Fulbright-Hays DDRA 2010-2011

[dynasty]

Maybe it is because of the region you applied for. Fulbright Hays had allocated fellowships for certain regions like Near East, Africa etc. If they had a lot of applications for the same region, it might be more competitive.

I'm sorry to hear that, Laska. It does seem capricious. You obviously deserve to be funded, and it's not fair.

[kisu1492]

i'm sure there is some reason, but it doesn't change the overall crumminess of the situation. It's nice that some people are going to get funded, but at the same time, it creates a new round of disappointment for the folks that don't get funded. THe whole "searching for funding" process is so long and emotionally trying, while being pretty subjective at the same time, that this sort of thing really seems unfair.

I would hope that IIE is maybe working with other foundations to get some funding for those people that didn't get picked for this. Laska's scores are better than mine (101 & 96), but for some reason my application got picked and Laska's didn't. I am very thankful for the possible reprieve, but at the same time I really feel for folks that didn't get picked. It's a terrible situation.

Maybe it is because of the region you applied for. Fulbright Hays had allocated fellowships for certain regions like Near East, Africa etc. If they had a lot of applications for the same region, it might be more competitive.

[dynasty]

I totally agree with you. It is very disappointing.

i'm sure there is some reason, but it doesn't change the overall crumminess of the situation. It's nice that some people are going to get funded, but at the same time, it creates a new round of disappointment for the folks that don't get funded. THe whole "searching for funding" process is so long and emotionally trying, while being pretty subjective at the same time, that this sort of thing really seems unfair.

I would hope that IIE is maybe working with other foundations to get some funding for those people that didn't get picked for this. Laska's scores are better than mine (101 & 96), but for some reason my application got picked and Laska's didn't. I am very thankful for the possible reprieve, but at the same time I really feel for folks that didn't get picked. It's a terrible situation.

[chogwae]

i'm sure there is some reason, but it doesn't change the overall crumminess of the situation. It's nice that some people are going to get funded, but at the same time, it creates a new round of disappointment for the folks that don't get funded. THe whole "searching for funding" process is so long and emotionally trying, while being pretty subjective at the same time, that this sort of thing really seems unfair.

I would hope that IIE is maybe working with other foundations to get some funding for those people that didn't get picked for this. Laska's scores are better than mine (101 & 96), but for some reason my application got picked and Laska's didn't. I am very thankful for the possible reprieve, but at the same time I really feel for folks that didn't get picked. It's a terrible situation.

I can't agree more. I wasn't asked for permission by my campus representative. After scoring 104, if this really means that my application is not even getting a shot at being reviewed by the Mellon folks, I would totally feel wronged.

[chogwae]

Chogwae, are you clearly non-science? Anthropology?

In any case, I think someone should try to get an explanation for how the process worked, just for our peace of mind. You can't go and release all of the reviews, then not select the highest ranking applications without explaining, and making public, the rationale.

I would add that I'm happy for people who get funding. Moreover, I try not to take myself too seriously since there is always luck involved in these things on multiple levels. However, I still think someone should make a good-faith effort at making public the decision-making criteria.

Anyway, I guess all we can do is sit and wait. Maybe there is still hope...

I'm absolutely no science major. As I said before, I'm a political science major, and my research mainly involves site-intensive qualitative research/ethnography.

I'm with you 100%. I'm also happy for anyone who receive this funding, but I would also like to know what the criteria were, especially if the Fulbright-Hays scores did not have much bearing.

[chogwae]

wow...I just heard this rather astounding answer from the IIE contact on that IIE/Mellon announcement website. direct quote:

"Only those students who had passed the DOE review and who are in the fields defined by Mellon are being considered. Political Science is not an approved field.

Theresa Granza"

pretty bad. They can do whatever they want with their money, but I can't believe that they're getting rid of an entire discipline(s) without considering whether particular projects have humanities component or focus.

well, at least, the answer is pretty clear-cut!

[Myshkin2011]

Thanks for posting this. I was inspired by you to try writing IIE, out of curiosity more than anything else. I'll let you know how it goes.

Well, as you say, at least this response has the benefit of clarity. I imagine they decided to do it this way for expediency, but I wonder if they know how fuzzy the lines are in practice.

wow...I just heard this rather astounding answer from the IIE contact on that IIE/Mellon announcement website. direct quote:

"Only those students who had passed the DOE review and who are in the fields defined by Mellon are being considered. Political Science is not an approved field.

Theresa Granza"

pretty bad. They can do whatever they want with their money, but I can't believe that they're getting rid of an entire discipline(s) without considering whether particular projects have humanities component or focus.

well, at least, the answer is pretty clear-cut!

[zengazenga]

And now, another grad funding opportunity looks to be in danger of cuts. Has anyone else here heard about the funding cuts the NSF might get in August -- specifically the Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) directorate? Here's a piece about it from the psychology community:

https://www.capwiz.com/fabbs/issues/alert/?alertid=51170521

"In recent weeks, a number of U.S. House and Senate members have been critical of the National Science Foundation, especially the agency’s funding of research in the social sciences. One Senator specifically called for the elimination of the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate at NSF. Over the next several weeks, the U.S. House will vote on the appropriations bill that funds NSF. Amendments are expected to be offered during the full appropriations committee’s consideration of the bill scheduled for July 13 and again the first week in August when the bill is expected to reach the House floor."

[olympia]

FYI: notification letters are being sent out today or Monday.

[nescafe]

FYI: notification letters are being sent out today or Monday.

oooooh, any indication whether these will go to the schools of home addresses? I've moved since the application went in. (I figure that since you're in the know, maybe you also have this bit).

Good luck to all!

[olympia]

I'm pretty sure they are being sent to home addresses but I'm not positive. I'd send them an email with your new address just in case.

oooooh, any indication whether these will go to the schools of home addresses? I've moved since the application went in. (I figure that since you're in the know, maybe you also have this bit).

Good luck to all!

[kisu1492]

more waiting...

I'm pretty sure they are being sent to home addresses but I'm not positive. I'd send them an email with your new address just in case.

[olympia]

But only a little more at least. This whole thing has been very mysterious and I'm glad it's almost over. I wish they would tell us more about their criteria for selection, how many people are being considered, etc etc.

[kisu1492]

Yeah just a little more. I live in Hawaii, and so I always hate to see that notifications will be sent out via post .

How did you find out that they are posting out the notifications?

But only a little more at least. This whole thing has been very mysterious and I'm glad it's almost over. I wish they would tell us more about their criteria for selection, how many people are being considered, etc etc.

[olympia]

I called them to ask about the notification date since I need to make some decisions related to other funding very soon. They said notifications were going out today or Monday and it occurred to me to ask if I should give them an updated address. They said that I should, so I am assuming that this means they plan on mailing the notifications. I'm not positive of course, but it sounds likely.

Yeah just a little more. I live in Hawaii, and so I always hate to see that notifications will be sent out via post .

How did you find out that they are posting out the notifications?

[nescafe]

Cool. Maybe I should send an email with the new address... is T Granza the person to talk to?

I called them to ask about the notification date since I need to make some decisions related to other funding very soon. They said notifications were going out today or Monday and it occurred to me to ask if I should give them an updated address. They said that I should, so I am assuming that this means they plan on mailing the notifications. I'm not positive of course, but it sounds likely.

[olympia]

Yea, I think she's the main contact person but I'm not sure who I talked to since I just called.

Cool. Maybe I should send an email with the new address... is T Granza the person to talk to?

[kisu1492]

I sent them an email a couple of weeks ago and she's the one that responded. She wrote back on a saturday, so maybe she works weekends.

Yea, I think she's the main contact person but I'm not sure who I talked to since I just called.

[Mooshel]

this is also what i heard -- i emailed Teresa Granza a few weeks back ..... she said they would be notifying people in the first part of next week.

I called them to ask about the notification date since I need to make some decisions related to other funding very soon. They said notifications were going out today or Monday and it occurred to me to ask if I should give them an updated address. They said that I should, so I am assuming that this means they plan on mailing the notifications. I'm not positive of course, but it sounds likely.

[olympia]

Did it sound like it would be via snail mail?

quote name='Mooshel' timestamp='1310839922' post='262596']

this is also what i heard -- i emailed Teresa Granza a few weeks back ..... she said they would be notifying people in the first part of next week.

[Mooshel]

she didn't say anything about that, one way or the other. IIE really seem to be in like 5th gear with this process, so i'm hoping they stick with that and send out notifications via email.

Did it sound like it would be via snail mail?

[igotmeanewname]

But only a little more at least. This whole thing has been very mysterious and I'm glad it's almost over. I wish they would tell us more about their criteria for selection, how many people are being considered, etc etc.

the press release says they are offering 80.

http://www.iie.org/en/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2011/2011-06-28-Launch-Of-IIE-Graduate-Fellowships-For-International-Study.aspx

[olympia]

Yeah I'm just curious about the ratio of people being considered to the amount of fellowships they are actually offering.

quote name='igotmeanewname' timestamp='1310871497' post='262665']

the press release says they are offering 80.

http://www.iie.org/en/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2011/2011-06-28-Launch-Of-IIE-Graduate-Fellowships-For-International-Study.aspx

[Myshkin2011]

let's put ourselves in their shoes. you have two weeks to award 80 fellowships, which sounds about like the right number because 3.16 million (from the press release) divided by 80 comes out to about the average fellowship award of $40,000 (from last year's awards). how did Mellon come up with the number 80? they had someone look through the list of nominated students. poli sci got five extra points this year, so there were a disproportionate number of poli sci people compared to previous years. they cut those. then they probably cut economics and sociology. anthropology and geography would be harder to filter -- maybe they just took the whole bunch. they wound up with about 80 people. then they requested those people's applications. now, in my opinion, you aren't going to go back through and re-vet those applications because they have already been vetted. it would be a waste of time and money to do so, and would seem unfair. you probably requested applications mainly for reporting and administrative purposes. you are just going to give awards to those 80 people. if for some reason you wind up with too many (84 or 85 instead of 80), you will probably try to reduce all the grants by a little or come up with another 100k instead of cutting them, but if necessary you might drop off some of the lowest points scores or take a closer look at a couple projects to see if they really fit the Mellon criteria. but in principle, i think if you're project has been asked for by IIE, i think you are more or less slated to be funded. now. in fact, it's just as likely that after you run the totals on your 80 people, you wind up with a number slightly less than 3.16 million...

Edited July 17, 2011 by Myshkin2011

[Mooshel]

this all sounds reasonable. but it could have played out in other ways as well. for instance, Mellon may have come up with the 80 fellowships number based on the amount of money they had ready and available to commit to the project. from there they may have asked IIE to review all fellowships that would have been awarded by DOE (and that fit Mellon's discipline criteria) and to choose 80 for funding. So, IIE needs to take the 130 students nominated by DOE and start narrowing the pool. The first cuts, i imagine, would be any application from a disciplines outside of Mellon's funding priority. okay, that is bound to narrow the pool, but i'm not sure you could narrow it enough this way. so, i guess what i'm saying is that there may be competition between eligible applications.

let's put ourselves in their shoes. you have two weeks to award 80 fellowships, which sounds about like the right number because 3.16 million (from the press release) divided by 80 comes out to about the average fellowship award of $40,000 (from last year's awards). how did Mellon come up with the number 80? they had someone look through the list of nominated students. poli sci got five extra points this year, so there were a disproportionate number of poli sci people compared to previous years. they cut those. then they probably cut economics and sociology. anthropology and geography would be harder to filter -- maybe they just took the whole bunch. they wound up with about 80 people. then they requested those people's applications. now, in my opinion, you aren't going to go back through and re-vet those applications because they have already been vetted. it would be a waste of time and money to do so, and would seem unfair. you probably requested applications mainly for reporting and administrative purposes. you are just going to give awards to those 80 people. if for some reason you wind up with too many (84 or 85 instead of 80), you will probably try to reduce all the grants by a little or come up with another 100k instead of cutting them, but if necessary you might drop off some of the lowest points scores or take a closer look at a couple projects to see if they really fit the Mellon criteria. but in principle, i think if you're project has been asked for by IIE, i think you are more or less slated to be funded. now. in fact, it's just as likely that after you run the totals on your 80 people, you wind up with a number slightly less than 3.16 million...