NDSEG fellowship

[kkompiles]

I don't say this with any certainty, but my impression is that they are unlikely to actually contact the people you've listed. I suspect it's more an extra precaution to ensure integrity of the honor system in applications that require you to self-report your qualifications.

...I really hope you're right!!

[mposa]

Question for anyone who knows-I'm about to start a PhD in robotics, which is naturally multidisciplinary. I applied to different departments depending on the school (ME, EECS, and CS/Robotics Institute) and wrote Mechanical on my fellowship applications (which is my background). However, I decided to accept an offer into an EECS department. If I were to be awarded the NDSEG, would I be able to apply it in a different department? I always assumed it would be fine, but now I'm having second thoughts.

[jendoly]

I listed no contact info in any of my boxes except maybe one. No room for names or anything. >>; Hope that doesn't kill me.

[emandar]

I am applying straight from undergrad, anyone else?

Is this scholarship more for those who have already started research with their advisor, rather than those of us matriculating to a grad program in F2011?

I can't find whether the awarding process for this scholarship, like the NSF GRFP, is loosely based on demographics. Anyone have info on that?

[ChemistryGirl]

do you need a 4.0 to get this? how important are grades??

[jendoly]

I am applying straight from undergrad, anyone else?

Is this scholarship more for those who have already started research with their advisor, rather than those of us matriculating to a grad program in F2011?

I can't find whether the awarding process for this scholarship, like the NSF GRFP, is loosely based on demographics. Anyone have info on that?

I don't know about demographics, but I know this, as compared to the NSF, is much more highly based on how well your research topic meshes with one of the military or DOD research lab interests.

Edited April 7, 2011 by jendoly

[asdzxc1]

One of my letter writers never got in his rec. Basically, the email from NDSEG went to his spam folder, so I only have two recs on the application.

Anyone else have this problem? Are my chances doomed?

[flanna]

I don't know about demographics, but I know this, as compared to the NSF, is much more highly based on how well your research topic meshes with one of the military or DOD research lab interests.

Agreed. From what I understand of how the NDSEG fellowship works versus the NSF is that the NSF tends to be more about awarding the PERSON rather than the research. This means they strongly consider things like whether you went to HS in an area that traditionally sends very few students to graduate school, if you have minority status, etc. as part of the application. The research proposal is less about whether or not they are interested in funding that topic and more about whether or not you can choose a topic that fits your background and research lab, plan experiments, and intelligently hypothesize about where the research might lead. The emphasis is on funding the education of good scientists NOT about identifying new areas of research.

The NDSEG also considers the person, but the emphasis is much, much more on training a particular type of scientist. The DOD is, on the whole, not interested in just funding science for the sake of science and progress in general (as the NSF is) but rather has an agenda of national security and defense. Consequently, they will fund outstanding students who are doing research in areas that they are currently funding (you can check the website to get synopsis of current research efforts) in the hope that these students will stay in those fields after graduation. The way the selection works is that committees similar to the NSF structure evaluate applicants and rank them based on intellectual merit. The highest ranked applicants are forwarded to the DOD, and from this pool the department chooses which outstanding students have projects they are interested in funding.

[Hendersa]

One of my letter writers never got in his rec. Basically, the email from NDSEG went to his spam folder, so I only have two recs on the application.

Anyone else have this problem? Are my chances doomed?

I doubt you were considered, if that was the case. Easy enough to find out, though. Just log in to your application at https://ndseg.asee.org/apply and look at your overall status. If you don't have a green checkmark in both of the boxes in that section, and you don't see "Complete" next to "Required Information" and "Supporting Materials", you weren't considered.

[Hendersa]

I don't say this with any certainty, but my impression is that they are unlikely to actually contact the people you've listed. I suspect it's more an extra precaution to ensure integrity of the honor system in applications that require you to self-report your qualifications.

I was under the impression that the contact information was there for the review board to see the number of *.gov and *.mil e-mail addresses, phone numbers in the 202 area code, etc. that there are on your application...

[lolnumbers]

One of my letter writers never got in his rec. Basically, the email from NDSEG went to his spam folder, so I only have two recs on the application.

Anyone else have this problem? Are my chances doomed?

i had the same issue, got this email from them (i find it hard to believe that you didn't email anyone... maybe you just want to hear it from someone on the board)

We regret to inform you that we are unable to accept any letters of reference past the 5 p.m. EST, December 24 deadline.

We had granted all reference writers an additional week to complete the form after the application deadline had already passed. Therefore, we regret to inform you that there is nothing more we can do in this case.

Please know that your application will still be reviewed as long as there are two successfully submitted references attached.

If you have any further questions please let us know.

Thanks,

The NDSEG Program Team at ASEE

1818 N Street NW, Suite 600

Washington, DC 20036

Phone:

(202) 649-3831

Fax:

(202) 265-8504

[asdzxc1]

I doubt you were considered, if that was the case. Easy enough to find out, though. Just log in to your application at https://ndseg.asee.org/apply and look at your overall status. If you don't have a green checkmark in both of the boxes in that section, and you don't see "Complete" next to "Required Information" and "Supporting Materials", you weren't considered.

My supporting materials says incomplete, but both boxes in overall status are complete. What does that mean?

[kkompiles]

I was under the impression that the contact information was there for the review board to see the number of *.gov and *.mil e-mail addresses, phone numbers in the 202 area code, etc. that there are on your application...

Hahahah!! That was hilarious! :-D

[Hendersa]

My supporting materials says incomplete, but both boxes in overall status are complete. What does that mean?

If both boxes at the top have green checkboxes, you're in the running.

[kkompiles]

4/8/11 7:58 AM EDT

When closing the floor late Thursday night, No. 2 Senate Democrat Dick Durbin placed the House-approved bill that funds the government for a week and the Department of Defense for a year on the Senate calendar.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52794.html

So hopefully that happens. I like the part where DoD is will be funded for a year, and worst case the shutdown will be pushed back a week (to April 15th), which is when we're supposed to hear results. Also, maybe they'll avoid a shutdown all together? But...probably not.

[jendoly]

I was under the impression that the contact information was there for the review board to see the number of *.gov and *.mil e-mail addresses, phone numbers in the 202 area code, etc. that there are on your application...

LOOOOOOOL.

[ChemistryGirl]

How important is gpa???

[kkompiles]

So now that the govt is open for business we should definitely be good for Friday right...right??

If anyone calls/emails, please post!!

[kkompiles]

How important is gpa???

I heard from another student who claims to know someone who judged once said that (GPA + GRE) = 25% of the total score. I can't claim that it's reliable info, but it sounds about right. *shrug*

[mmk]

So now that the govt is open for business we should definitely be good for Friday right...right??

If anyone calls/emails, please post!!

"Open for business" and "on schedule" are two very different things, lol.

[thebobfoster]

"Around April 15" was the best I could get out of the NDSEG folks when I emailed them earlier today. So, yeah, the 15th...or the 14th...or the 20th...or sometime this decade...

[jendoly]

Raaaarrrr I wanna know I wanna know D:

[kkompiles]

This forum is so much less energetic that GRFP. Granted we're a smaller bunch...and probably have been been rejected recently (or else why would you still care about NDSEG because you can't have NDSEG and GRFP both).... But...stay strong people!! Only a few more days....hopefully.....

Edited April 13, 2011 by kkompiles

[Bruin123]

True, we're a smaller bunch. And sure, most of us watching this forum with enthusiasm likely faced recent rejection. The other side of it is that the fields eligible for the NDSEG are more likely to fund graduate students in general, as opposed to the NSF funding everyone from engineering to population ecology, anthropology, and psychology, many fields of which departmental funding is sparse. Many NDSEG applicants don't HAVE to have the money from outside to attend grad school.

At least that's my thought in why this forum is less active....

[jendoly]

I did get the GRFP, but I am still hoping to get NDSEG - not only is it still an honor to be awarded both (even if you can only accept one), the NDSEG is full tuition and a higher stipend.