ughgradschool!

It looks like the tweet was right about the 2014 budget...from http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2014-budget-brief • Research decreases include: • $16.4 million from STAR/GRO fellowships, consistent with the Administration’s proposal for comprehensive reorganization of STEM programs to increase the outcomes of Federal investments in graduate fellowships and undergraduate education The administration's proposal being....http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy-2014-justification-appropriation-estimates-committee-appropriations The Administration is proposing a comprehensive reorganization to facilitate a cohesive national strategy of STEM education programs to increase the impact of Federal investments in four areas: K-12 instruction; undergraduate education; graduate fellowships; and education activities that typically take place outside the classroom. The reorganization involves consolidating or restructuring 90 programs across 11 agencies and improving the delivery, impact, and visibility of STEM efforts. Nearly $180 million will be redirected from consolidated programs to the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Smithsonian Institution to implement initiatives in the four core reform areas. The Administration will ensure that all science mission agencies have input into the development and implementation of these initiatives so that they align with agency goals while improving STEM education at all levels in a streamlined way. As part of this effort, funding for EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) and Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) fellowships will be consolidated at NSF. For many of you that may shift may be ok - as you may fit well with both NSF and EPA Star. But I already have an M.S. and so am ineligible for an NSF pre-doc. And in terms of writing a large grant that could include funding for myself...well, I am a heavily applied scientist, and NSF is less heavily skewed that way... Where oh where will us heavily applied folks go? So good luck peeps. My feelings of "well, maybe there's a chance..." are gone, and so I am done obsessively checking this forum! Which is probably for the best - I might actually get a little more work done! Good luck everyone!

I agree with withoutwords. I have worked for the feds enough to know how often missing deadlines is the norm, and that wasn't even under the current funding crisis. And since they seemed to work through the awards by FON, last year there were some folks getting envelopes of doom at the same time others were getting the award... So if they were really awarding them, and we don't know it because people really were staying silent this year, then we would at least have a person or two report the envelope of doom too (btw, I really love whoever started calling it that!!). I'm ok with the wait - but isn't it kind of lame that they haven't even posted a generic "Award decisions will be delayed indefinitely due to sequestration..." on their website? Even something that more or less tells us nothing, would be better than the current total lack of information. Seems kind of disrespectful to people who put a ton of work into their applications.... Throw us a bone, EPA!!!

I think I wrote this before...but last year I got an excellent, good and a fair- and I still didn't get it til June. So I was not at all "in the running" yet it still took that long to get the envelope... I think it's too early to read anything (good or bad) into not having news yet. Especially with the sequestration...

Has anyone had the cojones to bug the contact people? I can't get myself to do it - because I don't want to hear what is likely bad news!

Yeah, those dates are very fluid. I also got last year's rejection in June...so it can take awhile. And I didn't even make the first cut - so its not like I got it late because I was one of the last contenders. It can just take awhile for them to get the paperwork out. So if you don't get a phone call when you hear other people are - I think you can assume you were not a winner. Like last year, even though I didn't get my actual rejection letter until mid-June, I think all of the decisions were made much earlier (April/early May). So yes the sequestration could delay the whole process, but keep in mind - if a lot of time (like a month) goes by from when other's start getting calls and you don't - its probably not the sequestration, you probably just didn't make the cut. I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer! I just don't want any first-time applicants to get their hopes up through mid-June like...ahem....some people did last year! Good luck everyone who is not in my FON! Just kidding - good luck EVERYONE!!

ahem - by "there" I meant "their" - perhaps this sort of thing is why I didn't get the fellowship??? Ha!

evr13, your positive outlook is inspiring!!! Though I feel pretty comfortable in my defeat . I'll call them tomorrow and post if I hear anything new. As a side note...I talked to a friend who had been an EPA fellow years before, and he said that amongst his fellow awardees, he didn't recall ANYONE who had gotten it there first time around, nor anyone who was actually an "ED" (i.e. entering doctoral) - as they prefer to award to folks who are already a few years into their PhDs. He said folks like me who went the wacky route of getting a master's first and applying as a means to start their PhD is far, far less common... If there is a bias that way it would be nice if they'd let ya know!!!

Well, looking_for_the_rainbow, I have checked out the website and only found an email address for the technical contact. (And not surprisingly my email has gone un-answered). So if you have the actual number that you called the contact with, I think many of us would find that useful.

So....I hate to be a Negative Nelly, but I myself am throwing in the towel & giving up all hope, considering the following info. This is from a 2011 post (about a 2010 award): Posted 08 May 2011 - 04:35 AM Hi everybody. I was in your shoes last year and thought I'd speak up now. I'm in the 2010 class of STAR fellows and have some insight to share on the award notification process. I'll summarize my experience from last year; take from my account what you will. April 7 - I received an email from an EPA address with a subject line that says "call me at [phone number]" and there was no body text. I called immediately and spoke to the person who is now my project officer. He said "if we offer you this award, will you accept it? The paperwork process is extensive and time-consuming and we want to be sure you're not accepting another fellowship (i.e. NSF GRF, DoD, etc.)." Upon my verbal confirmation, he notified me that the notification was not "formal" and it was "illegal" for me to publicly discuss my award (only adviser, family) until 1) my "final" application had been filed (see original description of process above or in RFP) 2) my contract had been offered, signed, and accepted, and 3) my congressperson (representative) had a 7-day period to make a public announcement about the award. Super weird, right? Basically he wouldn't even fully admit I was getting the award. ~June 5 - the "new" online system for the final application went live and I completed that step. ~July 15 - contract arrives; I signed it and shipped it back overnight ~August 10 - "formal" acknowledgement of award via letter. Basically, that sounds to me like people who got the award probably know already, and just aren't talking, because they can't. I suppose its possible they will still award a few others if people turn them down, but I am not holding my breath! And so for me ends the daily obsession with the mailbox and this thread. If it turns out there are still awards to be had, I wish you all luck!!

Yeah the 80 awards is definitely right for 2012...was just curious on how many of us were competing for that . I guess it doesn't really help me to know that number for sure - it just fuels my obsessing!!!

Anybody know how many applicants they got/usually get? I can't find anything about that on the website...