NSF GRFP

[BioMedSciMed]

I definitely have not forgotten about it.I'm just preoccupied with nursing the peptic ulcer I'm certain I've developed in the past few weeks. I feel like once this is all over I'm going to have forgotten what it feels like to not be stressed.

[hatingthewaiting]

I am having a pity party. It has been 1 month that we poor limonians have been waiting for an answer. That is 1/12 of a year. So. If there are 2100 of us miserable limboers, and we can say that the mean reduction in happiness is 1/10 this month while we are waiting, then the NSF has cost the universe 17.5 Quality Adjusted Life Years. Nice. This is of course not adjusted for the fact that we are, on average, fairly young.

[denidzo]

I am having a pity party. It has been 1 month that we poor limonians have been waiting for an answer.

Pity parties can be good things - I've indulged in one a few times over the past month - but I am hoping that we'll hear something by the end of this week. I was offered a TA line at school, and while it's really tempting to take it, I want to wait til I hear from the GRFP first. TA lines don't pay well, and frankly, there's not a lot of time left for my own research and writing. They need to hear from me by the end of this week, therefore, I really hope we hear by then.

[e_sac]

At this point, I hardly even care.

I know I'm not going to get it, no need to drag out the disappointment...

[hatingthewaiting]

Can you take the TA line, and then if you are offered a GRFP defer it for a year? I have heard of people who had good fellowships from their Universities who defered their GRFP to finance years 2,3, and 4 or 3,4, and 5. That way if you got a GRFP you would have it to look forward to in a year, but if not you won't starve.

[denidzo]

Can you take the TA line, and then if you are offered a GRFP defer it for a year? I have heard of people who had good fellowships from their Universities who defered their GRFP to finance years 2,3, and 4 or 3,4, and 5. That way if you got a GRFP you would have it to look forward to in a year, but if not you won't starve.

I don't know, but I will certainly find out. Thanks for the idea! This is of course IF I get the GRFP, which, like a previous writer, I am becoming more convinced by the day won't happen.

[Dead Skunk]

From NSF's Twitter:

Congress has approved NSF's ARRA (stimulus) package.

I suppose this means it could be soon.

[nsfhopeful]

Something seems to be happening at NSF. This afternoon I got two new program solicitations from them. I generally get maybe one per week but I got TWO in one day. Not that this or anything else we've mentioned the past 181 pages means anything...

[beak3chimps]

I suppose this means it could be soon.

Here's hoping. I'm so sick of waiting. Anyone hear anything more?

[denidzo]

Here's hoping. I'm so sick of waiting. Anyone hear anything more?

Not a word, and I'm really tired of waiting.

[unclelurker]

money is coming through, part and parcel of the stimulus approval (i imagine). these announced today

# News: NSF To Help Improve Academic Research Facilities: The National Science Foundation (NSF) today announc.. http://tinyurl.com/oajydtabout 2 hours ago from twitterfeed

# News: NSF Announces $200 Million Funding for Research Instrumentation: The National Science Foundation toda.. http://tinyurl.com/pfjn86about 2 hours ago from twitterfeed

[unclelurker]

Something seems to be happening at NSF. This afternoon I got two new program solicitations from them. I generally get maybe one per week but I got TWO in one day. Not that this or anything else we've mentioned the past 181 pages means anything...

er sorry, i missed this post in my skim. you already referenced the updated news.

[anthro27]

Just before those two new program announcements, NSF indicates on twitter that their ARRA package has been approved by Congress. http://twitter.com/nsf

[Neuronerd]

I was forced to change my password today. I have no idea why...

[BioMedSciMed]

neuronerd; it makes you change your password perodically, no significance. At least, I don't think.

Conversation I just ahd with GRFP ops center-

phone: "ring"... "ring- ring"

GRFP operator ; "GRFP operations?"

me: "hi, yeah I'm an applican-"

operator : "two weeks."

me: "yeah but I saw that the budget was approved and It's been "two weeks" for about a month now and I was just wondering.."

operator: "TWO... weeks."

me; "I know you must be frustrated, and I know that you're probably sick of hearing us ask, but you are the closest possible link that any of us have other than the website which has been updated in format and color several times, but not content. So please, I'm begging, can you even guess? any idea?"

operator: "end of next week. optomistically."

It is just a guess on her part. And I know they don't really know until the end of the whole process. but wow.

[Neuronerd]

neuronerd; it makes you change your password perodically, no significance. At least, I don't think.

oh. :cry:

[kdilks]

It finally asked me to change my password yesterday, and at some point it clearly stated that applicants are required to change their passwords every 180 days (along with how frequently various other types of people using Fastlane had to change their passwords). Did everybody really miss that?

[denidzo]

It finally asked me to change my password yesterday, and at some point it clearly stated that applicants are required to change their passwords every 180 days (along with how frequently various other types of people using Fastlane had to change their passwords). Did everybody really miss that?

Yeah I did, I was too busy waiting for my notice ...

[beak3chimps]

Conversation I just ahd with GRFP ops center-

phone: "ring"... "ring- ring"

GRFP operator ; "GRFP operations?"

me: "hi, yeah I'm an applican-"

operator : "two weeks."

me: "yeah but I saw that the budget was approved and It's been "two weeks" for about a month now and I was just wondering.."

operator: "TWO... weeks." but wow.

Jesus, she could've at least been polite. I don't see her future livelihood depending on this.

[e_sac]

Yeah, I've definitely noticed that some of their call staff are quite impolite. I know they get tired of hearing from us, but at least be sympathetic to people who's livelihood could solely depend on the results that they are almost a MONTH AND A HALF late getting out.

Also, I said this before and I'll say it again. It's really lame of them to always say two weeks. It's two weeks perpetually, always a pipe dream just out of reach... Just say a date already!

[mechemems]

Yeah, I've definitely noticed that some of their call staff are quite impolite. I know they get tired of hearing from us, but at least be sympathetic to people who's livelihood could solely depend on the results that they are almost a MONTH AND A HALF late getting out.

Also, I said this before and I'll say it again. It's really lame of them to always say two weeks. It's two weeks perpetually, always a pipe dream just out of reach... Just say a date already!

i've been keeping quiet but this post really annoyed me.

couple things. first, i agree that always saying two weeks is annoying and probably not the best practice. but as for saying they are almost a month a half late, you are entirely wrong there. they already announced the winners that they would have in a normal year. they did their job, exactly as they were supposed to. They were also given some extra money, and they were kind enough to award extra ones this year. you should be happy that you weren't just given a HM/rejection. saying that they are late is completely ridiculous. congress approved their plan what, two days ago? how about you give them a chance to organize everything now so they can announce the winners.

[Hekog]

Hah, they've actually changed the notice to "approximately one week".

[beak3chimps]

Man, we're all getting a little testy, heh.

I think we can all agree that there's good intentions on everyone's front, except maybe for the occasional impolite people at the call center who clearly just intend to be rude.

Yay one week. Maybe even sooner! Now if only my adviser would stop asking me every day if I'd heard back yet, lol.

[BioMedSciMed]

I'm pretty sure the sole purpose of the GRFP operations center is to deal with our questions. The people there have told me that they're a contracted agency, they are not a part of the NSF, they do not know very much more than what we know. They are just there to answer calls & e-mails, give out information to applicants and winners. I'm about 95% sure that they have very little function beyond the administrative level. The NSF GRFP people and the other NSF people are the ones who decide winners based on scores by reviewers and based on where the money needs to go. The NSF people then pass that information along to whoever actually puts it into fastlane, and let the GRFP operation people know that the info is coming down the pipe. But as far as I can tell from what's been explained to me, the GRFP operations center people are pretty much temps.... who have had the darn bad luck to get stuck answering the phones this year. Some of them have been really nice, but some of them are just plain rude, and I suuuupose at this point I can see why. I imagine if you're working a temp job and answering the same question 4,000 times a day when you have no say over the answer, and no real knowledge of when it may be coming, I'd probably be irate too. On the same note, it you're working a temp job, chances are you've never been in this position before.

Although who knows? That could be where I'll end up if I don't get this.

[GypsyDavy]

Hello Everyone,

I followed this thread pretty closely (and found it very comforting) while I was waiting for my results, but sadly was rejected last month so I have not been around much since. I can't believe ya'll are still waiting and while I do envy your position a bit because at least you still have a chance, I can't imagine waiting through an additional month of agony! I sincerely hope they announce very soon! I know I am still dying to see my rating sheets...

Anyway, I am primarily posting because I am already thinking about my app for next year (this was my first try) and I am wondering if anyone who won would be willing to share their strategy. I noticed a similar post a while back so if people have already done so then fabulous and I apologize for the repetition, but really I would be interested in hearing from as many folks as possible. Also, those of you who are still waiting or got an HM last year are welcome to share your tips as well since you have been more successful than me regardless of whether you win this year.

Any information on what you think the strengths of your app were, your focus on the essays, anything really would be awesome