NSF GRFP

[blah2009]

In retrospect, I'm in a similar position. I was accepted to my current school as a MS/Ph.D student, but the department has bare minimum funding currently. And it doesn't look like I will be able to continue on for a ph.d. When I was applying, I was actually offered a 5 year deal with guaranteed funding at another school, but I very stupidly turned it down for a negligibly better school with just a masters guaranteed (sigh..hindsight).

[Higgins_the_Brave]

In retrospect, I'm in a similar position. I was accepted to my current school as a MS/Ph.D student, but the department has bare minimum funding currently. And it doesn't look like I will be able to continue on for a ph.d. When I was applying, I was actually offered a 5 year deal with guaranteed funding at another school, but I very stupidly turned it down for a negligibly better school with just a masters guaranteed (sigh..hindsight).

Yeah me too, I got five-year offers from MIT/WHOI, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, U of Arizona (Tucson), and two schools in Canada (Simon Frasier and Carleton). Actually, I got in everywhere I applied - 10 schools in total. The university I ended up chosing was the only one to botch the admissions process, botch the interview, fail to send a clear admissions packet, fail to send a solid offer letter and fail to guarantee funding EDIT: And mess up everyone's fees and summer expenses so every first year (30 in total) started the year with >$2000 in debt or borrowed from parents (or savings for a lucky few). I almost didn't come here because it was seemed so insecure, but I liked my advisor's project a lot (too bad it didn't get funded), I wanted to live here and my BF was coming here. Honestly though, even after they pretty much fouled everything up just as much as I ever feared they would, I still don't regret coming here. I really like the city, and stuff. And I really don't feel that bad about all this. I think it will work out, somehow.

[Moxie]

So I'm usually a cynical old curmudgeon, but I honestly am wishing the best for everyone, and hope those that need this award get it.

My original guess was 100 more awards but I hope it's more.

[Higgins_the_Brave]

So I'm usually a cynical old curmudgeon, but I honestly am wishing the best for everyone, and hope those that need this award get it.

My original guess was 100 more awards but I hope it's more.

Moxie, I feel that way too. It's weird that you have the same avatar as denidzo, by the way. This forum feels like RL now, so in my head you two are twins.

[blah2009]

So I and a bunch of other grad students definitely spent time telling prospective students to go elsewhere if they wanted a Ph.D. this year, since funding is far from guaranteed here. I definitely wish someone had told me this when I was choosing schools.

[Neuronerd]

So I'm usually a cynical old curmudgeon, but I honestly am wishing the best for everyone, and hope those that need this award get it.

My original guess was 100 more awards but I hope it's more.

I'm like you (the curmudgeony you) as well, but I swear if it came down to me and Higgins I'd prefer she gets it to me.

[Higgins_the_Brave]

By the way, I'm assuming everyone here has tried logging into fastlane normal (rather than beta) and see no change to the page, like I do, right?

[Higgins_the_Brave]

I'm like you (the curmudgeony you) as well, but I swear if it came down to me and Higgins I'd prefer she gets it to me.

If it comes down to you v. me, we would definitely have to battle in the fiercest and most awesome way possible. Like, person to consume the most gouda in a seventeen minute period gets the fellowship.

[Moxie]

We would definitely have to battle in the fiercest and most awesome way possible. Like, person to consume the most gouda in a seventeen minute period gets the fellowship.

Ok, I hope the NSF is reading this. Ideas for 2010!

[denidzo]

By the way, I'm assuming everyone here has tried logging into fastlane normal (rather than beta) and see no change to the page, like I do, right?

Yeah, go to nsfgrfp, click the link to check the status, it resolves to beta and there is no change on the site.

[denidzo]

Ok, I hope the NSF is reading this. Ideas for 2010!

Now I would pay to see this epic battle. :wink:

[hatingthewaiting]

Now I would pay to see this epic battle. :wink:

As would I. I suggest you two sell tickets, then use the profits to fund the loser! I'm thinking an epic cheese battle is worth at least $5 a person.

[Dead Skunk 2]

Last week I started TeXing a resume to send to a restaurant looking for sushi servers.

Sorry, and good luck. Anyone who TeXes a resume for a restaurant deserves a better job in my book.

Also, I propose a contest to predict the difference between the number of additional awards (i.e. beyond the initial 950) made and the number of pages in this thread when the list on Fastlane is updated for the final time (an update will be considered final if no further additions to the list are made before the ratings sheets are released).

My guess is 13.

[denidzo]

Sorry, and good luck. Anyone who TeXes a resume for a restaurant deserves a better job in my book.

Also, I propose a contest to predict the difference between the number of additional awards (i.e. beyond the initial 950) made and the number of pages in this thread when the list on Fastlane is updated for the final time (an update will be considered final if no further additions to the list are made before the ratings sheets are released).

My guess is 13.

I guess 42.

[beak3chimps]

Hahah, I missed all the python quoting! Can we go back to that instead of depressing guessing about numbers? I now have always look on the bright side of life stuck in my head.

At least 42 is an excellent guess, denidzo.

[Dead Skunk 2]

Hahah, I missed all the python quoting! Can we go back to that instead of depressing guessing about numbers?

See, the great thing about this game is that the numbers need not be depressing. If my guess of 13 sounds small now, it'll seem very generous after you post an addition 500 pages before dawn tomorrow. Now get to work!

[mijin]

Non NSF related insomnia tonight... would be great if something appeared though. Not that I'm checking.

[jjb]

My money's on Tuesday, 370 - 375 new awards. I'm also betting the new awards in each area will be proportional to the number of existing 2009 awards for that area. (They distribute the number of awards a discipline gets based on the proportion of qualified applicants for that discipline relative to the total number of qualified applicants.)

If the extra ARRA funds need to be spent within the next 18 months (like most other ARRA funds), I could see this number doubling, or even tripling. I'm not holding my breath, though.

[blah2009]

it's already been confirmed that additional awards will not be evenly distributed. I've heard this from the NSF GRFP director here even.

[foobaraq]

it's already been confirmed that additional awards will not be evenly distributed. I've heard this from the NSF GRFP director here even.

I think confirmed is a little strong... perhaps it might be more appropriate to say that it has been suggested without evidence by one or two participants in an anonymous forum. I'd be a little surprised if the NSF started getting sociopolitical with the GRFP awards... My guess: 420 new awards, evenly distributed.

[hatingthewaiting]

I'll go out on a limb and call 123 awards, evenly distributed, but not until Wednesday.

[liatris]

9:02 Monday morning and no email from NSF in my inbox. What time were emails sent out in April this year and the other years?

[Hekog]

This year:

1am-3am Friday morning

Years past: ~10am-2pm, if I recall correctly.

Note: I did not actually verify these things through research, it's just what I remember from other previous posts.

[Neuronerd]

If it comes down to you v. me, we would definitely have to battle in the fiercest and most awesome way possible. Like, person to consume the most gouda in a seventeen minute period gets the fellowship.

Nobody can beat me when it comes to cheese consumption. Nobody. :!:

[rojo]

@Higgins, others in terribad situations

I've been reading through plenty of peoples trials and tribulations and your fiasco prompted me to finally register. Here's mine.

I was a TA in the Fall at my esteemed university in another department (mine doesn't have any slots). I found on Thanksgiving that my spot for Spring is not happening (enrollment down) and so I lost my TA slot. I proceeded to scramble and apply for 5 other positions which I was maybe 75% qualified for... which they found people who were 100% qualified for. I'm currently not a grad student and managed to find a tech job in a related lab doing research very similar to my own. My adviser didn't have any money (all of it's tied up pretty tight), but he was supportive through the entire thing.

Enter late spring, find out that the TA I had in the fall is not available because of enrollment. I had the oh so fun talk with my adviser that if I don't have a funding stream by November (my tech position is done in January) that I'm applying to other programs. Which sucks because I have really cool research that we're both very excited about. He was gracious enough to allow me to take my research ideas with me if I end up leaving.

I'm down to an interview I have this morning in another department for a TA, a USDA proposal we're submitting in June that I doubt will get funded, and the NSF GRF.

All in all, you tend to persevere because... well... you have to. It's just shocking because you hear about these stories, but you never, ever think that it could happen to you.

Also: 397 additional awards