NSF GRFP

[jeeves]

delete

[Polymath1976]

Sorry for the delay the nebulous wording. By "get stuffed," I meant "you lose." I applied for the GRFP last year as a grad-school applicant, and I really didn't know what I was doing. I can't even make myself read last year's application. They were completely justified in not rewarding it with anything.

This year I felt much better about it, but then I fell into deep doubt about my chances. I decided that it was hopeless, which at least conditioned me for whatever news will come. I have been less successful trying to convince myself that I no longer care about the award, though, since I can't reconcile that attitude with the fact that I have been haunting this message board every day for the past two weeks.

I'm happy that the attention of Friar Tuck was attracted earlier. I feel much better knowing that he and the other Merry Men are keeping the forest of Nottingham safe for the rest of us.

[PSi_light]

Not THE director (like top guy) but one under him, who deals with one field (btw, not mine). And how I know him is irrelevant. But now everyone should stop speculating because that's what's going on there. And it's not just us waiting. It's everyone. People waiting to hear about young investigator awards, profs who want their projects funded, etc etc.

Fair enough, and I apologize for my misread. Before anyone sharpens their pitchforks... lets be honest and say someone was going to ask. Now we can maybe agree to go after anyone else who asks.

[vice]

Shenanigans!

Mathguy14 and curiousD are the same person!

[Friar.Tuck]

Not that hard to imagine. One of my old advisors is now a program director at NSF. I talk to her on a weekly basis.

Thy words do make mine heart leap, yet they do in the same moment bring down upon me the suspicion that thy craven words art false. While I do hope that this be not the case, mine quarterstaff do bristle with rage, and it doth ask me to introduce it to the side of thy head. If thou dosn't wish to join company with thy nefarious ally Neurone, who it do seem, shalt spend an eternity burning in hell, then thou wouldst be wise to repent, lest thee lose not only the GRFP, but also lose thy immortal soul.

[buttsssssss]

I don't know if this will make anyone feel better, but I just talked to a director at the NSF who told me that nothing about the budget has been finalized. Furthermore, all grants and awards that were to be anounced after January 1st 2009 have not been, because of the budget/stimulus mess. He says that any minute he expects to get finalized results and have masses of work to do in a very short timeframe. He suspects that the details concerning the budget will be hammered out anytime now, and he doesn't think it'll be more than a few more days. He said the entire NSF is in limbo, but that it does not mean anything bad is happening. It's purely bureaucratic issues between "the hill" and the NSF. He said basically all awards and grants should be "enhanced" this year, but he doesn't know by exactly how much until he gets word from "the hill". Anyway, I think we can be confident that there will be more awards and that we will know soon, as this came from someone high up in the NSF itself.

you, sir, are a hero. thanks for posting.

(the amount of concrete info in this post outdoes the sum of all other info in the rest of the thread.)

[buttsssssss]

you, sir, are a hero. thanks for posting.

(the amount of concrete info in this post outdoes the sum of all other info in the rest of the thread.)

i should say, with the exception of the post with the music video in a berkeley building basement, that was awesome

[jeeves]

delete

[snowcapk]

Now we can maybe agree to go after anyone else who asks.

How about, instead of that, we agree to go after plisar?

That's the "my department already has its list" dude, for anyone who hasn't read all 1000+ posts.

[Friar.Tuck]

Mathguy14 and curiousD are the same person!

Verily, such wickedness shall not be condoned! I hereby do recommend that we do gather a posse of merry men and goode ladies of the Grad Cafe, and take this briggand and heretic to be burned at the stake. For her deceit and complicity with the evyl Prince John doth be but pennies to a farthing when compared with this new wyckedness. Thy soul shall burn for eternity in the unquenchable fires of hell. There shall be no mercy for thee, fool.

[curiousD]

you, sir, are a hero. thanks for posting.

(the amount of concrete info in this post outdoes the sum of all other info in the rest of the thread.)

haha, except I'm female. but that's okay.

[PSi_light]

How about, instead of that, we agree to go after plisar?

That's the "my department already has its list" dude, for anyone who hasn't read all 1000+ posts.

Sounds good to me. I really wish they'd at least send out the rejection letters to the "your application made us laugh" people so that I could get on with my life.

[Polymath1976]

I really wish they'd at least send out the rejection letters to the "your application made us laugh" people so that I could get on with my life.

I second that.

[shaydlip]

I second that.

I have an easy solution to your problem! Withdraw your application.

[Polymath1976]

I have an easy solution to your problem! Withdraw your application.

I hope your winning and helpful attitude came across in your application.

[Friar.Tuck]

I have an easy solution to your problem! Withdraw your application.

Verily, thy words do sparkle with the very wisdom which mayst be found in the wise words of our liege Richard Coeur de Lion. The falsities of Polymath and PSi_light which do besmirch the reputation of the Grad Cafe shalt be stopped, even if the cost be their heads. Where art the brave souls of the Grad Cafe, who shall come with me to rid the realm of such treacherous characters as these and CuriousD of the Many Names? Forsooth! Be there not one soul who do be willing to joyne me in this quest for eternal remembrance and glory?

[jeeves]

Verily, thy words do sparkle with the very wisdom which mayst be found in the wise words of our liege Richard Coeur de Lion. The falsities of Polymath and PSi_light which do besmirch the reputation of the Grad Cafe shalt be stopped, even if the cost be their heads. Where art the brave souls of the Grad Cafe, who shall come with me to rid the realm of such treacherous characters as these and CuriousD of the Many Names? Forsooth! Be there not one soul who do be willing to joyne me in this quest for eternal remembrance and glory?

Join you, I shall Friar.Tuck. March we onward?

[DrBones]

Verily I shall stand by and by in thy noble quest, good sir Friar!

[PSi_light]

I have an easy solution to your problem! Withdraw your application.

Wow... I'm glad you have the people skills to appreciate a little bit of self-deprecating humor.

[shaydlip]

Wow... I'm glad you have the people skills to appreciate a little bit of self-deprecating humor.

Look, I was being sarcastic. I was trying to get you guys to realize you *don't* actually want what you said you wanted. This emotional turmoil you guys who are obsessively checking the GRFP page are going through? No one is causing that but yourself. It's not the GRFP people's fault that you guys are so impatient. It's been pretty clearly determined it's not the GRFP people's fault- it's people higher up that are trying to solve our entire financial crisis that are putting a stop to it. The evidence is pretty consistent with this- curiousD's information, the previous information that NSF people were scrambling to find extra reviewers for people who had gotten reviewed twice. It's highly likely the "hill" has given them three numbers- a high, medium, and low number of awards (or maybe not even a low number).

The GRFP people are not doing this to torture us- they said it's complicated because it IS a complicated financial situation the US- and the world- are in right now. And to make the implication you'd rather be rejected than let them take a few more days to decide, is a bad joke.

[Polymath1976]

The GRFP people are not doing this to torture us- they said it's complicated because it IS a complicated financial situation the US- and the world- are in right now. And to make the implication you'd rather be rejected than let them take a few more days to decide, is a bad joke.

I do not have the least bit of animosity toward the NSF staff. I understand that the holdup is due to budget issues. But you may have misread the point of that earlier post. We would not rather be rejected than wait. Rather, for those who were never in the running, the merciful thing might be to let them know. I also understand that it's not the way it works, though.

I certainly won't be pulling my application, because it very well could win. I hope it does. But if it never had a shot, the extra waiting

[PSi_light]

Ok I'll give you that sarcasm isn't the easiest to convey over text. Can we just all agree to make up and go get drunk somewhere? I thought we were having a simultaneous drinking night tonight? If we were can someone clarify what time we're starting and which time zone? I'm west coast, but I'm totally cool w/ drinking at 4pm my time if thats what ya'll east coasters decide.

PS (as I believe someone 300+ posts ago wrote) If I was in the NSF I'd wait while taking pleasure in the knowledge that I'm torturing grad students and making their already miserable lives more miserable.

Okay... so I am checking it after I respond to every 5 undergrad emails... and yes that does work out to every 10 min, but I do need a break from answering the "do we really need to do this?" questions.

(NB: those last to lines were jokes)

[mtlve]

Look, I was being sarcastic. I was trying to get you guys to realize you *don't* actually want what you said you wanted. This emotional turmoil you guys who are obsessively checking the GRFP page are going through? No one is causing that but yourself. It's not the GRFP people's fault that you guys are so impatient. It's been pretty clearly determined it's not the GRFP people's fault- it's people higher up that are trying to solve our entire financial crisis that are putting a stop to it. The evidence is pretty consistent with this- curiousD's information, the previous information that NSF people were scrambling to find extra reviewers for people who had gotten reviewed twice. It's highly likely the "hill" has given them three numbers- a high, medium, and low number of awards (or maybe not even a low number).

The GRFP people are not doing this to torture us- they said it's complicated because it IS a complicated financial situation the US- and the world- are in right now. And to make the implication you'd rather be rejected than let them take a few more days to decide, is a bad joke.

I would agree with the precious poster that they should send out a waive of rejections, so those people can move on with their life (or even just put up the rating sheets). At least 50% of the applicants are not even being considered for a fellowship, so why not send out rejections to those applicants. From the figures I have seen, they will at most double the number of awards.

I doubt that they will dip below the top 30% of applicants for awards or hm, so they should just send out rejections to the bottom of 70% of people and leave the top 30% unanswered until they figure out the funding situation. They would put a lot of people out of their misery this way! I would view this favorably either way. If I did not make the cut, I can move on with my life. If I did make the cut (which I doubt), I would be excited to know that I have a reasonable chance at an award/HM (maybe 33% chance of getting a fellowship). I would happily put up with a little more of a wait to find out. Right now I am just frustrated that the odds are against me (90% that I did not win), and I cannot get any information regarding whether I even have a shot at getting something. A lot of people have a lot of life decisions on hold waiting for these results, so even a little bit of information would make a lot of people happy!

[Polymath1976]

Exactly. This is a beauty pageant, of sorts. Those who are cut in the first round can go home, get drunk, and lick their wounds. Those who make it to later rounds would have at least some consolation of having survived the first cut, even if the end result is not what was hoped for.

[dingaling]

im not sure if this has been reported yet, but if you google "nsf gfrp 2009", the second hit that comes up states, "Prior to May 1, 2009 these scores will be reported only for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, to the fellowship applicant, ...". It is the program solicitation. When I read through it again, I didn't see that date listed anywhere, nor the quote, so idk. But I thought I would throw that bit of info. out there for those who might be pissed to hear there may be another delay after april 15.

good luck to all...