NSF GRFP 2016

[Neist]

42 minutes ago, pterosaur said:

Not NSF, but I just got a call that I got the DOE CSGF. I'm absolutely in shock. I didn't expect to hear back this early, let alone hear that I got it! Definitely reduces the stress for waiting on the GRFP.

Wow. Congrats!  

[sierra918]

1 hour ago, pterosaur said:

Not NSF, but I just got a call that I got the DOE CSGF. I'm absolutely in shock. I didn't expect to hear back this early, let alone hear that I got it! Definitely reduces the stress for waiting on the GRFP.

Woo-hoo! How exciting! Congrats!

[elanorci]

2 hours ago, pterosaur said:

Not NSF, but I just got a call that I got the DOE CSGF. I'm absolutely in shock. I didn't expect to hear back this early, let alone hear that I got it! Definitely reduces the stress for waiting on the GRFP.

Congrats pterosaur!!!!

[hummm]

On 4/2/2012 at 6:34 PM, Pitangus said:

 

I found this Reviewer's Guide to be the most informative in regards to the scoring process (at least as it was in 2008):

http://www.soest.haw...fo_NSF_GRFP.pdf

**thanks to vertices for posting it earlier in the thread**

 

Starting on page 11, it shows the numerical rating scale behind the E,VG,G,F,P ratings that we applicants get to see.

It also explains the standardized scoring (z-scores) that is supposed to combat the effects of varying reviewer difficulty (pg 13).

 

According to this guide, applicants were divided into 4 "quality groups:"

Applicants in Group 1 are all awarded fellowships

Applicants in Group 2 "receive awards to the limit of funds available using criteria such as geographical region, discipline, and other factors" (pg 16); the rest receive HMs

Applicants in Group 3 get HMs

Applicants in Group 4 do not get awards or HMs (this group includes applications that were below the 65th percentile after two ratings and were retired before the third rating).

 

From what I read it seems, in 2008, applicants were ranked and placed into the quality groups according to their z-score averages, but the panels of reviewers were able to deliberate and change ranks without changing scores (pg 14). So there is definitely some mystery surrounding the deliberation aspect of the rankings.

Plus, once the rankings are submitted, who knows what "other factors" the NSF uses to give additional awards to applicants in Group 2.

 

I think the combination of z-scores (which applicants don't see) and the reviewing panel's ability to change the rankings after scoring helps explain why the feedback we get (just the letter ratings and some comments) is often not helpful in determining why we did/didn't get an award/HM.

 

Edit: Jimbo's comment above coincides with this as well; I agree it would be nice to get at least the z-scores.

FYI... not sure if this is applicable to this year since this post is pretty old, but gives us some idea how the scoring works.

Either next Tuesday or Friday we'll be free from this state of uncertainty!!  

[otherss]

6 hours ago, pterosaur said:

Not NSF, but I just got a call that I got the DOE CSGF. I'm absolutely in shock. I didn't expect to hear back this early, let alone hear that I got it! Definitely reduces the stress for waiting on the GRFP.

Hey hey! Congrats!

[otherss]

1 hour ago, hummm said:

FYI... not sure if this is applicable to this year since this post is pretty old, but gives us some idea how the scoring works.

i have been working/thinking under this assumption. Like you said I'm not sure how true it is, but just knowing a little bit makes me rest easier at night. 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

10 minutes ago, otherss said:

i have been working/thinking under this assumption. Like you said I'm not sure how true it is, but just knowing a little bit makes me rest easier at night. 

The fact that it puts you at ease but makes me flip the hell out is probably not a good sign for me... My application depends on that they look at it, say "yeah, she cool", then accept me. if they put any more thought into it, I'm doomed

[Eillac]

Wait... why are results on thegradcafesurvey for the NSF GRFP being posted?? I see an Animal Biology and Chemistry result that were posted today.

http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=nsf&t=a&o=&pp=25

Edited March 26, 2016 by Eillac
Added link

[Gram Positive]

7 hours ago, pterosaur said:

Not NSF, but I just got a call that I got the DOE CSGF. I'm absolutely in shock. I didn't expect to hear back this early, let alone hear that I got it! Definitely reduces the stress for waiting on the GRFP.

Congratulations!!!

[Bookworm349810]

9 minutes ago, Eillac said:

Wait... why are results on thegradcafesurvey for the NSF GRFP being posted?? I see an Animal Biology and Chemistry result that were posted today.

http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=nsf&t=a&o=&pp=25

Someone also just posted another one for computer science! Maybe there's some kind of glitch on the fastlane website?

Edited March 26, 2016 by Bookworm349810
add more details

[Eillac]

1 minute ago, Bookworm349810 said:

Someone also just posted one for computer science!

Is this for some other NSF fellowship that they misclassified? Fastlane hasn't updated for me.

[Bookworm349810]

Just now, Eillac said:

Is this for some other NSF fellowship that they misclassified? Fastlane hasn't updated for me.

My fastlane account also hasn't updated. You're right, it might just be that people wrote the wrong fellowship name

[talkcherty2me]

6 minutes ago, Bookworm349810 said:

My fastlane account also hasn't updated. You're right, it might just be that people wrote the wrong fellowship name

Mine isn't updated either

[sierra918]

34 minutes ago, Eillac said:

Wait... why are results on thegradcafesurvey for the NSF GRFP being posted?? I see an Animal Biology and Chemistry result that were posted today.

http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=nsf&t=a&o=&pp=25

Could they be fake? I've read about fake results being posted in past years.

[Eillac]

2 minutes ago, sierra918 said:

Could they be fake? I've read about fake results being posted in past years.

That could definitely be possible... those three postings don't mention scores or any other information.

[talkcherty2me]

4 minutes ago, sierra918 said:

Could they be fake? I've read about fake results being posted in past years.

I don't see how they could possibly be real. NSF releases all decisions at once (last year emails were sent out around 2:00/3:00am CST). In all likelihood, results will come out next Friday. Last year, GradCafe was very accurate in predicting the decision release date, and I'd assume the same for this year.

[talkcherty2me]

Side Note: Does anyone know how HM looks compared to an award on your CV? I saw a few posts earlier discussing the benefits of getting the fellowship in general, but if your advisor has adequate funding (assuming the funding is for research you actually want to do and not just some project you got stuck with), most of them seem to be CV-related.

[velli]

4 minutes ago, talkcherty2me said:

Side Note: Does anyone know how HM looks compared to an award on your CV? I saw a few posts earlier discussing the benefits of getting the fellowship in general, but if your advisor has adequate funding (assuming the funding is for research you actually want to do and not just some project you got stuck with), most of them seem to be CV-related.

My impression is that a lot of folks know that there are significant factors out of your control when it comes to the NSF. Obviously, getting the award would make everyone involved happy, but an HM is worth a lot too and doesn't hurt you if you already have sufficient funding for your PhD. If you don't need external funding in order to do the research you want to do (e.g. as a joint advisee between two PI's), winning the NSF is icing on the cake for you. It could also mean your program or PI can take on an extra student, which is maybe the bigger reason there's pressure to win it.

[talkcherty2me]

3 minutes ago, velli said:

My impression is that a lot of folks know that there are significant factors out of your control when it comes to the NSF. Obviously, getting the award would make everyone involved happy, but an HM is worth a lot too and doesn't hurt you if you already have sufficient funding for your PhD. If you don't need external funding in order to do the research you want to do (e.g. as a joint advisee between two PI's), winning the NSF is icing on the cake for you. It could also mean your program or PI can take on an extra student, which is maybe the bigger reason there's pressure to win it.

I brought up to my advisor that decisions are coming out next week, and he seemed very nonchalant about it. He's not taking any new students on next year, and I'm not sure if that's why... or maybe he's just a chill guy. I'm definitely more nervous than he is about it, even though he's the one who could potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[gliaful]

Hey all,

I just went to the NSF-GRFP facebook page, which has been pretty void of activity since last year's announcement on March 31st. That announcement has a link to the award list, so I clicked on it, and I got the attached error message. Note the web address -- the link should not have been 2015-specific.

Maybe I'm stirring stuff out of nothing?

[Bookworm349810]

3 minutes ago, pasteltomato said:

Hey all,

I just went to the NSF-GRFP facebook page, which has been pretty void of activity since last year's announcement on March 31st. That announcement has a link to the award list, so I clicked on it, and I got the attached error message. Note the web address -- the link should not have been 2015-specific.

Maybe I'm stirring stuff out of nothing?

I am able to access the old awardee lists off of the fastlane website: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/AwardeeList.do?method=loadAwardeeList

It does say though under a heading of "2016 Offered Award List" that " *The list of Awardees and Honorable Mention recipients for the year you have selected is not yet available".

 

[Gram Positive]

10 minutes ago, pasteltomato said:

Hey all,

I just went to the NSF-GRFP facebook page, which has been pretty void of activity since last year's announcement on March 31st. That announcement has a link to the award list, so I clicked on it, and I got the attached error message. Note the web address -- the link should not have been 2015-specific.

Maybe I'm stirring stuff out of nothing?

Hmmm...interesting. Seems to be back up now. 

Oops! @Bookworm349810 just caught that

 

[pterosaur]

10 hours ago, talkcherty2me said:

I brought up to my advisor that decisions are coming out next week, and he seemed very nonchalant about it. He's not taking any new students on next year, and I'm not sure if that's why... or maybe he's just a chill guy. I'm definitely more nervous than he is about it, even though he's the one who could potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It turns out, though (according to my undergrad advisor), GRFP doesn't end up saving them that much money. It only covers a portion of tuition (up to $12,000, I think, where private universities can be upwards of $40,000). Plus, the GRFP doesn't cover overhead - an extra 40% on top of the value of the fellowship that the advisor has to cover.

[gliaful]

Do you think it will be Tuesday 3/29 or Friday 4/1 that we find out?

Using the Results page (here on gc), the past announcement dates seem to alternate in pairs of years -- but I don't have enough info to really conclude that a pattern exists.

• 2015: Tuesday, 31 March
• 2014: Tuesday, 1 April
• 2013: Friday, 29 March
• 2012: Friday, 30 March
• 2011: Tuesday, 5 April
• 2010: Tuesday, 6 April
• 2009: Friday, 10 April

I wasn't able to find information about announcements in 2008 or earlier.

If we assume that a pattern does exist, it would make sense for Friday 4/1 to be the day. However, if this pattern does exist, there has got to be a reason that it exists -- it seems unlikely that NSF would create a pattern for no reason. What are these people planning around that may affect the Tuesday vs Friday decision? Who organizes the announcement? 

If we assume that submission deadlines are not arbitrary (ie, deadlines are selected so that adequate time could be given to review), it would make more sense for Tuesday 3/29 to be the announcement date. The deadlines for submission this year were earlier than any of the other years I surveyed (2009-2015) by ~1-3 weeks.

Man! I have missed sharing in the obsessiveness that comes with this site . I haven't been on much since starting school last August.

[pterosaur]

I wonder if the deadline was moved up to accommodate a possible increasing trend in the number of applications. (I don't actually know if they've been increasing, but it seems reasonable, and I'm sure the information is out there somewhere.) If they're trying to keep approximately the same decision date, they'd have to move the deadline to have enough time? Maybe?