Fulbright-Hays DDRA 2010-2011

[upintheair]

Thanks for sharing the news, Nescafe. How did you end up getting reviewer comments? Did your university send them? And did you get any idea about the process by which the Mellon money will be awarded (e.g. do people have to re-apply?)?

[TR001]

your university should have received the reviewers comments. FB sent letters to the deans of the graduate schools as well.

[olympia]

You don't have to reapply. They will tell you if your application is being forwarded to the IIE for consideration.

Thanks for sharing the news, Nescafe. How did you end up getting reviewer comments? Did your university send them? And did you get any idea about the process by which the Mellon money will be awarded (e.g. do people have to re-apply?)?

[split7]

Just a little more info that I managed to get about the Mellon alternative.

Mellon is hoping to fund approx. 80 of the approx. 130 applications that would have been funded by DDRA this year. Because Mellon only funds humanities and its "closely related social sciences" (i.e. history, anthropology, geography), I got the sense that a large number of the reductions will come by excluding highly ranked proprosals from the 'sciency' social sciences and the natural sciences. DDRA identified applications that would have "likely been funded," and fulbright coordinators were encouraged to send those applications on to the Mellon. My fulbright coordinator has no idea how many applications Mellon is considering, (although the 80 out of 130 comes from Mellon Foundation's press release), and she has asked and is still waiting for a timeline on decisions. That same press release says that they'll start July 1, but it is unclear if that means that July 1 is when they will begin reviewing apps or when they will announce the awards.

Speaking of what should happen next, I think we should petition DDRA to bestow some kind of honorary designation on those applications that would have "likely been funded." The applicants, readers, and USED staff, have put a lot of time into this, and there should be some public result.

[Ecualung]

So, theoretically, I will be informed if my application is being sent on for consideration for the Mellon? I won't just theoretically hear "you got the award" without some warning that I'm being considered for it?

Obviously, I'd be happy to get the award, but after a month of making plans for the coming school year, getting an assistantship, and signing a lease on an apartment, etc, getting an award would cause a lot of headaches!

Edited June 28, 2011 by Ecualung

[olympia]

I'm not sure how other schools are handling it, but my campus Fulbright admin has let students who were selected for consideration know that their applications are being forwarded to Mellon.

So, theoretically, I will be informed if my application is being sent on for consideration for the Mellon? I won't just theoretically hear "you got the award" without some warning that I'm being considered for it?

Obviously, I'd be happy to get the award, but after a month of making plans for the coming school year, getting an assistantship, and signing a lease on an apartment, etc, getting an award would cause a lot of headaches!

[Ecualung]

I'm not sure how other schools are handling it, but my campus Fulbright admin has let students who were selected for consideration know that their applications are being forwarded to Mellon.

I got an e-mail that was apparently sent to all the students at my university who applied at all, so it doesn't tell me much.

[olympia]

Did the email say that your application was being forwarded and would be reviewed for final selection?

I got an e-mail that was apparently sent to all the students at my university who applied at all, so it doesn't tell me much.

[mcl903]

Here's the press release. This is great news for everyone who gets this, even if it's not me!!!

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

[Qahira2011]

Wow, this is most fantastic news! I just got an email with the FH review from my Fulbright dean this morning. He hadn't yet heard about the Mellon switcheroo. If you haven't heard from your rep, I would go ahead and contact him/her. Doesn't look like all the reps were notified by the authorities.

Here's the press release. This is great news for everyone who gets this, even if it's not me!!!

http://www.iie.org/W...onal-Study.aspx

[darkhorse]

Wow, this is most fantastic news! I just got an email with the FH review from my Fulbright dean this morning. He hadn't yet heard about the Mellon switcheroo. If you haven't heard from your rep, I would go ahead and contact him/her. Doesn't look like all the reps were notified by the authorities.

I got the reviewers comments today. 89/97. I think I would have gotten funded...

[dynasty]

I got my reviewers comments as well,, 99-93. I got this message from my fulbright coordinator "I have received a message from the US Student Programs IIE about possible funding for some of our Fulbright Hays applicants. Your name was on a list of students who may be considered for this opportunity. "

I got the reviewers comments today. 89/97. I think I would have gotten funded...

[upintheair]

Out of curiosity, do people know what the minimum score for funding was last year?

[Ecualung]

Not really, it just copied the press release.

Did the email say that your application was being forwarded and would be reviewed for final selection?

[Ecualung]

My scores were 97/110 and 90/110. The fact that you got that message, while my U's Fulbright coordinators said that they had no idea about whether or not people had been passed along, tends to suggest that nobody from my University was passed on.

I got my reviewers comments as well,, 99-93. I got this message from my fulbright coordinator "I have received a message from the US Student Programs IIE about possible funding for some of our Fulbright Hays applicants. Your name was on a list of students who may be considered for this opportunity. "

[darkhorse]

My scores were 97/110 and 90/110. The fact that you got that message, while my U's Fulbright coordinators said that they had no idea about whether or not people had been passed along, tends to suggest that nobody from my University was passed on.

My review was stamped June 20th. If it took until today for it to trickle down to us, then the recent news about the Mellon Foundation may be still in the pipe.

[Ecualung]

No, I actually got my scores a couple weeks back-- around the 20th, also.

My review was stamped June 20th. If it took until today for it to trickle down to us, then the recent news about the Mellon Foundation may be still in the pipe.

[darkhorse]

"tends to suggest that nobody from my University was passed on.'

No reason for that assumption until next week. Few more days of the glass is half full won't kill us.

[LandofRain]

I asked my coordinator. He said the rule of thumb is that anything 10 points away from the total score is generally on the slate to be funded (in normal times, of course). For example, if your average score is 95 out of 110 (as many of the mentioned scores seem to be), you are 5 points off from the minimum funding mark, and unlikely to be funded. Thus, if your average lands you somewhere in the 100 range, you have a good shot. However, this is just a rule of thumb, so anything can happen. Also, the Mellon people are focusing on the humanities, so it's not exactly a fair shake for all disciplines. They are clearly weeding through applications, not going by total scores. It's hard to know, but I think at this point no one should hold out hope. Only the best of the best have a shot.

[darkhorse]

I asked my coordinator. He said the rule of thumb is that anything 10 points away from the total score is generally on the slate to be funded (in normal times, of course). For example, if your average score is 95 out of 110 (as many of the mentioned scores seem to be), you are 5 points off from the minimum funding mark, and unlikely to be funded. Thus, if your average lands you somewhere in the 100 range, you have a good shot. However, this is just a rule of thumb, so anything can happen. Also, the Mellon people are focusing on the humanities, so it's not exactly a fair shake for all disciplines. They are clearly weeding through applications, not going by total scores. It's hard to know, but I think at this point no one should hold out hope. Only the best of the best have a shot.

Then one of my reviewers hosed me, he claimed that I didn't address literature from my area and was weak on coursework in that area even though I had done a FLAS in country. If I had squeezed an extra 5 points from each that would have put me in plus 100 land. Fucker.

[nescafe]

My review was stamped June 20th. If it took until today for it to trickle down to us, then the recent news about the Mellon Foundation may be still in the pipe.

While reviewer comments came out on the 20th... the Mellon Announcement wasn't made until June 27th. I wouldn't be too anxious is your FPA still hasn't contacted you. A lot of the folks only check their email intermittently during the summer.

I found myself wondering about points scales, who gets awarded and who doesn't. But these things are generally SO unpredictable that I had to suppress the thought.

[kisu1492]

So, theoretically, I will be informed if my application is being sent on for consideration for the Mellon? I won't just theoretically hear "you got the award" without some warning that I'm being considered for it?

Obviously, I'd be happy to get the award, but after a month of making plans for the coming school year, getting an assistantship, and signing a lease on an apartment, etc, getting an award would cause a lot of headaches!

Then you should seriously think about dropping out of the process since it appears there will be a further winnowing down.

[Qahira2011]

Some new info: The reps have been asked to send along the materials for the "selected" candidates, since the DoE can't give them directly to IIE. If your rep didn't get an email with your name on it, then you are not under consideration. My rep just got this email today, so I would advise checking in with your school's rep and checking in with the contact on the IIE website. Good luck to everyone! Hopefully this process will be over soon. ugh.

[kisu1492]

I got this notification today too and authorized my dean to send my materials.

Good luck to you and good luck to me.

Some new info: The reps have been asked to send along the materials for the "selected" candidates, since the DoE can't give them directly to IIE. If your rep didn't get an email with your name on it, then you are not under consideration. My rep just got this email today, so I would advise checking in with your school's rep and checking in with the contact on the IIE website. Good luck to everyone! Hopefully this process will be over soon. ugh.

[olympia]

Does anyone have any info about the timeline for selection or about the ratio of considered applications to awards yet? The press release is so vague.

I got this notification today too and authorized my dean to send my materials.

Good luck to you and good luck to me.