NSF GRFP 2021-2022

[Polish Postman]

Awarded— IM: E/E/VG,  BI: E/E/E

honestly I’m more relieved than I am happy because of how much I’ve been worrying about this. But that’s also probably because I’m tired and it’s past my bedtime

Edited April 4, 2022 by Polish Postman

[soupnazi]

Congrats to all those who won the award! I got HM (IM: VG/E/E; BI: E/E/E). It was sort of a long shot coming from an interdisciplinary field, but glad I shot my shot anyway! 

[EchoTheCat]

I didn’t get the fellowship  I’m really sad because the professor whose lab I wanted to join at one school that I could really see myself at isn’t recruiting students next year and I was hoping that he might have been willing to take me if I got the fellowship. Now my grad school decision became that much harder. I so wish that this person was recruiting...  

I guess I have to tell my lab mates that helped me with my application too, I so wanted to tell them that I had been successful...

 

[frightenedrabbit]

5 minutes ago, EchoTheCat said:

I didn’t get the fellowship  I’m really sad because the professor whose lab I wanted to join at one school that I could really see myself at isn’t recruiting students next year and I was hoping that he might have been willing to take me if I got the fellowship. Now my grad school decision became that much harder. I so wish that this person was recruiting...  

I guess I have to tell my lab mates that helped me with my application too, I so wanted to tell them that I had been successful...

 

I see where you're coming from. I had so many people helping me on this from across the country such as postdocs of my PIs collaborators but I've learned a great deal.  Are you able to accept an offer with funding at least?

[WiSTEM22]

Not recommended - IM: E/F/E BI: VG/G/E

I really don’t understand my second reviewer. It was obvious that they didn’t understand key processes in my research while the other two reviewers did. 

[nerd_inthe_wild]

Congrats to this year's GRFP Fellows! And for those who didn't get it, keep your chin up! There will be more opportunities for you along your journey, and always remember that your merit doesn't need to be validated by reviewers!

I'm very pleased with my HM and hats off to all of you that I'm sure will do great things!

[nuttynuttynut]

HOLY SHIT. I GOT THE FELLOWSHIP. I CAN LEAVE TEXAS. JESUS HALLELUJAH. 

[jemmasimms]

Awarded with E/E and VG/VG -- did anyone else only have two reviewers? Not that I'm complaining, but I found it odd.

I'm honestly shocked I got awarded the fellowship-- both reviewers had several valid criticisms of my proposal that, upon reflection, I whole-heartedly agree with. I wonder how much of the process is a numbers game-- I had several undergraduate publications and a very high GPA when applying.

Congrats to all HM and awardees! And to those who didn't receive the news they were hoping for, keep the faith! What two or three people think of you based on what little piece of you they could learn from your application does not equate to your potential as a scientist or as a person more than capable of influencing your field.

[lepidopterista]

Not recommended - IM: VG/E/G & BI: VG/VG/P

Not sure why reviewer 3 had it out for me. They said that me wanting to mentor queer undergrads because of how I benefited from having a queer advisor was exclusionary ??‍♂️. Always next year! 

Congrats to everyone who was awarded or got an HM ?!

Edited April 4, 2022 by lepidopterista

[thaiteasy]

I got honorable mention! I don't feel sad at all that I didn't get the award, it just feels nice to be recognized.

IM: VG/E/VG BI: VG/VG/BG

Congrats to those who was awarded! 

[Rajdoj]

Not recommended. IM: VG/VG/G; BI: E/G/VG. Sad. But at least got the NDSEG, so not entirely sad. Cheers to everyone who got it. 
 

Overall it was a good experience too.

[Ksoto1]

I got a HM, IM:VG/VG/VG,,BI:E/E/E. Did anyone notice they only gave 2,193 awards? They said they were giving 2,500. Definitely could of made a difference for HM to getting the award 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Ksoto1

[hopefulastro]

Not awarded, not even an HM! IM: E/VG/E, BI: E/VG/E. I do not understand their process - how do some with lower ratings get HM or are awarded? Reviewer 1 also said I had an excellent GPA and reviewer 3 said I had very strong letters ☹️

[ContentLad]

The Excellent/Very Good and so on part of the reviewer comments is just part of the consideration. They also normalize each reviewers responses across all the applicants they reviewed to a score and apply that score to your application. It’s kinda behind the scenes but it’s supposed to make it so someone who is harsh on everyone doesn’t bring down an applicant. If that reviewer never gave anyone an “Excellent” then basically their “Very Good” will be considered an Excellent for that application. But it will still say “Very Good” because they won’t change their comments on it. 
 

I think people who got mostly E with a couple or few VG scores and didn’t get it could have had reviewers who gave out a lot of E/VG. Or not, who knows. It’s just something to consider.

[davidtorres]

E/E/E E/VG/E - Not Awarded hah

One of the reviewers stated that "This is one of the best applications he has reviewed"
 

I do feel a bit cheated. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by davidtorres

[drosophila_anon]

Honorable Mention! G/VG VG/VG E/E. For Life Sciences-Neuroscience. Reviewer one did not understand my technique at all which is baffling because it's a fairly well known technique. He asked me to clarify how I would control for something that is already controlled for within the technique sooo...

But I am so stoked! I got HM for both Ford and GRFP. I am lucky enough to be in a lab with ample funding. For me this was about the fact that I had given up a fellowship at another "more science-y/slightly more prestigious program" to attend my current school for the vibes. I made the right decision 100%. I was hoping to get the award because it would have gotten rid of any regret I was holding on to.

Oh well!

[PhantomBean]

Awarded! IM: E/E/VG BI: VG/VG/VG

I applied last year and got better ratings (and no award/HM) but my comments were better and more complementary! Applied under Geosciences- Biological Oceanography. The ratings can be confusing because I arguably got higher ratings last year, but NSF assigns each reviewer a z-score based on how "tough" a reviewer they are. Last year I got easy reviewers who gave out more Es, this year I guess I got harder reviewers who still liked me application.

Congrats to all the awardees and HM! And if you didn't get it this year--don't give up! Applying on it's own is a huge accomplishment, and if you're eligible, use the feedback and make it stronger for next time.

[whatta_nerd]

Honorable Mention-IM: E/E/E BI:G/F/G

Got wrecked on broader impacts, they would've liked to see more leadership apparently. All 3 reviewers mentioned the proposal was one of the best they've read, which maybe is why i got an HM instead of no award. Guess that's not bad for my only shot at applying ?

[fionaapplebottomjeans]

Awarded!! IM: E/E/E BI: E/VG/E (Applied under Biomedical Engineering)

Can't believe I fell asleep 10 minutes before the email was sent out :,) Got to wake up to good news though, which was so  nice!

Congrats to everyone else that was awarded! And best of luck to those applying next year! 

[ryanleh]

3 hours ago, davidtorres said:

E/E/E E/VG/E - Not Awarded hah

One of the reviewers stated that "This is one of the best applications he has reviewed"
 

I do feel a bit cheated. 

That's actually the worst, I'm sorry Definitely re-apply if you can! I had an almost identical situation last cycle, but after tweaking my research statement and re-applying I got the award It seems that much of it simply has to do with the set of reviewers you get.

Edited April 4, 2022 by ryanleh

[frightenedrabbit]

28 minutes ago, ryanleh said:

That's actually the worst, I'm sorry Definitely re-apply if you can! I had an almost identical situation last cycle, but after tweaking my research statement and re-applying I got the award It seems that much of it simply has to do with the set of reviewers you get.

It seems like my reviewers really liked my application too, but I think they fixated a little on my lower GPA(3.25)/change of major. I did manage a 360 and even have a publication that's been accepted first semester out of undergrad, so I will keep on trying and reapply for my second year of grad school! The new institution I'm going to for my PhD will give me many opportunities. 

*Edit

I want to clarify that I applied as an undergrad and will be starting grad this fall. Is it a good idea to wait until 2023 to start my next application? By then I believe I'll have a good grasp on my project. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by frightenedrabbit
clarification/asked question

[davidtorres]

28 minutes ago, ryanleh said:

That's actually the worst, I'm sorry Definitely re-apply if you can! I had an almost identical situation last cycle, but after tweaking my research statement and re-applying I got the award It seems that much of it simply has to do with the set of reviewers you get.

Im a second year so I can't reapply unfortunately

But the fact the reviews liked my application made me feel a bit better!

[OKResearcher]

Honorable Mention - VG/E from all my reviewers.

Even though I didn't get the award, I'm extremely happy reading my reviews. I had a rough undergrad (due to external circumstances) that led to a rough GPA (~3.4). A lot of that was balanced out by my research experience and strong references. Regardless, all my reviewers explicitly stated I will become a great scientist and educator, partially due to my perseverance and drive. I couldn't have asked for anything better to hear.

Edited April 4, 2022 by OKResearcher

[LaserFreak16]

23 minutes ago, OKResearcher said:

Honorable Mention - VG/E from all my reviewers.

Even though I didn't get the award, I'm extremely happy reading my reviews. I had a rough undergrad (due to external circumstances) that led to a rough GPA (~3.4). A lot of that was balanced out by my research experience and strong references. Regardless, all my reviewers explicitly stated I will become a great scientist and educator, partially due to my perseverance and drive. I couldn't have asked for anything better to hear.

Same situation, HM, VG/E across the board, decent reviews. In my case instead of a low GPA, I had a bunch of scattered research so I don't have a publication and ended up transferring institutions at one point. I really appreciated that my reviewers were still understanding and encouraging of my career.

I didn't end up getting funded because they thought my project, while well conceived and thought out, was a bit "high risk high reward." *shrugs* Their loss when I get that high reward and they don't get part in the credit. ?

[brutalairplane0]

Not awarded: E/E, VG/VG, E/E

Aerospace Engineering. Multiple publications, extremely strong letters, reviews are glowing saying "This project deserves funding from NSF." I understand that it's competitive and I know all those awarded/HM earned it but it's frustrating as I'm going to reapply next year without any real improvements to make and work on based on reviewer comments. Again, super happy for all of you that were awarded - well deserved! 

Edited April 4, 2022 by brutalairplane0