NSF GRFP 2008

[cogdiss]

I noticed there was no thread for this year's NSF GRFP, so I figured I'd start one, even though the applications were already due. This forum has been crazy helpful the past few years, even if just to vent, but especially last year when we realized that the list was posted early. So let's keep each other posted as things unfold this year. Anyone else apply? Good luck to everyone!

[cogdiss]

I just heard from a friend that some people have gotten emails from NSF saying their project wasn't eligible, and I'm freaking out. Any one else hear about this????

[snowcapk]

I just heard from a friend that some people have gotten emails from NSF saying their project wasn't eligible, and I'm freaking out. Any one else hear about this????

Didn't hear about that, but I believe it. NSF does not fund disease-related research and you'd have to read the Program Announcement closely/have a good adviser to realize that. Neuroscientists, immunologists, psychologists, nutritionists, etc. might need to word their proposals very carefully in order to be deemed eligible, and apparently lots of people mess this up.

On who_got_in I saw that someone's boyfriend has heard back from NSF...but it turned out to be a false alarm. Different fellowship

[cogdiss]

Thanks for the update. I'm in social psychology, and have applied twice before (honorable mention last year), so I tried to be really careful about framing my proposal in a way that would make it seem as relevant as possible. The waiting drives me crazy. Did anyone else apply?

[cherrifaery]

I applied... first year phd student in biology. But, since its biology, I'm going to say my chances are pretty damn slim (life sciences accounts for 30% of applicants and 27% of awards). Who knows when I'll hear back. Depending on who I've spoken with awards are either a crap shoot (the other girl in my lab got two honorable mentions in a row) or easy to get if you write what they want to hear. My adviser was on some panel about NSF merit criteria so she had some good pointers (who knew that the broader impacts were SO important...), but who knows. I hope more people post about whats going on!

[hopingforfunding]

I applied too in Materials Science & Engineering with research in bioMEMS/nanotechnology for fall entry in Ph.D.. I got in to the school I talked about in my essays, which hopefully helps a bit. I just hope we find out soon!! They don't give out too many for mat sci, but bio-nanotech is pretty big right now for funding opportunities, cross my fingers...I had my mentor help me with the essays, she has reviewed before for them and helped me focus the broader impacts, diversity, etc aspects of my application. I have publications and going on 5 years of research experience, but my GPA/GRE are lower than ideal for this type of thing. Had an NSF funded internship for 7 months, maybe they will fund me again? Also am a women in engineering so I guess that helps a bit too and at a top 20 undergrad institution in my field...who knows but not expecting anything (just hoping!!).

Yay!: Case Western, Dartmouth, RPI, Drexel U, Cornell M. Eng.

Boo!: UPenn, Cornell Ph.D., Boston U

???: UMich, Columbia, Brown, MIT, Carnegie

[snowcapk]

We must be pretty close to the award date now...last year, the results were on Fastlane by March 23rd; in 2004, by March 18th; in 2002, by March 15th; in 2001, by March 20th. One of those dates was a Tuesday. Is it wrong to hope that we'll hear soon?

[madcalicojack]

I applied, but I do not have my hopes hung on receiving it. From what I gather, the awards are dependent on so many subtleties that they seem arbitrary. That is, it is almost impossible to predict what the indicators are for success. By federal mandate, they must be proportioned geographically, and the type of research they fund varies year to year depending upon what types of research NSF is interested in and on who happens to be on the review commitees.

I guess the take-away is that nobody should feel hurt or diappointed if they don't get it. I also applied for NDSEG. I'd be thrilled to recieve either, but I won't let myself be too disappointed if I receive neither. Besides, there's always next year.

[snowcapk]

Hi Jack,

Don't worry about geographical distribution too much. Top candidates (Top 7%-ish according to my fellowship office) win without any consideration of geographic origin. Location only matters for the borderline cases.

I read in last week's Science that there are only ~825 new GRFs this year, down from 940 last year. (Maybe the number of applicants went down.) However next year they might get enough funding to almost double new GRF awards. I plan on reapplying :wink:

[madcalicojack]

I also plan on reapplying since I think I will be able to put together a stronger application once I've had a bit more research experience. I also re-took the GRE in order to get some extra fellowship money at Texas and my scores are stronger now. It'd be great if they offered 1600 awards next year! Of course there is the outside chance that we won't need to reapply next year right?

[snowcapk]

Yeah, that would be great if we didn't have to reapply...here's hoping!

I noticed that the NSF GRFP homepage was updated this afternoon with the following announcement:

NSF expects to post the names of 2008 GRF Awardees and recipients of Honorable Mention in late March or early April, 2008.

Weak.

[cogdiss]

Ugh. Unfortunately I won't be eligible to reapply next year...but that would be great if they got more funding. I think that this was the day last year that the results went up on fastlane (in the evening), but especially because of the fastlane update I have a feeling that it won't be today. Who knows though--it would just be great to have some closure.

[thunderbelly]

I imagine that right now about 10,000 people are obsessively clicking "reload" on that fastlane page to see if the menu of years changes. It's possible they only put up the "or April" thing to discourage some people and lower the load on the server.

I'm confident I didn't get the NSF so I'm sort of enjoying the wait. Every day they don't post the results is another day they haven't rejected me (yet).

[snowcapk]

...because of the fastlane update I have a feeling that it won't be today.

Probably true, but the more I think about it...it says the results won't be posted until late March, and I don't care when (if) they post my name as long as they just e-mail me the result. Today.

Leaving no stone unturned, I'm also trying to access my rating sheets (nsfgradfellows.org). Maybe they will flub up and make those available early. Does anyone who applied last year know whether I should use my Fastlane username or applicant ID, or is the rating sheet page login assigned randomly?

[cogdiss]

If I remember right, they assign you a username and password in the email, so unfortunately we can't check that yet.

I just called them (I am pathetic:) ) and they have a recording up saying that we will receive our evaluations via email in late March. I'm betting the results will be on Fastlane either tonight or next Friday night...with an email the following Monday. But who knows. I know the chances are SO slim, but it's so hard to be patient. Like I said, I'd just love some closure.

[cherrifaery]

At this point, I am totally having nightmares about when/if we ever find out... Luckily I have next year to apply too (given that my advisor's input on my grant proposal was "Uh, that looks ok I guess, I don't know. It should be fine. Its not like anyone actually wins that" I'm not feeling very optimistic). Hopefully being female and in a "trendy" field (biomathematics/evolutionary modelling) might help... or the reviewers will just be like "wtf is she talking about?".

Do people usually find out from receiving an email notification, or do they post the list of winners on their website first? I wish this whole process was less opaque

[sigh]

Want to try and take a stab at when we'll get the results? I'm guessing it'll be this coming Friday.

I've gotten so worked up over trying to pick a grad school that I didn't think I could possibly spend too much time worrying about the NSF Fellowship, but I'm starting to. I think I bombed the research proposal, though, so I'm not very hopeful.

Anyone waiting on other fellowships? I also applied to NDSEG. Luckily they didn't ask for a research proposal, so I'm golden as long as they don't notice that the last time I did community service was in high school

[lambdaman2]

i'm guessing Tuesday night!!!

[thunderbelly]

I'm going to guess (given the change to the main page of the grfp site) that we're in this one for the long haul. My money's on April 11th.

[lambdaman2]

My day has come.. let's see if i'm right!

[materialgirl]

I hope it's today! I'm at baseline productivity because I can't seem to concentrate on anything else. I am starting to worry that my proposal was too technical. Basically, it looks more like a proposal I'd actually submit for funding, and I didn't say anything about the graduate institution I chose. I wonder how much they want it to look like a real proposal, since some of the winners' proposals I've seen concentrate much more on broader impacts and why the project is a good fit for the chosen graduate institution. Oh well, I guess we'll find out soon. And like 'Sigh', I think we'll find out on Friday. Unfortunately.

@Sigh, I also applied for NDSEG.

[snowcapk]

i'm guessing Tuesday night!!!

FAIL

[teabreeze]

I'm with thunderbelly. Considering the update, I'm putting my money on sometime in April (Thursday the 3rd, just for fun). If the announcements were going to be made in March, why would they bother giving us an update through the webpage?

Hopefully we'll know before the grad school's April 15th deadline.

[lambdaman2]

There are still a few hours!

[thunderbelly]

There are still a few hours!

yeah, like 400 more hours.