NSF GRFP 2016

[Dibenzofulvene]

Hi all,

I'm a new member and a long time lurker. 

I have a random question. Does nsf look negatively on those that currently hold fellowships? I mentioned that I had a fellowship but stupidly did not mention that it is only 2 years. I tried to change the info but could not per nsf policy. 

[kjc]

23 hours ago, Merlin said:

On the flipside though, if GRFP results were released earlier, then graduate schools might base admissions decisions on who got them, which would be a double kick in the crotch to those who don't get them.

I actually think this is specifically why they wait until they do to release who gets the GRFP. This way it is less of an influence on admissions. Institutions should strive to fund their students not count of NSF to do it. 

[sierra918]

8 hours ago, kjc said:

I actually think this is specifically why they wait until they do to release who gets the GRFP. This way it is less of an influence on admissions. Institutions should strive to fund their students not count of NSF to do it. 

That makes a lot of sense. I'd never considered it from that perspective.

[ihatechoosingusernames]

On March 3, 2016 at 1:42 PM, kjc said:

I actually think this is specifically why they wait until they do to release who gets the GRFP. This way it is less of an influence on admissions. Institutions should strive to fund their students not count of NSF to do it. 

That's definitely a fair point. I'm at a point with two of my top choice universities where I'm waitlisted pending funding opportunities (as in one school is waiting to hear back about an internally funded fellowship), and I wish I knew whether or not I have the NSF fellowship. It would be lovely to be able to go to my first or second choice rather than my third, but I also realized I'm lucky to even have an acceptance at all. We're getting closer, though! This month just needs to fly by  

[sierra918]

On March 3, 2016 at 1:38 PM, Dibenzofulvene said:

Hi all,

I'm a new member and a long time lurker. 

I have a random question. Does nsf look negatively on those that currently hold fellowships? I mentioned that I had a fellowship but stupidly did not mention that it is only 2 years. I tried to change the info but could not per nsf policy. 

No, I don't believe the NSF would punish you that way. In pretty sure you can't accepted to federally funded fellowships at the same time though.

[gellert]

I have a random question. Does nsf look negatively on those that currently hold fellowships? I mentioned that I had a fellowship but stupidly did not mention that it is only 2 years. I tried to change the info but could not per nsf policy. 

I already had a university fellowship when I applied, and it was cited in my reviews as meritorious and likely helped me get the NSF.  Awards beget awards and so on.

Edited March 6, 2016 by gellert

[DavidB144]

Does anyone know what will happen to my application if I failed a class this winter?

I'm taking a class that is outside my department, (pass/no pass option). Due to health problems, I am unable to finish the course. The professor has told me that filing an incomplete is not an option.

If I failed the class, and then had my GRFP accepted, would the NSF rescind the fellowship after seeing that I failed a course?

[Eillac]

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2016/nsf16050/nsf16050.jsp

Whaaaat? They are changing the eligibility next year, so you can only apply as a graduate student once! 

[TongueSten]

1 hour ago, Eillac said:

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2016/nsf16050/nsf16050.jsp

Whaaaat? They are changing the eligibility next year, so you can only apply as a graduate student once! 

Hmm. Thanks for the heads up! I had been banking on being able to apply two more times if I didn't get it this round, so I'm a little disappointed.

[pterosaur]

Welp, I guess that means it's all or nothing for me this year, then. I'm a grad student in the UK now, so to me it feels like it doesn't counts, but it does to the NSF.

[Neist]

I'm curious if this will affect the reward chances.

[Eillac]

Pterosaur, I don't know if this helps you, but it says "First-year graduate students in Fall 2015 who applied to the 2016 GRFP competition will be allowed to apply a second time in Fall 2016, if they are otherwise eligible. All other graduate students are subject to the new eligibility requirements."

Edited March 9, 2016 by Eillac
formatting

[pterosaur]

So that means basically it doesn't affect any of us who applied this year as first year grad students? That's great to hear!

[Eillac]

Yes, I think that is what it is saying. However, people like me who applied this year as an undergrad will only be able to apply once as a graduate student - and we will have to decide whether to apply as a first year graduate student or a second year graduate student.

[chaparral]

1 hour ago, Eillac said:

Yes, I think that is what it is saying. However, people like me who applied this year as an undergrad will only be able to apply once as a graduate student - and we will have to decide whether to apply as a first year graduate student or a second year graduate student.

I am in the same boat! I am going to think long and hard about which will be my better shot... probably my second year? By then I will have more publications, hopefully. Also I will have had more time to develop my outreach programs. What do you all think?

[Tahlain]

Do we know if 1st and 2nd year students will still be evaluated separately? Or will they be lumped together into a single group? That could make a huge difference for strategy. 

[Eillac]

56 minutes ago, chaparral said:

I am in the same boat! I am going to think long and hard about which will be my better shot... probably my second year? By then I will have more publications, hopefully. Also I will have had more time to develop my outreach programs. What do you all think?

Chaparral, I am not sure - it seems that their intentions of limiting graduate applications is to encourage more diverse undergraduate applications, so I am almost learning towards applying my first year because it will be earlier in my graduate career. But that means I need to enter graduate school and immediately get involved with outreach.

Tahlain, I don't think it specifies whether the 1st year and 2nd year graduate students will be evaluated separately. I would hope that they continue to evaluate them separately.

P.S. Chapparral, did you go to the UGA PBIO recruitment weekend? If so, we probably met.

[pterosaur]

As it is, are undergrads and first year grad students evaluated separately? Or do the reviewers just look at them with the knowledge that of course graduate students are going to have more experience under their belts?

[sierra918]

1 hour ago, pterosaur said:

As it is, are undergrads and first year grad students evaluated separately? Or do the reviewers just look at them with the knowledge that of course graduate students are going to have more experience under their belts?

It is my understanding that each year is evaluated independently of one another. So, I applied for Archaeology under the "extenuating circumstances" clause. As such, I will only be judged against others who applied under the same category.

[Neist]

1 hour ago, sierra918 said:

It is my understanding that each year is evaluated independently of one another. So, I applied for Archaeology under the "extenuating circumstances" clause. As such, I will only be judged against others who applied under the same category.

Hm. That's interesting. I'm applying as an undergraduate senior.

Very interesting.

[sierra918]

5 hours ago, Neist said:

Hm. That's interesting. I'm applying as an undergraduate senior.

Very interesting.

If I'm understanding it correctly, then you should only be judged against other Seniors in your particular field. 

[Neist]

6 minutes ago, sierra918 said:

If I'm understanding it correctly, then you should only be judged against other Seniors in your particular field. 

I would not be disappointed if this was the case.  

[otherss]

Yea it's my understanding that each group would be evaluated against their groups for their particular field (non-grad students vs other non-grad students, new grad students vs other new grad students, and 2nd year grad students vs other 2nd year grad students). I'd expect it to be the same next year, otherwise 2nd year grad students would have an advantage versus new grad students. It would be interesting to see if the majority of the graduate students would wait until their second year to re-apply if they didn't get it as non-grad students. While you would be strengthening your application, so would everyone else (and the awarding committee would be grading you harder as well). If I don't get it this year, I might apply as a new grad student so that I might have a little bit more freedom with the committee (even though I won't have any publications).

[sierra918]

2 hours ago, Neist said:

I would not be disappointed if this was the case.  

Agreed!!!

[BiocharBarista]

I believe that every year Fastlane goes down for "maintenance" the night that results are sent out. This year the due dates were moved up, so do you think that this could be us?

"03/09/16  - FastLane will be unavailable from 12:01AM ET to 8:00AM ET on Saturday, March 12 for scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience."

The "important Dates" page says early April for notifications, so I'm pretty sure that I'm just wishfully thinking. Wouldn't that be nice though? I always do a great job not worrying about it until March rolls around, then it's hard to keep it off my mind...