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NSF GRFP


timuralp

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I didn't start getting anxious about this until probably this past weekend, now I'm checking the site every few hours. I guess I'll have to just wait it out and see. Anyway, this is my first application; assuming that I'm going to have to revise and resubmit, how detailed are the comments that reviewers leave? Also, and I'm assuming the answer is no, but is it likely that at least some of the same reviewers will see your application the second time around?

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Would you be surprised to know that they used that excuse last year as well? (That they were waiting to see how many they can give out.) That's why when I hear all these people talking about the budget, and getting more money, it's BS. Not to say that there won't be more awards this year, as that was a possibility long before Obama, it's not an excuse for why it's taking so long.

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Sorry if this is a repeat post. I believe that the director said that ~15% get hm and 10% get the award. I wonder if this is a little high, since I do not think 1/4 of the applicants I know got the award/hm.

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I just called the GRF operations center... naturally I know it won't do anything but I thought maybe I could prod them into giving me some info.

Anyway, I just asked if they had any updates at all and the guy told me "early april, early april" and then I just said that it was really important (which of course it is to all of us) and he said "I honestly would let you know if I felt like it was going to happen really soon but at the moment we have absolutely no information whatsoever- they have not sent anthing over to us"

I do realize how sad it is to keep begging but I just coudn't take it anymore. So, I don't know who releases the list of awards but if it's the operations center (and if this guy was truthful) it sounds like they aren't really even that close to putting the list up/emailing notifications. :oops:

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Part of what is annoying about this is that other fellowships have early April deadlines for awardees to accept/decline, so if they don't let us know in the next few days some people will have to choose without full information. For me, it's not really an issue. But there are certainly people in that boat. Particularly considering potential conflicts between different federal fellowships, the NSF people really should post awards by the end of the week. So if anyone over there is considering this issue, then they will let us know by the end of the week at the latest, I would say. But I suppose it's assuming a lot to think that they will be aware of this issue.

Oh, my, isn't this forum a great way to procrastinate!

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t_ruth, are you still waiting to here from grad schools (assumed rejection)? I ask because I applied to grad schools last year and had to call one of the schools before they finally said "oops, uh, we'll email you your rejection letter right away."

anyways, looks like last year they did not tell people about NSF until March 31/April 1...waiting sucks. who else did nutrition/biochemistry related proposal? also, who else is doing research in something totally different from what they proposed to do?

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I agree with cosby49. I had to call a school last year around this time to find out they had misplaced my application. After my 3rd call and "giving my application to the correct people", they finally just sent me a rejection. Check to see if other people have heard in the results search. I kind of ignored it thinking, "they just got to me last". . . bad idea.

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t_ruth, are you still waiting to here from grad schools (assumed rejection)? I ask because I applied to grad schools last year and had to call one of the schools before they finally said "oops, uh, we'll email you your rejection letter right away."

anyways, looks like last year they did not tell people about NSF until March 31/April 1...waiting sucks. who else did nutrition/biochemistry related proposal? also, who else is doing research in something totally different from what they proposed to do?

I've emailed and called and don't get any answer via email and the phone answer I got was less than satisfactory: lady said "I've been out of town for a couple of months, but I think they've gone through a process and I believe if you haven't heard anything than you can assume you didn't get in." Uh, yeah, really helpful, eh?

I'm not sure what my final research will look like since I haven't started school yet and I'm open to go on a 'wonderful grad school journey of interests,' so I think my final research will look different from my proposal.

If I don't get it, I'm going to apply again next year and the following year!

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You are only eligible to apply one more time after this year.

You might be able to trick them though.

This is what it says:

# Individuals are typically eligible to apply:

* During the senior year of college

* After graduating from college but prior to entering graduate school

* During the first year of graduate school

* Prior to completing the first term of the second year of graduate school.

# Applicants must have completed no more than twelve (12) months of full-time graduate study or its equivalent as of August 31, 2008. Full time graduate study is as defined by the universities attended.

If I start September, I won't have 12 months before the end of August my second year...

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I've emailed and called and don't get any answer via email and the phone answer I got was less than satisfactory: lady said "I've been out of town for a couple of months, but I think they've gone through a process and I believe if you haven't heard anything than you can assume you didn't get in." Uh, yeah, really helpful, eh?

I'm not sure what my final research will look like since I haven't started school yet and I'm open to go on a 'wonderful grad school journey of interests,' so I think my final research will look different from my proposal.

If I don't get it, I'm going to apply again next year and the following year!

Yeah...sometimes admissions coordinators mess things up...I applied to two programs with the same application at one school but I did not get into one of them because the administrator for that program did not realize my recommendations had been submitted. Sounds like you've done as much as you can to deal with your admissions person.

In terms of funding, I don't know how it works in other fields, but in biochemistry/biological sciences in general it seems like usually getting fellowships is not essential--however, if I were applying now to grad schools I would have valued them more--the lab I joined has funding for many projects, but my professor does not have funding for the project I would be most interested in. Thus, I was told I could not do this work, while another student who'd been offered a fellowship through the school was told he could. Granted, I do enjoy what I have been working on, but the other project, and the fact that I had a few fellowship offers elsewhere, is always in the back of my mind.

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This is what it says:

If I start September, I won't have 12 months before the end of August my second year...

Yes, you are right.

Unfortunately I'm wrong because I forgot I'll soon be starting my third year :shock:

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could somebody tell me about this trick that people were using last year to see if they had been approved or not? do you just log into your fastlane and it says something different or what?

So there were two ways that I read:

1. [this will drive you insane] Use your username/pwd to incessantly check the status of your application. You could get some changes in the status if you get the award letter. But this doesn't happen for everybody at the same time, so people apparently freaked out.

2. [this happens a few days later in the process] Edit the local html code for this award list page https://www.fastlane-beta.nsf.gov/grfp/AwardeeList.do?method=loadAwardeeList such that 2009 is part of the years drop-down menu. Then incessantly select 2009 and submit to see if the list is put up. You can do this with web development kit addons for Firefox like Firebug.

Gluck all! Try not to let the anticipation get to you

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Neurone- The reviewers leave relatively detailed comments. They have a box for the impact and merit and comment on each of those (if I remember correctly). I'm not sure how the system works, and if everyone gets comments, but I would hope that was the case... that way it can be a learning process. As for the chances of getting the same reviewer twice, I am afraid I don't know.

Good luck all!

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The only thing i'd say about comments is that sometimes they are utterly useless. Example: all three comments are "great project, great idea, showed clear connection to a broader impact". Err, how does one improve that? Or know what was wrong? rant over :)

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