NSF GRFP 2014-2015

[shadowclaw]

Thanks for the input! I only included the undergrad transcript from the school that I got my degree from.

 

My application is submitted! Now I just need my letter writers to upload their reference letters for me, and it will be complete. I'm actually quite shocked that my advisor got his letters together for me so fast. I asked him at the beginning of October if he would write some references for me, and when I reminded him the other day that the due date for the fellowship was coming up, he said they were all ready to go. It took him over a month just to read the first draft of my masters thesis proposal, so I envisioned him working down to the last minute on these references for me.

 

As for your outreach activities, I don't think they really need to really be related to each other. My volunteer activities were very loosely related... the only thing they really had in common was science, and that was pushing it. My activities included working with a watershed group, working at a wildlife preserve on educational activities, and tutoring in the sciences and math. I linked them all together as a way for me to help spread scientific and ecological knowledge to others. Is there some general theme that you can use to link them together? Alternatively, you can just kind of weave them into your narrative in the appropriate place and not worry about them being related. In my opinion, you shouldn't just describe your activities in standalone paragraphs. You should make them a part of your story and write about how they enhanced your education, research, future goals, etc, which would probably be best accomplished if you can intersperse them throughout your statement in a logical way, since you said they aren't really related to each other.

[radiomars]

Does anyone know how to resend the email with letter submission instructions (a reminder) through the fastlane system to a reference letter writer, in the past I remember there was an option to do so but I can't find it now. Thanks

I just deleted and re-added my writers and sent them new emails. Not sure if that's the best way to do it. You can also just email them yourself.

[Vader Was Framed]

still finalizing my personal statement ... cough

 

I am mentioning some of my key publications and presentations in my personal statement (as I'm sure others have), in a 'research experience' sub-heading. Did you cite these with a reference list at the bottom? I've seen this in some successful personal statements, but not all. If you chose not to, is this because you felt entering into an application form field these pubs/talks was sufficient? In addition to the NSF-generated .pdf's of our statements, do reviewers get a pdf generated from the online form?

 

Thanks!

[radiomars]

still finalizing my personal statement ... cough

 

I am mentioning some of my key publications and presentations in my personal statement (as I'm sure others have), in a 'research experience' sub-heading. Did you cite these with a reference list at the bottom? I've seen this in some successful personal statements, but not all. If you chose not to, is this because you felt entering into an application form field these pubs/talks was sufficient? In addition to the NSF-generated .pdf's of our statements, do reviewers get a pdf generated from the online form?

 

Thanks!

No, I didn't cite them. In the body of the statement I mentioned where they were published and what author I was. It seems redundant to cite and it's also in the application.

[dstock]

In the final stretch!!  I can't wait to hit the submit button and be done.

[Munashi]

My hat is officially in the ring - I submitted my application last night.  Good luck, everyone!  Happy waiting.  

[SoundandScience]

Hey everyone, I'm applying as a second year graduate student at an institution that does not calculate GPA's for Ph.D. students (which as I understand it is not all that uncommon). I'm wondering if anyone else is/has been in this situation and how you reported your graduate GPA? I've gotten conflicting suggestions from the registrar and my advisers, either leave it blank to match the uploaded transcript or to do my own approximate calculation. Now, I left it blank when I applied last year and received honorable mention, but of course at the time I hadn't completed any graduate coursework so that made a little more sense. 

 

In any case, good luck to all of you, especially everyone still putting the final touches on. Can't wait to hit send and be done with this thing for the third and final time

[egFace]

So, I submitted my application today  . However, I had to submit it before my advisor could give my research statement a final read-through. When I showed him the final draft that I submitted, he pointed out that I should have added more details in some areas. For example, I plan to administer dopamine agonists and antagonists to rats during an experiment, but I did not specify the name of the drugs or the dosage. I figured that those details were not integral to the essay, which is limited to 2 pages anyway. My advisor is extremely detail-oriented, and he is famous for grilling people about the nitty-gritty details of their experiments. So should I be worried, or just interpret these criticisms as side-effects of my advisor's personality? 

[Vader Was Framed]

So, I submitted my application today  . However, I had to submit it before my advisor could give my research statement a final read-through. When I showed him the final draft that I submitted, he pointed out that I should have added more details in some areas. For example, I plan to administer dopamine agonists and antagonists to rats during an experiment, but I did not specify the name of the drugs or the dosage. I figured that those details were not integral to the essay, which is limited to 2 pages anyway. My advisor is extremely detail-oriented, and he is famous for grilling people about the nitty-gritty details of their experiments. So should I be worried, or just interpret these criticisms as side-effects of my advisor's personality? 

 

No I would not worry. There comes a point where you know best what to include in the final draft. Certain details have to be left out inevitably, that would normally be included in an NSF grant proposal (which this is not).

 

However, do thank him for that final review (and perhaps acknowledge you simply ran out of time to integrate all of his feedback). I am in the same boat, I did not have the chance to integrate all of my advisor's (helpful) feedback. 

[Vader Was Framed]

For the research proposal, does anyone know if the title that we submit in the entry form of the fastlane application will be generated in the header (with name, ID, keywords) on our behalf for the reviewer version? 

 

I currently include my title in the upload version... but need that 1 line of space!

[egFace]

For the research proposal, does anyone know if the title that we submit in the entry form of the fastlane application will be generated in the header (with name, ID, keywords) on our behalf for the reviewer version? 

 

I currently include my title in the upload version... but need that 1 line of space!

 

Try this: Add the title in the entry form and upload the proposal without the title at the top. Then, click save and continue. Once it has been uploaded, there is an option to preview the PDF. I don't think the title will show up at the top, but you can try anyway.

[Cookie]

For the research proposal, does anyone know if the title that we submit in the entry form of the fastlane application will be generated in the header (with name, ID, keywords) on our behalf for the reviewer version? 

 

I currently include my title in the upload version... but need that 1 line of space!

 

You dont need to include the title in the actual file. 

[radiomars]

For the research proposal, does anyone know if the title that we submit in the entry form of the fastlane application will be generated in the header (with name, ID, keywords) on our behalf for the reviewer version? 

 

I currently include my title in the upload version... but need that 1 line of space!

 

I didn't include the title in the uploaded version either time I applied. Use the extra space. There's a reason they ask for the title in the application.

[Vader Was Framed]

Submitted!

 

Thanks for the help contained throughout this thread, and for folks on chat. Good luck everyone! 

[dstock]

Submitted.  that was anxiety inducing... must've checked that I had definitely attached my statements and transcripts about 10x each....

[Generis]

So happy everything is out of my hands now! Good luck to everyone, let's forget about it until April =)

[juilletmercredi]

Good luck everybody!

 

So, I submitted my application today   . However, I had to submit it before my advisor could give my research statement a final read-through. When I showed him the final draft that I submitted, he pointed out that I should have added more details in some areas. For example, I plan to administer dopamine agonists and antagonists to rats during an experiment, but I did not specify the name of the drugs or the dosage. I figured that those details were not integral to the essay, which is limited to 2 pages anyway. My advisor is extremely detail-oriented, and he is famous for grilling people about the nitty-gritty details of their experiments. So should I be worried, or just interpret these criticisms as side-effects of my advisor's personality? 

 

No, I don't think  you should be worried.  First of all, you can't change it, so there's no use worrying about it anyway.

 

But second of all, the NSF GRFP funds the person - not the research project.  You only have 2 pages to talk about your proposed research and really what they want to know is whether you can orient your research within a broad theoretical field and connect it to prior work, creating a niche for yourself, and answering unanswered questions/filling gaps.  They're not necessarily interested in the exact details of how you are going to carry out the research - and in fact, your reviewers may not be in your subfield or know enough to make a judgment about the drugs or dosage.

 

A lot of professors approach this application (and others) as if they were grants, because that's what they are familiar with.  But the GRF is not a grant; it's a fellowship.  I proposed a daily diary study in my fellowship application; I said that I would measure drug use, but I did not specify exactly how (i.e., which instruments/measures I would use).  I also said that "participants will be asked to respond to items indicating several behavioral and attitudinal factors that have been identified in previous research as substance use triggers" and that I would use "quantitative analyses" to explore connections between my variables.  That's VERY vague!  But the methods of my project was only 1 paragraph long out of the 2 pages.  The rest was used to explain why I decided to undertake this research (both theoretically and based upon my own past experience) and why I thought my institution was a good fit to do the kind of research I was interested in.

[skatjezero]

I just realised that "Download as PDF" from Google Docs resulted in my right margin not being 1" on the personal background essay I uploaded, despite the formatting being correct on Google Docs. 

 

I... don't have words. I'm totally fucked, aren't I? When will I get a disqualification email?

[Monochrome Spring]

I just realised that "Download as PDF" from Google Docs resulted in my right margin not being 1" on the personal background essay I uploaded, despite the formatting being correct on Google Docs. 

 

I... don't have words. I'm totally fucked, aren't I? When will I get a disqualification email?

 

I think that some disqualification emails didn't come out until late winter/early spring last year.

[gellert]

I just realised that "Download as PDF" from Google Docs resulted in my right margin not being 1" on the personal background essay I uploaded, despite the formatting being correct on Google Docs. 

 

I... don't have words. I'm totally fucked, aren't I? When will I get a disqualification email?

 

That really sucks, dude.  :/  My sympathies.

[shadowclaw]

Is anyone else still waiting on any of their LOR writers? My adviser from my undergrad university got it done pretty quick. Another professor from there hasn't submitted yet, but I know he'll get it done, probably tonight. He was a bit of a procrastinator when I applied to grad school, but he got it done with time to spare. Plus he pretty much has a draft of the letter anyway, assuming he didn't delete the letters he wrote for my grad school applications.

 

However, I'm a little concerned about my current adviser. I asked him over a month ago about writing letters and discussed the fellowship with him. I even e-mailed him last week reminding him about it, and he said he was good to go, just waiting for the e-mail with upload instructions. But he hasn't submitted it yet, and didn't reply to an e-mail I sent on Monday to confirm that he got the e-mail from the NSF. He has incompatible office hours with my schedule except for on Fridays, so I can't just pop in and ask him about it. I'm wondering if I should send him a text or call him, or maybe just send another e-mail. I don't want to be obnoxious, but I really don't want him to forget about it. He doesn't have a good record of doing things in a timely manner or remembering to do stuff. However, I really thought he was on top of this when I e-mailed him last week. Ugh.

[bsharpe269]

Is anyone else still waiting on any of their LOR writers? My adviser from my undergrad university got it done pretty quick. Another professor from there hasn't submitted yet, but I know he'll get it done, probably tonight. He was a bit of a procrastinator when I applied to grad school, but he got it done with time to spare. Plus he pretty much has a draft of the letter anyway, assuming he didn't delete the letters he wrote for my grad school applications.

However, I'm a little concerned about my current adviser. I asked him over a month ago about writing letters and discussed the fellowship with him. I even e-mailed him last week reminding him about it, and he said he was good to go, just waiting for the e-mail with upload instructions. But he hasn't submitted it yet, and didn't reply to an e-mail I sent on Monday to confirm that he got the e-mail from the NSF. He has incompatible office hours with my schedule except for on Fridays, so I can't just pop in and ask him about it. I'm wondering if I should send him a text or call him, or maybe just send another e-mail. I don't want to be obnoxious, but I really don't want him to forget about it. He doesn't have a good record of doing things in a timely manner or remembering to do stuff. However, I really thought he was on top of this when I e-mailed him last week. Ugh.

I would send a follow up email. This is important and it is completely reasonable for you to double check.

[Munashi]

Call him.  The deadline is tomorrow, you're not being obnoxious.

[shadowclaw]

Thanks for the advice. I started with an e-mail, and I marked it high priority so it will get a red mark next to it in his inbox. That should catch his attention.

 

I guess if I don't hear back from him by 4:00ish, I'll start calling him.

[bigcowphish]

I decided to upload all my documents before it was due and was not able to upload my current transcript, because it was encrypted, to prove enrollment in my PhD program. I was told that my application will still get sent to reviewers and it will be up to them to catch me mistake... anyone have experience with this or and words of hope?

Edited November 5, 2014 by bigcowphish