EPA Star Fellowship 2013

[CCA-B2]

The govt in DC is closed today because of snow. Maybe we'll hear something tomorrow. 

[Blue Gopher]

The govt in DC is closed today because of snow. Maybe we'll hear something tomorrow.

Did you guys hear something indicating that decisions had been made?

[CCA-B2]

No,  haven't heard anything regarding a decision being made. I was hoping that this would be the week they inform applicants, since they've had about 2 weeks since the poll was due. 

[Blue Gopher]

No,  haven't heard anything regarding a decision being made. I was hoping that this would be the week they inform applicants, since they've had about 2 weeks since the poll was due. 

Got it. I'm not anticipating anything anytime soon. Hopefully that won't be the case, however.

[guscrea]

Got it. I'm not anticipating anything anytime soon. Hopefully that won't be the case, however.

Totally agree, Blue Gopher. I stopped holding my breath a long time ago. At this point, if we're almost going to be on the orginal funding/notification timeline--only a year late!

[Diatoms]

So I applied to EPA STAR 2013 and have never heard back (no emails, no letters, etc.). I have also not received the email that many of you have regarding that you are still in the remaining pool. I have emailed Brandon from the email provided on the 2013 EPA STAR site multiple times, but have had no response. I know my application was received successfully.

 

Is anybody in the same place as I am? At this point I just want to hear back regardless. It is frustrating to submit a big grant and simply hear nothing at all, positive or negative. Does anyone know of another email or phone number we can contact through?

 

Thanks,

Ph.D. student and concerned U.S. citizen

[texasfight]

So I applied to EPA STAR 2013 and have never heard back (no emails, no letters, etc.). I have also not received the email that many of you have regarding that you are still in the remaining pool. I have emailed Brandon from the email provided on the 2013 EPA STAR site multiple times, but have had no response. I know my application was received successfully.

 

Is anybody in the same place as I am? At this point I just want to hear back regardless. It is frustrating to submit a big grant and simply hear nothing at all, positive or negative. Does anyone know of another email or phone number we can contact through?

 

Thanks,

Ph.D. student and concerned U.S. citizen

 

This is his email signature: 

 

M. Brandon Jones, PhD jones.brandon@epa.gov

Assistant Center Director - Ecosystems Research

Fellowship Programs Manager

EPA|ORD|National Center for Environmental Research

W: 703-347-8053

BB: 202-441-9564

Courier - 2777 Crystal Dr. (One Potomac Yard), Arlington, VA, 22202

Mail: U.S. EPA (MC - 8723P), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W., Washington, DC 20460

[marshymarsh]

So I applied to EPA STAR 2013 and have never heard back (no emails, no letters, etc.). I have also not received the email that many of you have regarding that you are still in the remaining pool. I have emailed Brandon from the email provided on the 2013 EPA STAR site multiple times, but have had no response. I know my application was received successfully.

 

Is anybody in the same place as I am? At this point I just want to hear back regardless. It is frustrating to submit a big grant and simply hear nothing at all, positive or negative. Does anyone know of another email or phone number we can contact through?

 

Thanks,

Ph.D. student and concerned U.S. citizen

 

Hi there! I don't want to be a downer, but if you never heard back from them at all (via emails, letters, etc)... are you sure that your application was really received successfully? I imagine that you would have been contacted in some form by now if that were true.

 

I have had no trouble hearing back from Brandon the couple of times I have tried. Maybe try from another email address or something in case you are getting filtered out of his inbox?

[Blue Gopher]

Hi there! I don't want to be a downer, but if you never heard back from them at all (via emails, letters, etc)... are you sure that your application was really received successfully? I imagine that you would have been contacted in some form by now if that were true.

 

I have had no trouble hearing back from Brandon the couple of times I have tried. Maybe try from another email address or something in case you are getting filtered out of his inbox?

I have to agree with marshymarsh. Despite the fact that I'd only recently started getting responses from Brandon regarding specific email inquiries, I'd still received the general emails to the remaining applicants (e.g., the email sent last June, and the one last month regarding the survey). Did you ever get the initial email confirming receipt of your application from NCER? If not, they may have never recieved your application (including letters of recommendation) in full.

[withoutwords]

The sequester is done, a budget passed, can anyone think now what is the hold up?

[Blue Gopher]

The sequester is done, a budget passed, can anyone think now what is the hold up?

My guess is that they're trying to determine who, of the remaining applicants, is still eligible to receive an award (based on the surveys we all filled out a few weeks ago), and then performing internal reviews (the final step in the process from what I understand) for those remaining applicants.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Blue Gopher

[ekpfeil]

Has anyone heard anything recently from Brandon?  I think it would be super nice of them to give us a timeline. So I don't jump at every phone call from every unrecognizable phone number that I get ()  *sigh*

[Lumidee]

The last I heard last week was that it was back to a waiting game. I know that's not what we wanna hear right now.

[memae]

What are the chances that they just cancel the fellowship? It's getting ridiculous.   I think we all deserve one for waiting this long! 

[ekpfeil]

What are the chances that they just cancel the fellowship? It's getting ridiculous.   I think we all deserve one for waiting this long! 

 

Agreed 100%! If they cancel the fellowship completely I'm going to be pretty cranky about it, LOL.

[withoutwords]

I feel like it's more likely we hear back more than a year after they were supposed to tell us than hearing back before May 1st, which is insane, the thought of them canceling it is just too much to bare.

[ekpfeil]

I feel like it's more likely we hear back more than a year after they were supposed to tell us than hearing back before May 1st, which is insane, the thought of them canceling it is just too much to bare.

 

Did someone say we would hear back by May 1st?

[withoutwords]

Did someone say we would hear back by May 1st?

No I was just saying that we were supposed to hear back May 1st 2013 and now I'll be surprised now if we hear back before May 1 2014 since there is not even a hint of a timeline.

Edited April 3, 2014 by withoutwords

[Alaudid]

Just received the following message from Brandon Jones at EPA:

 

First, thank you for completing the survey. The information we collected helped a great deal in putting together the decision package for our Managers.

 

To provide an update, barring any unforeseen circumstances, award decisions should be made by the end of this month (April 2014).

 

Again, we appreciate your patience through this very long process.

[ekpfeil]

Yeah I just got that email too. Saw an email from Brandon in my inbox and felt my heart stop, lol. At least we will know soon!!! Hopefully the next phone call/email I get doesn't kill me

[Blue Gopher]

Yeah I just got that email too. Saw an email from Brandon in my inbox and felt my heart stop, lol. At least we will know soon!!! Hopefully the next phone call/email I get doesn't kill me

HA! The same thing happened to me. I bet Brandon is laughing at the thought of how we would all react to seeing an email from him in our inbox.  

[ekpfeil]

HA! The same thing happened to me. I bet Brandon is laughing at the thought of how we would all react to seeing an email from him in our inbox.  

 

I know right!!!! This will be the death of me, I swear, LOL

[Benthon]

I took the pre-fellowship survey but didn't get an email from Brandon today. Anyone else experiencing this? I was keeping my cool about this whole thing until about now- I don't want to be left out! I emailed Brandon and we will see what he says.

[Blue Gopher]

I took the pre-fellowship survey but didn't get an email from Brandon today. Anyone else experiencing this? I was keeping my cool about this whole thing until about now- I don't want to be left out! I emailed Brandon and we will see what he says.

Did you check your spam box? Maybe it was routed there for some reason.

[rhamnocat]

I took the pre-fellowship survey but didn't get an email from Brandon today. Anyone else experiencing this? I was keeping my cool about this whole thing until about now- I don't want to be left out! I emailed Brandon and we will see what he says.

 

I have been stalking this forum for many moons, and Brandon's email (or lack there of) has caused me to come out of hiding. I too filled out the survey, but didn't receive an email today. There wasn't anything in my spam folder either. Please let me know what Brandon says!