gellert

Figured I'd start one of these for this year.... Still waiting to hear back from the SBE Directorate. Anyone else still in the waiting boat?

The email from Rick said we needed to secure transportation with US flag airlines, and linked to the Fly America Act. However, the FAA also states that you can use int'l airlines with US gov't funding if their countries are in a bilateral/multilateral Open Skies Agreement. So if your country has signed one of these agreements, I take this to mean you can fly with one of their national airlines?

I cold emailed. I had an idea of the type of thing I wanted to study, but not a specific experimental design. After he said he'd be interested, I came up with five designs which I emailed him, and we then discussed over Skype which research line made the most sense and would be most practical to implement in 12 months.

Oh my god, it's absolutely mad that some of you are still waiting to hear. Fingers crossed you find out soon.

Sweden, I hope you're ready for me -- just got the email from Rick!

Congrats, Norway people!! eta: And Australia!

I don't have SAD, but I have medication-resistant depression, so I feel ya. I've been in remission for a while, but lately I've just been so stressed and anxious that I'm worried it's resurfacing. In some ways it's nice it's summer because at least I don't have to worry about as many rigidly-scheduled responsibilities, but on the other hand, it's miserable seeing how relaxed and happy everyone else is while I'm still toiling away under this dark cloud.

Waiting on Sweden here. Fingers crossed for everyone!

Congrats guys! Japan is on top of their game this year.

I may be able to get funding from my host regardless, so I'm pretty sure I'm going, but I haven't made any definite plans yet. I may think of applying to EAPSI in the future though! But my prospective host country is in Europe, so not this year.

Assuming no one else has heard anything yet either. Fingers crossed it's soon!

I proposed early September, partly because I saw how crazy last year's result releases were. I really hope we find out soon, though -- it'd be nice to know before we have to submit the AAR.

Apply the reviewers' comments, within reason -- you are unlikely to have the same reviewers next cycle. Your proposal in general should be improved commensurate with your greater experience as a second year student. For BI, try finding more concrete outreach, and then performing it. This could mean mentoring students 1:1, talking about science on a public platform (blog, lectures in elementary/middle/high schools), or finding ways that any disadvantage from your own background has influenced your career and will contribute to your research being able to enhance the experiences of other disadvantaged people. You can't overdo BI in my experience. To the degree that BI can be integrated into both your research proposal and your personal statement, that's optimal.

Does anyone's fastlane status say anything besides "Awaiting NSF approval" yet?

"2015 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Application Notification" is what it said last year. It doesn't really give anything away in the subject line, which is good or bad depending on your perspective.