NSF GRFP 2014-2015

[Cookie]

What's your source?  Also, what do you mean by retroactive to this year?

 

The source is the person in charge of Research Accounting at my school. It was explained to me that winners of last year will get retroactive 2K. You dont have to believe it, I just wanted to bring in some good news for those who are anxiously waiting for the results

[ChanEvansLam]

Here to join the conversation... I'm checking fastlane every day just like the others here

[Freudian_Slip]

They tweeted "Results should be announced in early April" in response to someone asking about decision timeline.

I liked the "around" early April better on the website, since that at least suggested it could be late-March as in some past years. I hope this isn't one of the later release date years.

[Vader Was Framed]

It's going to be April 1, which is mid week. 

[Munashi]

My personal bet is on either Mar 31 (Tuesday) or Apr 03 (Friday).

[stmwap]

Either way, we're only ~2 weeks away!

[moochie]

I've been waiting so long to hear about the NSF GRFP (and NDSEG) that they don't even feel real anymore. They are just these abstract concepts that I mention in conversation and say I will hear about "eventually." But now eventually is two weeks away! It's going to be the longest couple of weeks ever.

[Humulus_lupulus]

I've basically been jumping out of my skin every time I get an email. I keep hoping it is NSF! I've also been checking my spam folder which is something I never do.

 

Last year, I threw my application together in about 2-3 weeks and got an honorable mention, so I was really motivated to beef it up this year based on reviewer comments and having more time to get edits (and experience!). Between that and slapping a bow on it with a little proposal-writing finesse, I feel like I have a solid shot.

 

The anticipation is killing me...

[jmu]

I've been so busy working on the first draft of my dissertation proposal that I haven't even really thought about it.

[stmwap]

I'm just trying not to get my hopes up, so I won't be as disappointed as I was last year if I don't get it again.  I will be fine either way, I will be fine either way, I will be fine either way.

[Owl Woman]

Visualize.... 

Application Year: 2015 

Application Status: Received

Final Status: Awarded

!!!!

[stmwap]

http://whatshouldwecallgradschool.tumblr.com/post/113363209611/getting-ready-to-hear-back-from-grants

[rehab-robotics]

http://whatshouldwecallgradschool.tumblr.com/post/113363209611/getting-ready-to-hear-back-from-grants

I haven't had nearly enough Regular Show in my life recently.

[kbolya1]

They tweeted "Results should be announced in early April" in response to someone asking about decision timeline.

I liked the "around" early April better on the website, since that at least suggested it could be late-March as in some past years. I hope this isn't one of the later release date years.

Where did you see that? far down the twitter page?

[stmwap]

Visualize.... 

Application Year: 2015 

Application Status: Received

 

 

Actually, when I log in I do see this... Because it's the demo fellow on the FastLane Demonstration Site.

[Freudian_Slip]

Actually, when I log in I do see this... Because it's the demo fellow on the FastLane Demonstration Site.

Everyone sees that, just not the Final Status part

[Freudian_Slip]

Where did you see that? far down the twitter page?

No, it was at the very top of the NSFGRFP Twitter page the last time I checked. If you to the NSFGRFP home page, there's the link to their social media at the bottom. You may have gone to an NSF in general page

[stmwap]

Everyone sees that, just not the Final Status part

I know.  It was a joke.

[Munashi]

If you're at their twitter, it's under the "tweets and replies" tab.

 

https://twitter.com/NSFGRFP/status/577966713435787265<-- Here's the tweet.

[astaroth27]

I just realized that Game of Thrones starts the week after decisions. A nice consolation prize if I don't get it.

[rehab-robotics]

I just realized that Game of Thrones starts the week after decisions. A nice consolation prize if I don't get it.

 

And a nice celebration if you do.

[kbolya1]

fastlane has been down for a longish time now

[Crucial BBQ]

I was going to start a new thread on this, but decided to post it here:

 

If you have applied to the NSF GRFP, is it okay to mention this in your grad school SOP?  I've heard that it is a no-no to mention it to a POI, but I cannot seem to find any info on if it should go into your SOP or not?

 

 

The waiting is to protect us from schools that would only accept you if you were awarded the GRFP. It would skew the interview and acceptance process. 

Yes, I agree.  See below:

 

I'm curious... what exactly would happen if someone was awarded the fellowship but wasn't accepted to any schools? Obviously you can't receive it if you aren't enrolled anywhere, but really, what would someone do? Call up the programs he/she was rejected from and ask them to reconsider due to the funding? I feel like this isn't likely to happen, but it's a possibility.

My understanding is that it totally depends on the program.  I know that MIT/WHOI and Scripps (oceanography) do not care if you have external funding or not; they are going to fund you through their program anyways and if you are rejected it is not because of financial reasons.  I looked into this a little deeper and it seems that programs that are "funding blind" won't care one bit if you win the fellowship or not because [lack of] funding was not the issue when the rejection was reached.  

 

I have heard that if funding was the reason, or part of the reason perhaps, approaching the program with the fellowship could result in a reversal of the decision and the general advice seems to be you won't know unless you try.  

 

I was going to post more on this topic, then decided against it.  I suggest searching Quora as it has been asked and discussed there, too (and with profs/adcomms providing answers).  

[krahill]

As the time approaches, I've been losing more sleep over anticipating the award annoucements. To try and help ease my uncertainty, I have a question for anyone who is familiar with the American Psychological Association Graduate Student (APAGS)/Psi-Chi Junior Scientist Fellowship Grant. This grant is awarded to applicants who are planning to apply to NSF GRFP. In addition to getting some cash, winners also get feedback from reviewers based on NSF's broader impacts/intellectual merit criterion.

 

I was awarded this back in September and got pretty great feedback from reviewers. So I beefed up my essay a little more and made sure to mention this award and its description in my application. According to APAGS, this is a small grant to help students in the beginning stages of their research, but the main goal of this award is to help applicants win an NSF GRFP grant. About 8-10 people get it each year. However, I'm not sure the number of people who apply, or how many of these winners go on to win the NSF GRFP.  I'm also not sure exactly how NSF views this award or the impact it has on an application.

 

Has anyone heard of a recipient of this award also winning the NSF GRFP? I'd just rather not get my hopes up if it really doesn't really increase an applicants chances by that much.

[moochie]

My understanding is that it totally depends on the program.  I know that MIT/WHOI and Scripps (oceanography) do not care if you have external funding or not; they are going to fund you through their program anyways and if you are rejected it is not because of financial reasons.  I looked into this a little deeper and it seems that programs that are "funding blind" won't care one bit if you win the fellowship or not because [lack of] funding was not the issue when the rejection was reached.  

 

I have heard that if funding was the reason, or part of the reason perhaps, approaching the program with the fellowship could result in a reversal of the decision and the general advice seems to be you won't know unless you try.  

 

I was going to post more on this topic, then decided against it.  I suggest searching Quora as it has been asked and discussed there, too (and with profs/adcomms providing answers).  

 

While some schools certainly care less about funding, I have heard that winning big national fellowships like the NDSEG or NSF GRFP absolutely makes a difference at schools like MIT and Scripps. Not because of the money, but because winning it is an honor and says a lot about the quality of an applicant. You can only get so much information about applicants from their SOP, LOR, and academic profile. The fact that they can write a winning fellowship application says a lot about that students potential to write and win grants in the future.

 

While it might not reverse an outright rejection, I definitely think winning prestigious national fellowships can move people off waitlists, or get previously waitlisted students a decision reversal.

Edited March 20, 2015 by moochie