NSF Field of Study

[telly]

Is our proposed field of study supposed to best line up with our proposed research plan or our graduate program? I am enrolled in an interdisciplinary social science program but am proposing a research topic that would fit well under STEM education. I think it would be best reviewed by an education panel, so I am not really sure if I should go with education to reflect the topic or another social science to reflect my program, especially since I do not necessarily want to be bound to my research proposal.

Edited October 5, 2010 by telly

[weninger]

Your NSF fellowship application is self contained and bears no weight on your actual research plan. For example, if you propose to study nano-particles and end up studying fashion merchandising, NSF will not care.

The field of study is to route your proposal to experts in the field. For example, a proposal on nano-particles should at least be reviewed by particle physics, etc.

That said, a sociologist may not care about your STEM education plan, but an educator might not be able to appreciate your research experience.

If I were you, I would propose your STEM education research (which you seem excited about) and list STEM education as your field of study. Of course, you'll have to write your research experience and personal statement so it is accessible and can therefore be appreciated by your reviewer. Ultimately, if you win, you can still study fashion merchandising and NSF won't care.

Good luck!

[abcde1]

I have a somewhat related field of study question. . .

I am a woman in an engineering program, however my research may better fall under a geosciences category. I am a bit torn between getting reviewers who will have more background in my field and having the added woman in engineering - higher award rate - bump. I assume reviewers in engineering will still be able to asses my proposal decently since I am in an engineering program and have worked as an engineer, but do I risk getting worse reviews if my proposal is a bit outside the norm for the category?

Thanks!