NSF GRFP 2010-2011

[nsfgrfp2011]

Hey Guys, I have a quick question about the starting date of nsfgrfp. If you receive the fellowship, can you start it in the fall instead of summer?Thanks!

[mmk]

Hey Guys, I have a quick question about the starting date of nsfgrfp. If you receive the fellowship, can you start it in the fall instead of summer?Thanks!

Do a search for "enrolled" in the program solicitation. The discussions of enrollment surrounding the search hits indicate Fall 2011 is the deadline for proving to NSF that you are in an appropriate program at your institution. I would say this means that if you choose to begin your fellowship this fall, you are good to go. In fact, I know many people who have done this very thing.

As in most cases, a call to NSF will (hopefully) clear up any doubts you might have.

[Eigen]

You can take the fellowship for 3 years out of 5... You get to choose when you are funded. You can take a year break at the start, and then another cumulative year break over the next 4 years, as other funding sources allow.

[nsfgrfp2011]

Thanks for the reply..really appreciate it! I have another question. If you are currently enrolled in a college for PhD and lets say once you get the fellowship can you switch to another college with similar research area. I mean how difficult it is to change college once you get the fellowship. Also, lets say you only want to do Masters, is it possible to use only 1 or 2 years of funding for Masters and then take couple of years off for work and again use another half for PhD later within the 5 years of duration for which the amount is allocated.

Thanks a lot!

Do a search for "enrolled" in the program solicitation. The discussions of enrollment surrounding the search hits indicate Fall 2011 is the deadline for proving to NSF that you are in an appropriate program at your institution. I would say this means that if you choose to begin your fellowship this fall, you are good to go. In fact, I know many people who have done this very thing.

As in most cases, a call to NSF will (hopefully) clear up any doubts you might have.

[mmk]

Thanks for the reply..really appreciate it! I have another question. If you are currently enrolled in a college for PhD and lets say once you get the fellowship can you switch to another college with similar research area. I mean how difficult it is to change college once you get the fellowship. Also, lets say you only want to do Masters, is it possible to use only 1 or 2 years of funding for Masters and then take couple of years off for work and again use another half for PhD later within the 5 years of duration for which the amount is allocated.

Thanks a lot!

The document linked in my previous response indirectly addresses these issues. The GRFP FAQ addresses the first question specifically. As Eigen stated previously, you have a choice as to when you receive funding within the allowed 5 years. It would seem the answer to both questions is 'yes'.

On a practical note, I'm uncertain of how prudent taking time off to work in between your masters and PhD would be...especially if your PhD program requires a qualifying examination.

[Eigen]

I'm not sure if you can take time off between your MS and PhD and use that as the "break" between your funding years. I think there's an "enrollment" clause somewhere in the NSF... It's supposed to be a break that allows you to use alternative funding sources during your PhD, not something that allows you to go work and apply to another school.

[mmk]

I'm not sure if you can take time off between your MS and PhD and use that as the "break" between your funding years. I think there's an "enrollment" clause somewhere in the NSF... It's supposed to be a break that allows you to use alternative funding sources during your PhD, not something that allows you to go work and apply to another school.

The GRFP FAQ addresses taking time to work (presumably your fellowship is put on hold):

If the employment is short-term and is directly related to your graduate research program, NSF may grant permission on a case by case basis. Contact your institutional Coordinating Official (CO) for details.

Edited March 21, 2011 by mmk

[violachica]

So I had emailed several days ago to inquire about how all the budget nonsense might affect the notifications... got a reply today:

Thank you for your e-mail regarding the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).

Unfortunately, at this time we do not have a specific notification date. Applicants will be notified as soon as possible after decisions have been made, but we do not know when this will be.

Sincerely,

GRF Operations Center

...I wonder if they still haven't figured out how many they're going to award? I'm at least already *at* a grad school so it's not like it will affect my choice of where I end up. I just hope for the sake of anyone who needs to make a decision by April 15 that we know about the award status by then. at least where I'm from, sometimes having your own funding can REALLY go a long way in the eyes of a PI making an offer

[illini2015]

Since submitting the NSF application last Fall, I've been able to take my mind off the fellowship by focusing on my research and studies. But this past week, I've been on an emotional roller coaster. I've never waited in such eager and nervous anticipation for anything in my academic career; not even for college, graduate or other scholarship applications. I'm sure many share the same sentiments as me as the date the NSF will release the winners approaches. I just wish they would end the agonizingly long wait for the results and let us rejoice or briefly grieve and move on with our lives.

Please feel free to share how you're feeling

Edited March 21, 2011 by illini2015

[tso123d]

Please feel free to share how you're feeling

Actually to be honest I'm not feeling that nervous. This is not because I'm super-confident in my chances of getting the fellowship (in fact I think my odds aren't that great), it's just that I don't think whether I'll get the fellowship or not this year will have that huge an effect on me. I've already been accepted to grad school (now those applications, I certainly did worry about ) and from a financial point of view getting the GRFP will not significantly improve my funding (the stipends at most schools I got into are similar to the GRFP since the schools are in expensive cities). That's not to say that I don't want the fellowship, I certainly do, as it would give me more independence/prestige and may make it easier for me to joint the group I want, it's just that I look at the GRFP as more of a bonus at this point. Finally, the fact that next year I will be able to reapply for this fellowship and others also takes a good deal of the pressure off.

Edited March 21, 2011 by tso123d

[dendarii917]

But this past week, I've been on an emotional roller coaster. I've never waited in such eager and nervous anticipation for anything in my academic career...

This. I think many of us are feeling this way: a week ago, when I would check this thread there would be at most one other person reading it. The last few days, 5-15 readers is totally normal no matter the time of day. I suspect that number will explode sometime next week, too...

Gulp.

[chemistrygeek]

TELL ME IF I GOT IT

[meankney]

I had a dream last night that I got an NSF fellowship. It was so real that it was disappointing to wake up and realize that I still have to wait another week or three to really find out! Apparently my subconscious is more positive about this than I am--when I'm awake I'm very pessimistic about finding out the results.

[uksawfly]

TORTURE...when you click on the "Offered Awards" from fastlane now, it shows "2011 offered award list" by default. Of course there's nothing else listed under it but...ARGH!

[Sara Jeanne]

There are at least 10,000 applicants.

This is the usual case: If your fellowship doesn't exceed how much you're already getting internally, then your internal source will supplement up to your current amount. So you'd get the $15,000 from the fellowship, plus $10,000 internally to bring it back up to $25,000. The generally unstated function of fellowships is not for you to get more money, but instead for your internal source to be paying you as little as possible.

You may get a little extra from the internal source since you're saving them money anyways with a fellowship award, but they'll never continue to pay you what they did previously after you receive a substantial fellowship.

Hi All,

I am new to this board but applied for the NSF Grad. Fellowship program this year. I found this board during the application process.

I was under the impression that you if you accepted NSF fellowship you could not accept any other forms of financial support for your degree- other federal grants or RAs or TAs. I saw a posting on NSF's facebook page that a petition was made in regards to their new ruling about not being able to receive additional support during your tenure: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/273/--if-gte-mso-9xml-wworddocument-wviewnormalwview-wzoom0wzoom-wtrackmoves-wtrackformatting/

Has anyone else heard about this? Is this really true. I figured it would be good to post here and let people know so that everyone can plan ahead.

[IRdreams]

TORTURE...when you click on the "Offered Awards" from fastlane now, it shows "2011 offered award list" by default. Of course there's nothing else listed under it but...ARGH!

When I click on it, I just get the normal pull down list with no mention of 2011...Time to start some rumor buzz: perhaps this is significant?

[ringo2009]

Hi All,

I am new to this board but applied for the NSF Grad. Fellowship program this year. I found this board during the application process.

I was under the impression that you if you accepted NSF fellowship you could not accept any other forms of financial support for your degree- other federal grants or RAs or TAs. I saw a posting on NSF's facebook page that a petition was made in regards to their new ruling about not being able to receive additional support during your tenure: http://www.thepetiti...rackformatting/

Has anyone else heard about this? Is this really true. I figured it would be good to post here and let people know so that everyone can plan ahead.

I thought it was that you could not receive concurrent federal funding. However if you received non-federal sources of funding you could keep it concurrently. For example you can keep a Javits and a NSF. That was my understanding?

[meankney]

When I click on it, I just get the normal pull down list with no mention of 2011...Time to start some rumor buzz: perhaps this is significant?

The pull down list is the same, but the default 2011 offered award as the default has been there for at least a couple weeks, so I doubt it's significant. We'll see, though! The earliest notification in the past few years was March 24 and they tend to do it on Fridays so it could be this Friday.

[uksawfly]

The pull down list is the same, but the default 2011 offered award as the default has been there for at least a couple weeks, so I doubt it's significant. We'll see, though! The earliest notification in the past few years was March 24 and they tend to do it on Fridays so it could be this Friday.

Today was the first day I'd seen the 2011 default, but sometimes I doubt my sanity, so it could have been there for longer. I wish and don't wish it comes soon.... My productivity is suffering greatly ever since I realized it's *almost* April.

[Sara Jeanne]

I thought it was that you could not receive concurrent federal funding. However if you received non-federal sources of funding you could keep it concurrently. For example you can keep a Javits and a NSF. That was my understanding?

According to this petition, NSF has created new rulings for Fall 2011 against receiving other funding sources too- including certain TA and RA opportunities at your university. I was hoping to find out if anyone has heard this too and if there is backing to this petition.

[meankney]

Today was the first day I'd seen the 2011 default, but sometimes I doubt my sanity, so it could have been there for longer. I wish and don't wish it comes soon.... My productivity is suffering greatly ever since I realized it's *almost* April.

I could be mistaken. I was pretty sure I saw it a couple weeks ago. I totally hear you about the productivity. I'm dragging my feet trying to write my Master's thesis and am definitely using gradcafe to distract myself!

[riceandbeans]

According to this petition, NSF has created new rulings for Fall 2011 against receiving other funding sources too- including certain TA and RA opportunities at your university. I was hoping to find out if anyone has heard this too and if there is backing to this petition.

This is from the fastlane faqs:

9. Can I work while holding the NSF GRFP fellowship?

If the employment is short-term and is directly related to your graduate research program, NSF may grant permission on a case by case basis. Contact your institutional Coordinating Official (CO) for details.

10. Am I allowed to hold another Fellowship together with the NSF GRFP fellowship?

You cannot hold another major Fellowship while holding the NSF GRF. Contact the GRFP program office with details of your Fellowship to find out whether it would be considered major.

It seems it would still be possible to go on reserve status in order to TA or RA for a year, but not to accept another fellowship (ie, no more piggy-backing NDSEG and NSF in order to get 5 years of support).

[Sara Jeanne]

This is from the fastlane faqs:

9. Can I work while holding the NSF GRFP fellowship?

If the employment is short-term and is directly related to your graduate research program, NSF may grant permission on a case by case basis. Contact your institutional Coordinating Official (CO) for details.

10. Am I allowed to hold another Fellowship together with the NSF GRFP fellowship?

You cannot hold another major Fellowship while holding the NSF GRF. Contact the GRFP program office with details of your Fellowship to find out whether it would be considered major.

It seems it would still be possible to go on reserve status in order to TA or RA for a year, but not to accept another fellowship (ie, no more piggy-backing NDSEG and NSF in order to get 5 years of support).

Yes, I saw this and I know I cannot have two federal fellowships. I was more interested in what was elaborated on by the petition documentation. I am really not worried about it but I figured it would be good for me to post since someone on this board posted something about combining her funding sources. Which from what I saw, this cannot be done. I was just trying to help, since there seemed to be some question about it earlier this year on this topic.

From the petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/273/--if-gte-mso-9xml-wworddocument-wviewnormalwview-wzoom0wzoom-wtrackmoves-wtrackformatting/

"The proposed changes would prevent fellowship recipients from having any kind of employment (including teaching) and from receiving other federal fellowships. This would prevent Fellows from teaching with top professors at our respective institutions, and from doing cutting edge professional work as part of our graduate school experience. For many of us, these changes are being introduced mid-stream in the Fellowship and disrupt current employment and teaching plans.

More specifically, the policy changes would have the following impact:

1) Starting in the academic year 2011, no employment will be allowed during the NSF tenure, with the exception of NSF approved off-site internships or research experiences requiring travel. Fellows wanting to teach or to receive support on a research assistantship will need to be on reserve status or will need to forfeit the stipend during the time of employment. "

[mmk]

10. Am I allowed to hold another Fellowship together with the NSF GRFP fellowship?

You cannot hold another major Fellowship while holding the NSF GRF. Contact the GRFP program office with details of your Fellowship to find out whether it would be considered major.

...but not to accept another fellowship (ie, no more piggy-backing NDSEG and NSF in order to get 5 years of support).

I think the definition of "holding another major fellowship" is important here. Does it mean one cannot have 2+ concurrent sources of funding? Or does it mean that one cannot accept 2+ fellowships, but defer all but 1 for a period of time (e.g. NSF + NDESG: defer NSF to use NDSEG, then fall back to NSF after NDESG)?

[crimsonengineer87]

I think the definition of "holding another major fellowship" is important here. Does it mean one cannot have 2+ concurrent sources of funding? Or does it mean that one cannot accept 2+ fellowships, but defer all but 1 for a period of time (e.g. NSF + NDESG: defer NSF to use NDSEG, then fall back to NSF after NDESG)?

Well, I know for both NDSEG and NSF you CANNOT have both. You cannot even defer NSF for two years to take NDSEG and then NSF. (http://www.nsfgrfp.org/how_to_apply/new_features_for_2011_nsf_grfp)

But I see where you're getting at. What if you have a yearlong federal fellowship and take that and then defer NSF. I don't know if you can do that ... I currently just got the Fulbright and so I"m already assuming I can't get the NSF ... which sucks. I applied for all these fellowships (NSF, NDSEG, EPA) and can only take one ... at least it's Fulbright and it'll be out of this country ... but yeah ... hmm ... it's a good question though.