blah2009

I'm asking if others reused their essays. I didn't since it's my first time.

Did anyone reuse their essay from year's past? Or tweaked it very slightly? It seems like my research proposal is the only thing that needs broader impacts improvement. Everything else got good comments.

so...I got very good, very good, and excellent on my intellectual merit. And three goods for broader impacts...sigh. They tell me I need to discuss broader impacts more in my research statement, and potentially do more leadership and educational integration stuff. I spent so much time on broader impacts though. ugh.

so they hate civil engineers. they didn't give out a single additional award to civil engineers. But I knew it would be uneven beforehand. Congrats all!

i can't see anything either. how are you guys accessing it? and CONGRATS TO HIGGINS, you go girl!!!!

it's already been confirmed that additional awards will not be evenly distributed. I've heard this from the NSF GRFP director here even.

So I and a bunch of other grad students definitely spent time telling prospective students to go elsewhere if they wanted a Ph.D. this year, since funding is far from guaranteed here. I definitely wish someone had told me this when I was choosing schools.

In retrospect, I'm in a similar position. I was accepted to my current school as a MS/Ph.D student, but the department has bare minimum funding currently. And it doesn't look like I will be able to continue on for a ph.d. When I was applying, I was actually offered a 5 year deal with guaranteed funding at another school, but I very stupidly turned it down for a negligibly better school with just a masters guaranteed (sigh..hindsight).

=(.Man, if only any of you guys were in structural/civil engineering. I would definitely see if I could use any contacts I had to get you guys an RA or TA.

It definitely depends on the school and field. Most reputable engineering schools offer fully funded masters degrees in engineering. But like most, my summer is not being funded by the school. I had to find an internship (much easier said than done in this economy).

Hm...that sounds disingenuous for the school to do that. Did they offer you funding for the masters and have since run out? Or did you take this calculated risk? Either way, that sucks, and I'll be pulling for you for sure.

wait, are you guys serious? I assume you guys are currently in grad school, and will have a masters? Is it just not marketable?

what happened to that second choice lab? I hope you took that offer.

Hm...those dollar amounts are right on the mark. $115.06 million/$120000 = 950 fellows. An additional $45.56 million translates to 380 more fellows or 19% of the remaining pool getting something. Again, don't get your hopes up.

grfp website is down. here's hoping stuff is posted tomorrow.

At this point, i'm keeping up to date for friends and cheering them on. I've already accepted the fact that I'm not getting it but I am very curious to see my review sheets.

PS: Are you guys cheering for your friends to win? Almost as exciting as getting the decision is to see if friends have won.

From the director in a message to me: "We are very close to the release so I don't want to go on too far given the situation. Hang tight as we are very near announcement." Good luck guys. Should be any day now.

check here: http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php Looks mighty legit to me.

yea me too!, check the results section, it seems to be flowing in.

I said i wouldn't post here anymore, but a curious visit back here has made me realize how insane this place has gotten. Posters are still clinging to hope, when it's just not a good idea. It serves to set yourself up for bitter dissapointment and frustration down the road, instead of pleasant surprise. It's better to forget about this, and move on. Go with the 2nd choice lab. Perhaps more important than your interests, is your relationship with your PI. I'm in a similar position as you. Except, if I don't get a fellowship, I don't have any labs to join, as funding for structural engineering has dried up (this is at a top school too, it makes me wonder how the grant funding situation is at other schools). I've already resigned to the fact that I'm not getting it, and have started preparing for my summer internship (where I need to do well to get a job). Be very happy you even have the option to continue on for a Ph.D.

So yea...i think i'm gonna stop posting here. I came to the realization that I'm not gonna get it and have since made decisions that reflect this (i.e. getting a job this summer instead of looking for research). The final number probably won't amount to much. its best to come to terms with this early (and either be pleasantly surprised instead of bitterly dissapointed).

Definitive word after i sent the director an email with the tripling link: "Thanks for the reference. There are two things that are conflated in the GRF referenced. While the administration (and others) have argued for a tripling of the program, this will not happen this year and not off of ARRA funding. We will use some ARRA funding for additional fellowships this year (from applicants to the FY09 competition) and the actual funding mechanism will be parallel awards to the institutions that host GRF students. Each of the research directorates has a significant "education" portfolio within so one needs to be careful as to how additional fellowship funds are labeled. As to "substantial" increases, I cannot comment at this point since the negotiations are still not complete." Very interesting.

So I got an email from the director again. He states that NSF GRFP funding has been allocated from the ARRA allowing for "some" (verbatim) additional awards, but that the overall spending plan is still pending congressional approval. That tells us that there will be awards, again not sure how many. Hopefully, some does not describe the exact amount (i.e. close to a handful maybe..=)).

On second thought, it definitely sounds like the NSF GRFP, for this cycle, is being treated as research with submitted proposals, based on how the exception was stated directly after clarifying new proposal policies. Otherwise, there is absolutely no money going into GRFP as the none of the 100 million left remaining for human resources has been earmarked for fellowship programs (but rather on teaching and other programs to improve science learning among youth).