NSF GRFP 2017-18

[LetsGetThisBread]

2 hours ago, sheldina said:

Yes, because this grant allowed me to get admission from a program that was otherwise going to reject me (made it to the final round of cuts, then didn't make it ultimately), and another that I never even applied to. I went from preparing to attend a "backup" school to having the choice between multiple dream schools overnight. Which I'm so grateful for, but now I have a lot of big decisions to make that I never thought would ever be in the cards for me.

Hey Sheldina, what do you mean by got into a program you never even applied to? That’s really interesting and could help a lot of students. Do you mind expanding? 

[sheldina]

11 hours ago, Aplomb.Élan said:

Hey Sheldina, what do you mean by got into a program you never even applied to? That’s really interesting and could help a lot of students. Do you mind expanding? 

In my experience this isn't uncommon. I had a friend a few years back who didn't apply to graduate school at all but applied for the NSF GRFP, was awarded, and had to scramble at the last minute to find programs that would admit them in the fall. Why they didn't apply for graduate school in the first place isn't clear to me, but I think it had to do with personal reasons. I know people who were able to do this without the NSF (but that's much harder and requires a lot of finessing). Basically for me, there was a program I really liked but didn't apply to (didn't find out about it until after the deadline), so when I got the NSF I decided to reach out on a limb, worst they could say was no. I e-mailed them, said hey I have my own funding, here's my application materials that I sent to similar programs, I'm really interested in your research, are you interested? And based off that e-mail alone I got a Skype interview and I'm flying up next week for an in-person interview. I've spoken to many professors at various universities who have all stated that if a professor really wants a student and that student has secured funding, it's not difficult for them to convince the graduate school/ department to override the application process and let the student in. Obviously it's an unconventional scenario, but it happens.

[Eigen]

That's also very field specific. In chemistry, I would say it's not likely that an award would bump you from not accepted to accepted at any of the top schools- there's usually more than enough funding. 

More funding strapped fields will be different. 

Its important to remember that often even with the GRFP, the department needs to pay quite a bit for you (tuition + fees + insurance) even when you're on tenure, and will need to find funds to pay for you when you aren't on tenure. 

I would also recommend making sure post-award acceptances come with something in writing indicating a garauntee that they will support you (to what level and how) when you're not on tenure. It's again field dependent, but remember that a GRFP funds a good bit less than half of the average PhD. 

[GoldenDog]

2 hours ago, Eigen said:

That's also very field specific. In chemistry, I would say it's not likely that an award would bump you from not accepted to accepted at any of the top schools- there's usually more than enough funding. 

More funding strapped fields will be different. 

Its importsnt to remember that often even with the GRFP, the department needs to pay quite a bit for you (tuition + fees + insurance) even when you're on tenure, and will need to find funds to pay for you when you aren't on tenure. 

I would also recommend making sure post-award acceptances come with something in writing indicating a garauntee that they will support you (to what level and how) when you're not on tenure. It's again field dependent, but remember that a GRFP funds a good bit less than half of the average PhD. 

To be clear, it was my understanding that GRFP provides up to 12K a year to the school while on tenure for tuition and fees. Are you saying department has to pay charges not covered by this, or are you talking about something else?

Edited April 7, 2018 by GoldenDog

[Eigen]

The department has to pay anything not covered by that- which at most schools is quite a lot. 

The department is also obligated to pay things not generally covered under a tuition waiver- namely any fees that are required of the student. At some schools the combined fees + insurance premiums are a substantial part of the 12.5k COE allowance, not even touching tuition. I know my department had to cover about 5-6k in fees for me that it didn't have to cover on any other students. 

I would actually be surprised given the increases in the cost of education if there any really any schools left where the 12.5k covers tuition and fees for a year. 

[blvck_glitter__]

On 4/5/2018 at 5:38 PM, healthgeographer said:

Are any other awardees overwhelmed by the next steps of accepting and moving forward?

nope, already accepted it and pumped to start getting paid in the summer! my only worry is dealing with taxes tbh ?

[GoldenDog]

1 hour ago, blvck_glitter__ said:

nope, already accepted it and pumped to start getting paid in the summer! my only worry is dealing with taxes tbh ?

The tenure can start during this summer?

[Eigen]

3 hours ago, GoldenDog said:

The tenure can start during this summer?

Yes, if you’re enrolled. Have the option to start summer or fall, and all your subsequent years follow that start/end date. 

[Gabi]

Yeah I'm thinking about the taxes also! May have to put it in a savings account and never forget that I will have to pay taxes in the future  

Also... side question, has anyone ever heard of a second year getting the award and taking the award to another lab within the institution, or another institution altogether? asking for a friend... lol 

[Gabi]

16 minutes ago, Gabi said:

Yeah I'm thinking about the taxes also! May have to put it in a savings account and never forget that I will have to pay taxes in the future  

Also... side question, has anyone ever heard of a second year getting the award and taking the award to another lab within the institution, or another institution altogether? asking for a friend... lol 

I found the answers in the faq if anyone's interested

https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12062/nsf12062.pdf

1. on changing labs it only matters if you change majors/minors not if you change labs, see below for examples

 56. I am a Continuing Fellow; may I switch degree programs from electrical engineering
(minor FOS) to systems engineering (minor FOS)?
This is a minor FOS change and is subject to the approval of the CO, using the GRFP FastLane
Module.

57. I am a Continuing Fellow; may I change degree programs from computer engineering
(major FOS) to computational biology (major FOS)?
This is a major change in FOS and constitutes a "change in scope" - one that alters the program
to the extent that it is significantly different from that originally submitted with the Fellowship
Application. Such changes require the prior written approval of the CO and NSF. Using the GRFP
FastLane Module for submission, a change-in-scope request requires significant and compelling
justifications for approval.

 

2. on changing institutions

64. I am a new Fellow; may I change my proposed graduate institution?
Yes. Please note that the new proposed institution must be approved by NSF and is subject to the
aforementioned institutional eligibility requirements (e.g., US, accredited, etc.). A Change Request
is submitted by the Fellow and approved by the CO at the new GRFP Institution, and by NSF. It is
the Fellow's responsibility to arrange for admission to the institution in a manner that allows the
Fellow to meet relevant NSF deadlines

66. I am a Continuing Fellow; may I transfer graduate institutions?
Yes. Please note that the new proposed institution must be approved by NSF and is subject to the
aforementioned institutional eligibility requirements (e.g., US, accredited, etc.). A Change Request
is submitted by the Fellow and is approved by the COs at the current and at the new GRFP
Institution, and by NSF. It is the Fellow's responsibility to arrange for admission to the institution
in a manner that allows the Fellow to meet relevant NSF deadlines. Any additional changes to
FOS, degree program, etc. may also require additional approvals.

67. I am planning to change institutions; may I have a break in enrollment?
When transitioning from one GRFP Institution to another, Fellows should not plan to have a
significant break in enrollment. Full-time engagement in a graduate research program is expected;
therefore, any break exceeding one month requires prior NSF approval. Enrollment breaks
between graduate programs or GRFP Institutions exceeding three or more months are generally
not approved, and if approved, may require forfeiture of Stipend payments.

68. At what point in time during the year may I transfer between institutions?
There is no specific time designated for this action. However, such transfers should be judiciously
planned to ensure all approvals are obtained in a timely manner and Fellowship policies are
followed. Fellows should keep in mind that a significant break in enrollment may not be approved;
Stipend payments may be forfeited; etc. The Fellow must submit a Tenure Change Request to
NSF.

[Algebraic]

I was wondering what years people are planning to use their funding as it can be spread across the five years (i.e. 1, 3,5 or 2,3,4 or 3,4,5). 

[jmillar]

16 minutes ago, Algebraic said:

I was wondering what years people are planning to use their funding as it can be spread across the five years (i.e. 1, 3,5 or 2,3,4 or 3,4,5). 

For me, I'm using 3,4,5. I wanted to finish teaching my first year and during my second year I switched institutions and had a one year fellowship.

[rosekster]

And for those that have just been funded, buckle up for the wild ride that is doing your taxes on NSF

[sqxz]

For anyone already thinking about taxes as they relate to the NSF GRF, here are some key facts and resources that I have found helpful over the past two years (especially last year when I was on tenure for the entire calendar year).

The stipend fellows receive from the NSF GRF is considered "taxable income," but it is not considered "taxable compensation" by the IRS. Basically, what this means is that you have to pay income taxes on your stipend each year, but you cannot use your stipend to contribute to traditional or Roth IRAs.

Your university will also not include stipend payments on your W-2 (assuming they're following the rules), and your university may not be able to withhold taxes from your stipend payments. In this situation, you either have to pay several thousand dollars at once when taxes are due (including ~$70 of interest on "late" payments), or you can make "estimated tax payments" quarterly to split this up more evenly and avoid the interest fee.

If you do a Google search, it seems there used to be some ambiguity surrounding taxes and fellowships, but it appears the IRS has made their policies rather explicit within the past few years. This page (https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc421) talks about which portions of fellowships are considered "taxable income" and how to report this income on your 1040, and this page (https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590a) talks about what kinds of income can be contributed to traditional and Roth IRAs . (The key sentence on the second page is, "Scholarship and fellowship payments are compensation for IRA purposes only if shown in box 1 of Form W-2.")

For what it's worth, Congress is aware of the problem of fellows not being allowed to contribute to retirement accounts. Last year, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Mike Lee, Ron Wyden,  and Tim Scott introduced a bipartisan bill to fix this problem (https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-warren-lee-wyden-scott-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-help-graduate-students-build-retirement-savings), but (as far as I'm aware), it was never voted upon, and this issue was not addressed in the tax reform bill passed recently. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.) This standalone bill was first introduced in 2016, and I suspect it will be reintroduced again later this year (if it hasn't been already).

[ts1493]

Hello!  Another NSF GRFP awardee here.  (E/E, E/E, E/E)

I plan on taking my first year of the fellowship as reserve, since I still need to complete coursework and defend my dissertation proposal, and then will take the following three years of funding afterwards. 

For those thinking about taxes, I've been strongly encouraged to do an estimated tax payment at the start of each funded year to avoid having to do these big tax payments come April.  Hope that helps! 

[hkcool]

Hi all, were we supposed to get some sort of confirmation email after we accepted the award? I accepted on Friday and didn't get any notification. I guess I'm just being a little paranoid that the deadline is going to pass and I find out I accidentally didn't accept the award

[rosekster]

6 hours ago, hkcool said:

Hi all, were we supposed to get some sort of confirmation email after we accepted the award? I accepted on Friday and didn't get any notification. I guess I'm just being a little paranoid that the deadline is going to pass and I find out I accidentally didn't accept the award

should be able to see it under "view fellowship status change" in the GRFP fastlane portal

[ts1493]

On 4/30/2018 at 10:18 AM, hkcool said:

Hi all, were we supposed to get some sort of confirmation email after we accepted the award? I accepted on Friday and didn't get any notification. I guess I'm just being a little paranoid that the deadline is going to pass and I find out I accidentally didn't accept the award

I didn't get one either after I accepted the award and declared my fellowship status.  I sent an email just to cover my bases, and my fellowship status still says "pending NSF approval."  I will be taking the next year on reserve before taking tenure for the following three years.