EPA Star Fellowship 2013

[Alaudid]

Hey everyone,

Just setting up this thread for the incoming EPA Star 2013 Fellowship applicants and am also wondering if anyone knows when the application on grants.gov will be open or when the FONs for the upcoming cycle will be posted?

[mountaingirl]

The announcement, which includes that year's FONs, usually goes out in September. You can view last year's here: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2012/2012_star_gradfellow.html

[Alaudid]

Cool, thanks for the tip. I guess we'll hold tight on speculation until the official announcement.

[withoutwords]

Is this happening this year? They still haven't posted a call for applicatoins.

[InquilineKea]

If you go to http://epa.gov/ncer/rfa/, it says this below...

2012 EPA Environmental Research Fellowships

• 2013 EPA Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships For Graduate Environmental Study - Opens September 2012
  

well, there's still one more day... I think I have my hopes up..

Does anyone know how the selection criteria for this differ from those of NSF GSRFs?

===

Also, it says...

If I receive a fellowship, how will my funds be distributed?

Your tuition and academic fees, up to $12,000 per year, will be paid directly to the university. You will receive a monthly stipend check for $1,667 paid directly to you. You will receive an additional $5,000 for your educational expenses as a lump sum at the beginning of the academic year. This educational expense account will be managed by your institution.

Does this mean that if I go to a super-expensive private university, then most of the expenses won't be covered?

Edited September 30, 2012 by InquilineKea

[guttata]

In every case I've seen when tuition outstrips the fellowship's coverage, the host school provides a waiver to cover the rest of your bill. It's still cheaper for them in the long run - the fellowship is paying 12k, your salary, plus they're getting their name plastered for free next to a prestigious award.

The major difference between the NSF and EPA fellowship is that the EPA requires the research plan have a strong environmental focus, rather than the more open-ended research topics afforded by the NSF

[marshymarsh]

EPA is also open to more advanced students... a lot of people with a master's are ineligible for the NSF.

[AlgaeGirl328]

Hi Everyone! Has anyone heard anything about whether this program is going this year? It's October 1st and there are still no instruction or topic ID's (that I can find). Anyone know anything?

[marshymarsh]

I inquired last week and was told it would open in 'a few days.' Also note that the undergrad RFP opened yesterday, so I suspect the STAR will follow shortly.

[AlgaeGirl328]

While there's no link yet, the text on the website has changed and the open date has been updated to "October". Progress?

[guttata]

I think that changed when they updated to open the undergrad application. But yes, I think that can be taken as a good sign - at least the program still exists!

[Alaudid]

The EPA Star Fellowship is now OPEN Applications are due November 27th

http://epa.gov/ncer/rfa/

Good luck everyone!

[guttata]

Seems they're a little slow in getting all the announcements up on grants.gov. Still waiting for F2 to show up.

[guttata]

Anyone having problems downloading the application package from grants.gov? I keep getting a nearly blank PDF file that says

To view the full contents of this document, you need a later version of the PDF viewer. You can upgrade

to the latest version of Adobe Reader from www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

For further support, go to www.adobe.com/support/products/acrreader.html

[guttata]

Anyone having problems downloading the application package from grants.gov? I keep getting a nearly blank PDF file that says

So I guess I have that sorted out. Apparently Adobe Reader doesn't play nice in any way, shape, or form with Chrome, so I had to switch to Safari.

[victrolala]

does anyone know what the review committee is looking for in the applications?

[InquilineKea]

Is it possible to simply re-use your essays for NSF?

Does EPA STAR care about theoretical atmosphere research that could be potentially relevant to climate change?

[mad-geo]

Does anyone know of any EPA-STAR fellowships that have been given to US citizens doing research outside the US?

[ecologist1234]

mad-geo. yes, there are usually a few/year given to international projects. it's allowed, but tougher to relate to federal agencies and the goals of the funding appropriation.

[iowaguy]

How many fellowships are typically given out for each "Topic Title"? Trying to figure out just how competitive this Star Fellowship is and whether it's worth pursuing...

Let's say, for example, for Topic Title "Chemical Safety for Sustainability: Pesticides and Toxic Substances," how many fellowships do you think would typically be awarded? And how many typical applicants for a given topic title?

Thanks!

[guttata]

If it's awarded in the same manner the GRF is, the awards per subheading is roughly the equivalent to the percentage of applications per subheading.

Edited because I didn't English very good.

Edited November 1, 2012 by guttata

[ecologist1234]

Anyone who's applied previously have a sense of how tightly the bit in the announcement about application to "pollution mitigation and prevention" is followed? Specifically for terrestrial ecology projects, do we think application to an environmental agency and problem is good enough to have a shot?

[iowaguy]

Looking at the award deadlines for this fellowship, it looks like a grad program accepts you without knowing how you came out with this fellowship? i.e. you'll accept an offer (including TA or RA) before you find out whether you receive the EPA fellowship?

Some applications have asked which external funding sources I'm applying for, but why would it really matter on this EPA fellowship if the grad school has to make a decision earlier than the award funding is announced?

Edited November 6, 2012 by iowaguy

[malonzo]

Hi -- Does anyone have a good resource for viewing successful STAR essays from previous years?

Mike

[iowaguy]

When exactly does one generally find out if you've received the Star Fellowship? If you include it in your application under "funding applied for" but you (and the school) don't find out if you got awarded until after the school (and you) have made your admissions decision, then what good is it really? Seems like it's best to apply for it 2 years before you actually plan to attend school, i.e. you would have applied in fall 2011 (and found out in spring 2012) for fall 2013 admission - that way the school would know whether you received funding when the admit you.

Otherwise, why not just wait and apply as a 1st year PhD student. You could then get a LOR from your advisor, and he/she could help you with the technical aspects of your project description so that you would have a better overall application...

Thoughts?