Hey. I have a few questions that I'm hoping someone can help me answer.
I graduated in 2007 from an itty bitty liberal arts school. I have a fair GPA, especially for my school, and as I initially wanted to go into medical practice, I have since taken a number of hard science-y classes – biochem, ochem, micro – and done well in all of them. I also have two ‘research experiences’ – an REU in 2006 at the U of MN in cognitive science, and a stint as a volunteer research assistant in 2010 at the U of MN, also cognitive science (but with adolescents instead.) So, while I did figure out that I do want to do research, and I do want to study medicine, I’ve done an about-face back to what I studied in undergrad - the History of Science (with a focus on History of Medicine, specifically the history of alternative and botanical medical practices in the US.) Lucky for me, the NSF does fund History of Science, though I am having trouble meeting someone who has received an award for that area in the past 10 years.
Does anyone have experience with successful NSF GRF applications from History of Science applicants? In my dream world, someone might have a sample research proposal from one of these people that I could stare at for a little while. I am fairly comfortable with the one I am working on, but any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Regarding LORs - I have two strong recommenders from undergrad and a fairly strong one from the woman with whom I did research most recently. So there are three right there. However, I’m not sure they’re the best three – partly because two are from undergrad professors. Should I try to obtain the third from my research advisor for the first REU, even though it was way far back? Or should I ask for a LOR from my mentor in western botanical herbalism, who does have many good things to say, does have a master’s in her field and teaches at two local colleges (which is as good as it gets, for an herbalist) and has the added advantage of knowing me more recently and being able to speak to something about the specific nature of what I want to study? Any advice is helpful.
Though my proposal for the I want to do is founded on work that other people have done/are doing, I haven’t done research in this area before in any technical sense, though I’ve sure studied the h* out of it. Too much of a stretch?
Thanks a bunch. Good luck to you all.
