NSF GRFP 2009-2010

[bolani]

I think we should all take turns calling once an hour to see what kind of new info they give us. :-)

[third_time_charm]

Hehe, I second that Bolani...

[third_time_charm]

WOW!! 105 Users!! This is getting so exciting!!

[julip]

Might as well, since I've been IMMOBILIZED in front of my computer, still wrapped in a blanket since I got up, refreshing sequences of pages like a lunatic. I should really get to the lab and start something, though [loudly] I'm sure that an NSF award will get my butt out of my seat pretty quickly!!!

[idontknow]

I understand why people want to know the stats of winners, but part of me doesn't want to support your idea. It may seem a cop-out, but I think it's worth it to apply even if you don't meet the statistics of winners who post here.

First, there IS value in applying even if it's a long shot. Gaining experience in proposal writing, being forced to think about your goals, and being able to put it in perspective of what it means for other people is all very valuable career and personal development experience. So is not getting an award and putting your ego in perspective (*cough cough* myself! *cough cough*)

Second, I guess I don't really like buying into the numbers-based criteria for this or anything else and wouldn't want to discourage people from trying because they aren't the typical profile. Sure it makes things seem more cut and dry, but I really can't bring myself to believe that reviewers really care about the number of citations you have, the NUMBER of service projects you've done, etc. I would hope that they would care that you've gotten personal value and meaning out of what you've done and read more than the mere fact you can put it on your resume.

Maybe I'm just too idealistic, not in touch with reality, or just preparing myself for a major letdown, but I think the process of applying, doing research, etc is more important and valuable than the end results. We'll all end up with the same titles (M.S./PhD, etc) and what makes us different is the process of what we've done and how we've gotten that degree, so why would this application be any different? Why bother writing 3 essays if all they care about are numbers? Good applicants can be anyone, come from any institution, or have any background as long as they show personal motivation and capacity to do good research.

Anyways, that's my not-well thought out mini-rant at people who are obsessed with the numbers and outcomes. I understand, sympathize, and sometimes join you, but remember there's more than "winning" and "losing"! I'm sure I've probably ruffled a few feathers with this, so fire away.

Totally. I'm not sure if this is correct, but I feel that the existence of essays such as the personal statement and the criterion of broader impacts indicates that you are being viewed as a person and not as a statistic. If all they wanted were statistics, they'd ask for a CV and a proposed research essay only.

Also, none of us really know what goes into deciding who wins or not. Some of us may have ideas or general gists, but we don't know the details. Many people who win probably don't know the reasons why they won vs. someone who didn't - I know the rating sheets tell you something, but I feel that they're more to it than that.

"what makes us different is the process of what we've done and how we've gotten that degree," Agreed. It's not the degree title itself that is most important, it's what you take away from it and what you've contributed to your field. Kind of like a class: you can get an A in a class, but after the class is over, that 'A' isn't anywhere near as important as what you gained/learned from the class and your ability to apply it to make good contributions.

Either way, if one of us wins, its something we should be happy about. I'd view it as an opportunity to gain momentum/confidence (but not arrogance!) for contributing to our respective fields, kind of like an investment. In short, I see winning it as an opportunity to be a better contributor, not as an end. If we don't win, we've still learned a lot of things in the process, either on the marketing side or, in my case, on the personal side (esp. after what happened last year). So no matter the outcome, it's not a total loss.

Don't get me wrong: I understand worrying about it. I worry about it too, but I think it's good to keep in mind that no matter what we don't walk away empty handed.

I've probably made people angry too with this, i apologize if I have, it's not intentional, but I tend to have that effect on people.

[weninger]

Some of you have expressed a desire to read previous winning essays. I won the NSF and NDSEG last year, my essays are at http://www.cs.illinois.edu/homes/weninge1/research.html

Enjoy. And good luck to you all.

[julip]

omgomgomg

ok so last night while clicking around randomly, I went to the "award offers and HMs list" page. Remaining on the original page (i.e. where it says 2010 awardees not available yet), I clicked on "export to Excel". One heart attack later, I saw that it had loaded all the 2009 awardees and HMs into an Excel sheet.

BUT when I did the same thing just now, the excel page has been made blank!

...

ok that is all. [retreats back to lair]

[BioTurboNick]

Though I agree that seeing some type of statistical pattern in successful applicants would indeed have some impact

I think its also worth pointing out that numbers posted here probably wouldn't be a statistically valid sample of the population, so I'm not sure it would even help for its intended purpose.

[olive81]

omgomgomg

ok so last night while clicking around randomly, I went to the "award offers and HMs list" page. Remaining on the original page (i.e. where it says 2010 awardees not available yet), I clicked on "export to Excel". One heart attack later, I saw that it had loaded all the 2009 awardees and HMs into an Excel sheet.

BUT when I did the same thing just now, the excel page has been made blank!

...

ok that is all. [retreats back to lair]

It has been doing that for a few days now (loading a blank excel sheet)

[olive81]

GRFP will be unavailable from 11:00 PM ET Monday April 5th - 5:00 AM ET Tuesday, April 6th for scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience.

What does this mean????!!!!

[julip]

It has been doing that for a few days now (loading a blank excel sheet)

Doh! so maybe last night's instance was just a bug...

also new message from Fastlane:

GRFP will be unavailable from 11:00 PM ET Monday April 5th - 5:00 AM ET Tuesday, April 6th for scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience.

[Neurone]

Shucks, thanks. I'm hoping the fact that it's interesting will be a boost for me. But like you, I'm very glad it's out of my hands now.

It was on their web site I believe. It varies by field but I recall the average GPA being around 3.8. That said, the average GRE was in the high 1200s to mid 1300s I believe, and they probably put a bit more weight on GREs than they do GPA.

Remember that broader impacts applies not only to you but to your research as well!

whew, on those stats, btw.

Also, I think I remember getting a little crazy about these kinds of posts last year (for no good reason), but here you go, posted on the GRFP site today:

GRFP will be unavailable from 11:00 PM ET Monday April 5th - 5:00 AM ET Tuesday, April 6th for scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience.

[olive81]

Doh! so maybe last night's instance was just a bug...

also new message from Fastlane:

GRFP will be unavailable from 11:00 PM ET Monday April 5th - 5:00 AM ET Tuesday, April 6th for scheduled maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience.

haha

[Neurone]

Damn, I thought it'd be the first!

[julip]

I guess we could really just believe them, that it's just "scheduled maintenance"... but it's so much more fun and bad for our mental health to think that it's something else!

[Neurogirl37]

I have been obsessively reading the posts on here for a few weeks and decided to finally register. Hello and good luck to everyone, and thanks for keeping me updated on every little activity and posting at the NSF! It helps having others to obsess along with!

[Neurogirl37]

Does anyone know how many GRFP's they are awarding this year? They have the quote from Obama on the webpage saying the number has been tripled, but what does the come out to...?

[swisnieski]

Does anyone know how many GRFP's they are awarding this year? They have the quote from Obama on the webpage saying the number has been tripled, but what does the come out to...?

I remember reading that 2000 or so awards are being issued this year.

[IgCal]

scheduled maintenance my @$$

i have a feeling that tonight is gonna be a LONG night

[julip]

Does anyone know how many GRFP's they are awarding this year? They have the quote from Obama on the webpage saying the number has been tripled, but what does the come out to...?

From the Program Announcement:

Estimated Number of Awards: 1,654 new awards will be offered pending availability of funds.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $66,987,000 for new fellowships in FY 2010 pending the availability of funds.

[joefalk]

I'm actually surprised that the DOE and DOD fellowships don't get nearly as much attention. Anyway i have joined the ranks of those totally debilitated by the wait.

Must…finish….prospectus ….

[PsychologyStudent]

I'd be most interested in just knowing if someone in my area got one so that I could correspond via private message with them (if they were willing). In last year's posts, there was a link to a PDF that analyzed a lot of numerical info and awards that I found interesting, as well.

Also, last year's post included a lot of scheduled maintenance that sometimes didn't result in results/sometimes did. I'm not really obsessively checking (my email updates every minute anyway), though. Academia involves lots of rejections and the occasional acceptance, so I'm just focusing on my work in the meantime. I would definitely love to get in touch with others in my area that have been successful that may be lurking, though, as advice would be sincerely appreciated.

[cyclopeaneye]

In last year's posts, there was a link to a PDF that analyzed a lot of numerical info and awards that I found interesting, as well.

If anyone knew where to get a copy of that PDF, I'd like to see it!

[Rails111]

Some of you have expressed a desire to read previous winning essays. I won the NSF and NDSEG last year, my essays are at http://www.cs.illino...1/research.html

Enjoy. And good luck to you all.

Thanks for posting. I read your essays -- I think your story and your theme is beautifully done.

[watson]

haha, last year they did that a bunch of times during the limbo period, got all the hopes up only to actually be doing scheduled maintenance that had nothing to do with posting results. I hope it's different now but I'm not going to take it seriously until lists pop up.