Awarded both an NSF GFRP and NDSEG... which to take?!

[KentH]

The title kind of explains my conundrum.  I do understand that it is a great one to have.

I found out today that I have been awarded both an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship AND a NDSEG Fellowship.  I am faced with deciding which to take, because my understanding is that I can't use both and must turn one of them down.  

So, I'd love any input that you have.  And particularly if someone knows of a way to use both.

Thank you in advance,



 

[chaparral]

I also received both. I believe there is no way to keep both; both award letters are very specific about that.

I will take the GRFP for several reasons:

1. The GRFP lets you spread out funding over 5 years, which lets me keep my first year departmental fellowship. NDSEG makes you take it in the next 3 years.

2. The GRFP has international research opportunities, such as GROW, which I will apply for.

3. The NSF is the main funding source for my field of research; I want to get off on the right foot with them! I've heard (no authoritative source) that receiving/accepting the GRFP can help you when you apply for future NSF grants.

The only advantages I see for the NDSEG are that it is slightly more competitive, (about 7% success vs 12% for GRFP), and they give you $1000 extra each year for health insurance.

Any other thoughts?

[fonzy]

I was also wondering on this topic. I am a first year student going into my second year so my first year departmental fellowship will no longer be active. Will it be wiser to take NDSEG over NSF?

[rising_star]

Are you sure you can't accept both and stagger your use of them so that you're not receiving funds from both at the same time? That is, could you take the NDSEG money right away and defer the NSF money until later in your PhD?

[chaparral]

5 minutes ago, rising_star said:

Are you sure you can't accept both and stagger your use of them so that you're not receiving funds from both at the same time? That is, could you take the NDSEG money right away and defer the NSF money until later in your PhD?

Pretty sure. The NSF GRFP award letter states that you cannot accept another federal award regardless of fellowship status, meaning even while you put the NSF GRFP "on reserve."

Also, I think the rules changed in 2011 to ensure this. Previously, you could put the GRFP on reserve for 2 years, forfeit one year (to take the 3 years NDSEG), and then use GRFP for the remaining 2 years.

Here it is:

"Starting with the 2011 Fellows forward, GRFP Fellowships cannot be concurrently accepted or combined with another Federal Fellowship, irrespective of the Fellow’s Status. Federal Fellowships are defined as awards that are made to individuals from the US Government (e.g., Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes of Health, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Agriculture, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.)"

By now, I kind of hope that's the case, since I just declined NDSEG.  

 

[languageglutton]

Same problem for me. I'm tending towards NDSEG, because
1. my field funding situation is pretty good and my GRFP choice is unlikely to affect my ability to get funding,
2. NDSEG is slightly more exclusive, and
3. NDSEG does not publicly announce the possible awardees, while NSF does - you only get both resume items officially if you accept NDSEG.
Your mileage, of course, may vary.

[KentH]

Well, I've accepted the NSF and declined the NDSEG.

Congrats to whoever ends up getting it from the honorable mention list.