Wander

I did the same for proposed research but not in my personal, relevant background and future goals statement. Now I'm wondering whether I should

Question on how to structure the personal, relevant background and future goals statement: Is it a good idea to section this statement into something like Broader Impacts, Personal Statement and Past Experience to make the experience clear for reviewers? Or should I simply make the statement flow as a single entity and use bold to emphasize BI / IM etc? Just curious if anyone has received any advice about this from past applicants or from professors

From past threads, it looks like most applicants filled out the information only after they submitted their application. I know I found these threads useful in the past - so I do plan to fill it out - but perhaps not until after my applications are due. At that point it is all more or less public info (i.e. my CV) for anyone who cares to look anyway right?

As I understand it, this fellowship wasn't available last year but ran from 2009-2011. Anyone have any news on whether they will be accepting proposals this year? When did the application open during the years that it did accept proposals?

I agree with Eigen, but would also say that running it by a POI is extremely helpful. I'm doing that this time around (almost done writing it) and I plan to run it by my POI twice. I've done it once when I had the proposal fully developed, but not written and plan to do it once more when I have a final written draft. Ultimately, the advice I got was primarily on how to emphasize my ideas so that a reviewer skimming my proposal will pick up on everything and nothing will fall through the cracks.

I agree that citations in the proposed research are a no brainer. You need to justify where your proposed research fits into the literature and why it is relevant. You may lose valuable space, but there's not really an alternative.

I have a question about one section of the criteria: "In considering applications, reviewers are instructed to address the two Merit Review Criteria as approved by the National Science Board - Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts (NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide). Therefore, applicants must include separate statements on Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts in their written statements in order to provide reviewers with the information necessary to evaluate the application with respect to both Criteria as detailed below." Does the text in bold mean that we have to explicitly label a section in both our SoP and Proposal as IM and BI? Or only that we need to address both criteria in each of our essays?

I will, I'll be speaking with them starting at the end of this month-ish. Although I don't want to add to an already busy schedule of a professor I'm not even working with yet, I may bring up the idea (if they seem receptive) since I know funding is tight.

Thanks! I had seen the NASA NESSF grant before, but got somewhat mixed signals about whether it was for incoming students or only those already enrolled. It says that it may be for incoming students, but then goes on to require a faculty advisor sponsor in multiple places (which I may not yet have by the Feb 01 deadline, or at least not with enough time to put together a proposal). Do you have a sense of whether the NESSF is really for incoming students? Thanks for the suggestions though, I appreciate it (Especially if the EPA STAR is cut in 2014).

Hi Usmivka, I also saw that the NASA GSRP was ended. Do you know if any of the other NASA fellowships are appropriate for incoming earth sciences PhD students? Trying to find all appropriate fellowship opportunities given the budget cuts.

Thanks for the responses! I suppose I should have clarified that I'll be applying for programs in hydroclimatology, which is why I posted on this forum (I thought that emphasis on previous research from field to field may change). This helped clarify not only who I may want to approach for LoRs, but what I should be considering and communicating to them when I do ask for a LoR. Thanks again.

Hi Everyone, I am going to be applying next application cycle, and had a question about Letters of Recommendation. I have four professors that I'm considering, but since most places only take 3, I need to narrow it down. Prof A: Knows me personally, knows my research, all in all great LoR Prof B: Knows my work on the less relevant paper, and has collaborated with Prof A, but has worked with me less and knows me less well personally Prof C: Knows me personally, known me for 4 years, able to speak to my character and has worked with me quite a lot (although primarily EWB with supplementary research) Prof D: Knows me personally and has offered to write a glowing LoR without yet being asked, but has less experience working with me on research projects. Relevant info: I have one published paper that is relevant to what I would like to study and one submitted that is less relevant. Authors on the papers go as follows More relevant paper (published): Myself, Prof A, others Less relevant paper (submitted): Myself, Prof B, Prof A My question is, which profs should I focus on for getting my LoR from (setting aside for a moment the instances in which it depends on the school to which I'm applying). I appreciate the input! Good luck to you all in the coming weeks!