Ford Foundation Fellowship

[maneki_neko]

You are right. Belonging to an underrepresented group is a criteria for selection, but it is NOT required for eligibility.

 

Congrats to everyone who was selected or received an honorable mention!

[praxismakesperfect]

Alternate for the pre-doc in Ethnic Studies.... is it worth holding on hope? 

Edited March 27, 2015 by praxismakesperfect

[mngrue]

I was rejected for pre-doctoral, interdisciplinary. I'm not as bummed as I thought I would be, since I found out I'm receiving funding from my university. Congrats to all who got honorable mentions and the actual fellowship!

[rufusjbuttlicker]

So why even apply? Surely there's someone else that could have benefited from recieving an honorable mention. Thought the criteria for selection was being apart of a under represented group in academia. Guess that just mean the values of the ford foundation aren't what they say they are.

 

Funding in my department can be affected by the number of fellowships I apply for. While my funding situation is OK with GA/TA appointments, I am told to apply for as many as possible by the department chair; if I turn her down then I risk irritating her and potentially hurting myself. Academia is highly political; it is the nature of the beast.

Also I had a full application package already ready from applying to earlier fellowships in the year (Microsoft, NSF, etc) that the chair was aware of, and thus told me to directly apply to this one.

 

And on the other hand, it is also a matter of positioning. The main tenets of the fellowship is:

 

Fellowships are awarded in a national competition. Awards are made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.

 

While your ethnic background and discipline can be one that diversifies higher education by participating, that is not the only way. For example, I grew up in a majority-Hispanic, impoverished neighborhood (>90%) in a difficult state (NJ). So the majority of my formative years were spent, in many ways, as an outsider of the culture I was entrenched into. It is only when I got older and went to college did I understand how the pendulum of advantage really swings my way; this is a part of something I explained in my fellowship application. I do a lot of outreach in my old neighborhood to encourage college enrollment in STEM careers and I directly mentor and manage undergraduates of diverse backgrounds. I understand the need for differing perspectives and voice. I think it is mostly for these reasons that I got the honorable mention.

[Musiciangrl06]

Funding in my department can be affected by the number of fellowships I apply for. While my funding situation is OK with GA/TA appointments, I am told to apply for as many as possible by the department chair; if I turn her down then I risk irritating her and potentially hurting myself. Academia is highly political; it is the nature of the beast.

Also I had a full application package already ready from applying to earlier fellowships in the year (Microsoft, NSF, etc) that the chair was aware of, and thus told me to directly apply to this one.

 

And on the other hand, it is also a matter of positioning. The main tenets of the fellowship is:

 

 

While your ethnic background and discipline can be one that diversifies higher education by participating, that is not the only way. For example, I grew up in a majority-Hispanic, impoverished neighborhood (>90%) in a difficult state (NJ). So the majority of my formative years were spent, in many ways, as an outsider of the culture I was entrenched into. It is only when I got older and went to college did I understand how the pendulum of advantage really swings my way; this is a part of something I explained in my fellowship application. I do a lot of outreach in my old neighborhood to encourage college enrollment in STEM careers and I directly mentor and manage undergraduates of diverse backgrounds. I understand the need for differing perspectives and voice. I think it is mostly for these reasons that I got the honorable mention.

 well your comment especially the part about" "banner year for one of my kind to be awarded the Ford" was kind of an asshole comment..

[rufusjbuttlicker]

 well your comment especially the part about" "banner year for one of my kind to be awarded the Ford" was kind of an asshole comment..

I was referring to EE/CS/CE majors, which is generally true; this concentration is not typically awarded the Ford IIRC? Or it's more uncommon from when I looked at previous awardees from the last 5 years. I didn't mean to imply any other connotation. Sorry if I offended you, I didn't mean to do that. :/

[Femme Pedagogy]

Hey! I got one of those you're an honorable mention and will be reviewed again if someone declines emails (in gender studies, got the email yesterday). Does anyone know if people can accept both the Ford Predoc and the NSF GRFP? Wondering what the chances of folks turning down the Ford for the NSF is.... It is a lot more money.

 

Thanks.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Femme Pedagogy

[geobabe]

Anecdote as to the unpredictable nature of fellowships: Last year, I was honorable mention/alternate status for the Ford Fellowship and was rejected outright for NSF GRFP. This year, I didn't even get honorable mention for Ford, but I won a GRFP! I'm very happy. About me: I'm a second year PhD black female geoscientist and do a lot of outreach.

 

Lesson: fellowships are a crapshoot; don't take it personally.

[ron_swanson]

Hey! I got one of those you're an honorable mention and will be reviewed again if someone declines emails (in gender studies, got the email yesterday). Does anyone know if people can accept both the Ford Predoc and the NSF GRFP? Wondering what the chances of folks turning down the Ford for the NSF is.... It is a lot more money.

 

Thanks.

I am in this situation.  I got both the Ford Predoc and NSF GRFP.  The NSF GRFP states that you cannot take on another Federal Fellowship.  I know the Ford Foundation is private and is managed by the National Research Council (also private).  Yet, the NRC receives Federal funding.  I'm in the process of figuring this whole thing out.  Right now I accepted the NSF GRFP (haven't made a choice on Tenure or Reserve for the upcoming year) since it pays more and allows me NSF GROW and NSF GRIP opportunities.  If I can't accept both I'll just drop the Ford.

 

But overall, I made my grad school choices and it just comes down to finding which funding opportunity has the deepest pockets.

[Cookie]

Ron2d2, you can accept both. That is for sure. (Answer from my school's grants & fellowship office)

[ron_swanson]

Ron2d2, you can accept both. That is for sure. (Answer from my school's grants & fellowship office)

Yeah, I talked to both the NSF and Ford Foundation, the NSF allows you to go on reserve your first year while you accept the Ford (which can't be deferred its first year).  Also, the Ford stated that they don't allow fellows to be actively funded by both the NSF and Ford on the same year (one has to be deferred/reserved).

 

Also, I accepted the Ford and submitted documents on the 9th.  The documents are still pending approval.  Is it ok if the submissions are still pending approval after tomorrow?

[kubelkobondy]

Any news on the alternate front?

[DivineLavender]

On 3/23/2015 at 11:26 AM, ESFPengineer said:

I got the Pre-doctoral fellowship!

Congrats!!

[kafcat]

54 minutes ago, DivineLavender said:

Congrats!!

oh my god you scared me....this is LAST YEAR'S thread...almost had a heart attack...

[DivineLavender]

Oopps.