Heat_her_bee

Yep. Both the monthly stipend (recieved August 29) and the tuition and expenses money to my school (also recieved on August 29).

Surprisingly just got an email from Brandon yesterday saying that I am being offered an award. I guess they are still trickling in as paperwork goes through. Crazy.

Bummer, no email here. Congrats to those that received emails. FINALLY the waiting game is over!

Well, I guess we will all get our awesome phone calls tomorrow.

That would just be cruel.

I totally see where you are coming from @suttonp et al. Still, the EPA (unlike the NSF) do not traditionally offer non-monetary recognition. There is no history of "honorable mention" with the EPA STAR so I wouldn't expect them to budge on that, especially now that it seems like they are actually going to make monetary awards. I am sure that you can still receive your reviews from the external review process after all is said and done.

here we go again!!

From Brandon today in response to an email begging for any information on an expected decision date. More of the same, but he is quick to respond which I really appreciate. I am sure feeling just as annoyed with the process as we are (well almost just as annoyed). "We do not have a timeline as of yet for decisions, but the budget is making its way through the Agency approval process, so I'm hopeful to at least hear about STAR by the end of the month or first week of March. Who knows at this point, but at least there's a budget."

This is all starting to seem like a joke to me.

No idea. Though he doesn't seem like the entirely sarcastic type to me.

I emailed Brandon early last week. He said, "As you can imagine, things are happening at almost the speed of light. Unfortunately, there has been no decision on the 2013 STAR Fellowship awards. Many things are tied to the budget and now that we are under another partial Continuing Resolutions, that has added further wrinkles. Sorry, I don’t have better news."

It is my understanding that they have to make a decision before the new budget passes. They lose all the money they don't spend or plan to spend from last budget year. So, we should have an answer imminently.

Any news? Seems to me they have to make a decision before the end of the month.

hmmm, I'd still just rather have the money

Emailed Brandon again today and he said, "There has been no change in the information." Apparently the late rejection letter was a fluke? Crazy.

Not incorrect address. Postmarked last week.

No details really. Though I found out the rejection package went to a VA address (not GA) so maybe we can expect something early this week? Who knows.

Oddly I heard that a colleague got a rejection in the mail this week... Maybe they are sending out another round? She's in GA.

Yep. I got the email too. So crazy that they are taking so long to figure this out.

From the looks of things (based on the 2014 budget proposal) the EPA funding will be cut more and the NSF funding will increase a bit. I assume this translates to bad news for EPA STAR and sustained funding for the GRFP. Hard to say. http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/politics/president-obamas-2014-budget-proposal/94/

Not to be cynical monocerosrhinoceros, but I'm not sure there will be an award next year, or this year for that matter.

B2 in California, no letter.

Hey igresqc. In my experience (this is my 4th year applying) that means that you made it to the final round. There were two years that I only had one review and they explained that after the external review they send back to EPA and get an internal review and make the final selection there. I assume it is the same this year.

Hi All. Anyone left waiting, I just talked to Brandon jones and he said that all awards have now been accepted and we can expect our rejection packets in the next week. They wait 2 weeks from initial offer calls to send some rejections so that they have backups. So, be proud of yourself for being a runner up. Also in response to above...every year we have at least 1 EPA awarded in our department. True they have limited funding but that is the name of the game yes?

Another day, another empty mailbox.