I'm putting together my application materials now, and I think this is a tougher road to travel than the NSF GRFP because there is so little posted about it online. It's hard to find any advice or samples from past applicants. That said, it's an amazing fellowship so I'm still going for it!
I'm curious to know how others have fit citations within their application essays. With a 2250 character limit per essay, it seems tough to even do an abbreviated reference section for the "Field of Interest" statement.