coyote_wrangler

I managed to sign in. The GAD is the full number from the subject line of the 7/7/15 email from Receipt.Application@epa.gov.

I'm having problems signing in as well. I'm pretty sure I found the correct # in the subject line of an 7/7/15 email from Receipt.Application@epa.gov, because it matches the description below taken from the scgcorp.com website, but it still didn't work. "During that initial application process, you will be able to use your temporary PPRD (Policy, Planning and Review Division) number to access your Fellowship Information Inventory webpage. The PPRD number has 9 characters with no spaces. It starts with a capital alphabetical character, followed by two numbers, then another capital alphabetical character, then followed by five numbers (e.g. F50C12345)."

Just got a recommendation email as well!

@Amphibia4 'still' is kind of an ominous word. Did they imply they might give out less than 55?

Does anyone have a sense for how many applicants are left? That's a piece of information that would've been really nice for them to send after the first round of rejections. I wouldn't even have known that they completed a round of rejections without this forum!

Update on the EPA website: 2015 STAR Fellows are anticipated to be selected and notified of their award recommendation by late December and receive grant funding by late January.

Haven't heard a thing. This really sucks.

They just updated the EPA site. Seems like they finished with the GRO fellowships. 2015 STAR Fellows are anticipated to be selected and notified of their award recommendation by early December and receive grant funding by late December. 2015 GRO Fellows have been selected and notified of their award recommendation. Grant funding is anticipated by December.

Does anyone know their policy on deferring fellowships? If they don't allow it, they might need to make an exception given the weird timing.

My advisor (who's signed up as a reviewer) got word that they have to get through all their assigned applications by Sept. 2, after which there are a few days of web-conferencing to discuss the merits of each application. After that, I think the apps have to go back to the EPA for further evaluation. I would guess that means we wont here back until late September. Based on the delays, I'm hoping that they allow us to defer the start of the fellowship until the following fall. I have to make arrangements for other sources of funding before we hear back about the STAR, and I assume other people are in the same boat. Given that the acceptance rate is going to be 3-4%, it would be crazy not to!

So I got word from my advisor, who is signed up as a potential reviewer of STAR fellowship apps, that the process might be delayed a bit. She received the following in an email from the EPA a little over a week ago: "Thank you for registering as a potential reviewer for the EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Graduate Fellowship Program. Please note that the schedule for the review period has changed. The review period is now expected to begin in mid- to late August and continue through September. Depending on the number of applications to be reviewed per research topic, you will have 2-3 weeks to complete your individual evaluations prior to the virtual panel meetings (web meetings)." Looks like we won't be hearing back until after September...