NSF GRFP 2012-2013

[anacron]

I'd advise against it, I got similar ratings last year and just worked harder on my research the following semester.

I ended up leading a very cool project that got lots of people excited and finally won the award with an improved application.

 

Point is, you'll have 2 more chances to apply so take the reviewer comments seriously and use this as extra motivation to improve!

[citazent]

2nd year grad student now.

E/E

E/E

G/VG

Awarded honorable mention.

Feeling slighted by reviewer #3...

[Talysin]

Awarded! E/E E/E E/E

 

I proposed something novel and they loved it! So stoked!

 

I'm in Psychology.

[daisusaikoro]

Got an award. E/VG, VG/VG, E/VG

 

"Application could be strengthened by including future plans for outreach and a bit more detailed discussion of how the research will impact the broader community."

 

All three said this under the Broader Impacts Criterion. Someone cut and pasted part of my application in a response to me. Weird.

 

Life Sciences - Neuroscience

Edited April 5, 2013 by daisusaikoro

[smorgasborgs]

Offered award as first year grad student, mechanical engineering. E/E, E/E, VG,G.

[SlickMcFavorite]

When do people who were not accepted sent the reviews of their applications?

[guttata]

They aren't sent, you log in to your profile on FastLane and view/download them there.

[InquilineKea]

Is it possible to apply for NSF fellowships while on medical leave?

 

Furthermore, if I were to go on medical leave, then would it be possible to apply for NSF fellowships more than 2 times during graduate school? Once during first year (denied), once during the medical leave year, and once during the second year?

[nnnnnnn]

I know a girl who took medical leave her during her "first" year of grad school (and did not apply to NSF). She could then only apply in her "second" year (although for all intents and purposes, that served as her first year of grad school). She called them and everything to check.

 

But seriously, would you take medical leave just to apply again?

[InquilineKea]

It's not possible to apply during medical leave?!? I thought that the document said that it's okay as long as you haven't completed more than 1 graduate-year of coursework.

 

I'm not taking medical leave just to apply again; I may be forced to take medical leave due to difficulty of finding an adviser in my own department (this was the result of a culmination of circumstances - caused by both an incredible combination of bad luck and my own bad judgment).

[SensLu]

I'm curious if anyone else has not accepted their award yet because they're waiting on a university to accept them? Or maybe hoping a university will reverse their decision.

[synorg]

it's more than twelve months of full time enrollment. so i doubt you'd be under 12 months by the time you're suggesting you'd apply for the fourth time.

also, being on medical leave and being fully enrolled (a requirement) are probably mutually exclusive.

lastly, explaining that situation would be quite the uphill battle... i'm sure you've exhaustively explored your options for an adviser, but that's probably where you should really focus your time now. thinking "if i get an NSF, it'll solve my adviser situation!" is like saying "if i crush the mcat, i'll get into top medschools!" - they might have some amount of truth to them, but accomplishing the first part is not trivial.

[nnnnnnn]

Not trying to be mean, I'm just confused how being unable to find an adviser equates to medical leave...?

[NYLA]

I can't believe it but I was awarded this year ! Last year I didn't even get a third reader

 

Last Year:
E / F

E / G

 

This Year:

VG / VG
E / E

E / E

 

 

I'm feeling super lucky!

[sdt13]

Does this fellowship work in Canada? I read on the grfp website that it has to be used at a US institution, but the website of the Canadian school I want to go to mentions the NSF as a potential source of funding for American students. 

[Dynamom]

I looked at the result and put it out of my mind... It's taken me this long to actually read my reviews:

VG/E

VG/VG

E/E

=HM (again, last year to apply)

 

I think the third reviewer goofed and put the other reviewers' names and actual + z-scores in the review:  

 

(Name) 42 0.43 (Another Name) 36 0.13 

 

Good to see they're not perfect either!

 

Congrats to the winners!

 

I didn't win any of the scholarships I applied to, so I'll be leaving with the door prize (MA), but have to be grateful for that 

[caddyhair]

Hey guys-

 

Does anyone know how hard it is to change your field of study later in your NSF fellowship? For the first year of my fellowship I am  in a research based master's program that is the same field of study I indicated when I applied. But, when I am finished with my Master's degree I am considering earning my PhD in another field of study. Is it possible to change your field of study when switching degrees or is this typically not allowed? Who is the person that will approve such a change? 

[fishasaurus]

caddyhair, talk to the coordinating officer at your university. If they can't help you out, they can direct you to the person who can.

[goldpuddles]

Does anyone know the deadline on May 1st to declare deadline? 5pm, midnight?

[Eigen]

This is probably too late, but I wasn't sure so I made sure I got mine in yesterday afternoon before I left the lab. 

 

Likely other times would be 5pm, or 11:59 pm.... The latter should still log as "May 1", and I can't see why they'd require them in by close of the average business day today. 

[SensLu]

yea I just visited my account the time was 12AM EST.  I was actually able to get the coordinator to approve me before officially getting accepted.  I just needed proof the department accepted me.  The university accepted me like today before the deadline anyways so I got lucky and still glad I took precautions to ask the coordinator about approving me. 

 

Yay graduate school! Does anyone know if fellows stipends are paid at the beginning or end of each month?

[Eigen]

Depends on your institution. Mine are paid every other Friday.

[SensLu]

That's reasonable, so $1250 bi-weekly like a normal paycheck.  I wouldn't be surprised if my university does the same...it makes sense.

[synorg]

don't count on things to always "make sense" in grad school... at my program you get paid once a month...at the end of the month... so you have to float several hundred during your first month when you arrive haha

[Eigen]

And I know people who get it paid in a lump sum once a semester. It all just depends!

 

Also note that biweekly doesn't work out to $1250 per paycheck. 

 

52 weeks in the year means 26 pay periods, rather than the 24 you'd think of by breaking each month in half. 

 

So either you'll get two blank pay periods sometime (it happens to me), or a series of lower payments (has also happened to me), or you'll get an even split over 26 pay periods. 

 

My school likes to do 9 months/summer differently, such that 9 months is the higher amount (20 even pay periods), and then the summer gets 2 months pay split over 3 months.