an invitation. A template for a "Letter of Invitation from
Potential Host" is provided below for the potential host\'s use, if
needed.

6\. Please keep EAPSI staff (e-mail: <eapinfo@nsf.gov>) informed of your
progress in communication, even after the application deadline date. The
demonstration of mutual interest (through an invitation letter, for
example) can be useful during the matching process which occurs in the
weeks after application evaluation.

7\. Be creative in your use of the web and scientific literature
databases. Look up scientific reports from potential hosts to learn more
about their research. For those applicants with access to on-line
databases (Biological Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts, Medline, etc.), use
a search engine to locate articles where: (1) the citation title or
abstract contain key words relevant to your interest AND (2) the
author\'s address field contains one or more potential host
institutions. Locate contact information for the particular
author-scientists in your search results from the institution\'s web
site.

8\. Contact EAPSI staff (e-mail: <eapinfo@nsf.gov>; or telephone:
703-292-4771) if you have questions or need special assistance.

## East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI)

### Applicant Profile

+----------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| **APPLICANT**  | 　                                                  |
+----------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| Name:\         | 　                                                  |
| \              |                                                     |
| Institution:\  |                                                     |
| \              |                                                     |
| Department:\   |                                                     |
| \              |                                                     |
| Mailing        |                                                     |
| Address:       |                                                     |
|                |                                                     |
| Phone:\        |                                                     |
| \              |                                                     |
| Fax:\          |                                                     |
| \              |                                                     |
| E-mail:        |                                                     |
+----------------+-----------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------+---------------------------------------------+
| **EDUCATION**          | 　                                          |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------------+
| **Undergraduate        | 　                                          |
| Institution:\          |                                             |
| \                      |                                             |
| Department/Major       |                                             |
| Field:\                |                                             |
| \                      |                                             |
| Degree:\               |                                             |
| \                      |                                             |
| Graduation Year:**     |                                             |
|                        |                                             |
| **Graduate             |                                             |
| Institution:\          |                                             |
| \                      |                                             |
| Department/Major       |                                             |
| Field:\                |                                             |
| \                      |                                             |
| Degree Program:\       |                                             |
| \                      |                                             |
| Expected Graduation    |                                             |
| Year:**                |                                             |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH INTERESTS**                                 |
|                                                                       |
| **\                                                                   |
| **                                                                    |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  **COURSEWORK IN RESEARCH INTEREST AREA\
  (List titles only of relevant coursework, seminars, etc.):\
  \
  \
  \
  \
  \
  \
  \
  \
  \
  \
  \
  \
  **

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

　　

# F A X

+----------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
| **Date:\       | **East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S.  |
| \              | Graduate Students (EAPSI)**                         |
| \              |                                                     |
| TO:\           |                                                     |
| \              |                                                     |
| \              |                                                     |
| FAX No.:\      |                                                     |
| \              |                                                     |
| \              |                                                     |
| FROM:**        |                                                     |
|                |                                                     |
| **RE:**        |                                                     |
+----------------+-----------------------------------------------------+

**\
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No. of pages (including this cover sheet):**

**Notes:**

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**

**Letter of Introduction from:**

**EAPSI in Australia Applicant**

　

Dear \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,

I am a graduate student at \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[institution\] studying
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[research interest(s)\]. I will apply to the East
Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in
Australia for summer \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. This program is
supported in Australia by the Australian Academy of Science.

I have read about your research studies on the
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[name of institution\] web
site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own
research interests are \[similar or complementary\] to yours. I have
included with this letter a profile of my interests for your
information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in the summer of
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. I would be pleased to discuss the
possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Institute in Australia
is available on-line through the U.S. National Science Foundation web
site at: <http://www.nsf.gov/eapsi>

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,

(Your signature)

**Letter of Introduction from:**

**EAPSI in China Applicant**

　

Dear \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,

I am a graduate student at \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[institution\] studying
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[research interest(s)\]. I will apply to the East
Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in China
for summer \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. This program is supported in
China by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and National Natural Science
Foundation of China (NSFC).

I have read about your research studies on the
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[name of institution\] web
site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own
research interests are \[similar or complementary\] to yours. I have
included with this letter a profile of my interests for your
information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in the summer of
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. I would be pleased to discuss the
possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Institute in China is
available on-line through the U.S. National Science Foundation web site
at: <http://www.nsf.gov/eapsi>

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,

(Your signature)

**Letter of Introduction from:**

**EAPSI in Japan Applicant**

Dear \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,

I am a graduate student at \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[institution\] studying
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[research interest(s)\]. I will apply to the East
Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in
Japan for summer \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. This program is
supported in Japan by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
(JSPS) through the Graduate University of Advanced Studies (Soken-dai).

I have read about your research studies on the
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[name of institution\] web
site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own
research interests are \[similar or complementary\] to yours. I have
included with this letter a profile of my interests for your
information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in the summer of
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. I would be pleased to discuss the
possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Program in Japan is
available on-line through the U.S. National Science Foundation web site
at: <http://www.nsf.gov/eapsi>

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,

(Your signature)

**Letter of Introduction from:**

**EAPSI in Korea Applicant**

Dear \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,

I am a graduate student at \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[institution\] studying
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[research interest(s)\]. I will apply to the East
Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in Korea
for summer \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. This program is supported in
Korea by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF).

I have read about your research studies on the
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[name of institution\] web
site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own
research interests are \[similar or complementary\] to yours. I have
included with this letter a profile of my interests for your
information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in the summer of
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. I would be pleased to discuss the
possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Institute in Korea is
available on-line through the U.S. National Science Foundation web site
at: <http://www.nsf.gov/eapsi>

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,

(Your signature)

**Letter of Introduction from:**

**EAPSI in New Zealand Applicant**

　

Dear \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,

I am a graduate student at \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[institution\] studying
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[research interest(s)\]. I will apply to the East
Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in China
for summer \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. This program is supported in
New Zealand by the Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ).

I have read about your research studies on the
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[name of institution\] web
site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own
research interests are \[similar or complementary\] to yours. I have
included with this letter a profile of my interests for your
information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in the summer of
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. I would be pleased to discuss the
possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Institute in New
Zealand is available on-line through the U.S. National Science
Foundation web site at: <http://www.nsf.gov/eapsi>

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,

(Your signature)

**Letter of Introduction from:**

**EAPSI in Singapore Applicant**

Dear \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,

I am a graduate student at \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[institution\] studying
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[research interest(s)\]. I will apply to the East
Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in China
for summer \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. This program is supported in
Singapore by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

I have read about your research studies on the
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[name of institution\] web
site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own
research interests are \[similar or complementary\] to yours. I have
included with this letter a profile of my interests for your
information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in the summer of
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. I would be pleased to discuss the
possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Institute in Singapore
is available on-line through the U.S. National Science Foundation web
site at: <http://www.nsf.gov/eapsi>

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,

(Your signature)

**Letter of Introduction from:**

**EAPSI in Taiwan Applicant**

Dear \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,

I am a graduate student at \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[institution\] studying
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[research interest(s)\]. I will apply to the East
Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students in Taiwan
for summer \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. This program is supported in
Taiwan by the Taiwan National Science Council (NSC).

I have read about your research studies on the
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[name of institution\] web
site. I am interested in the work performed in your laboratory. My own
research interests are \[similar or complementary\] to yours. I have
included with this letter a profile of my interests for your
information.

I hope that you might be able to host me in the summer of
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[year\]. I would be pleased to discuss the
possibilities with you. Information on the Summer Institute in Taiwan is
available on-line through the U.S. National Science Foundation web site
at: <http://www.nsf.gov/eapsi>

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,

(Your signature)

**Invitation Letter from Potential Host**

Dear \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_,

Thank you for your communication of
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ \[date\].

If you are successful in your application for the EAPSI program, I would
like you to work in my laboratory during the summer.

Based on our mutual research interests, I will be able to provide
necessary laboratory facilities and supplies for your work.

Sincerely,

(Your signature)