NSF Fellowships

[pinoysoc]

Can anyone clarify or explain to me how NSF fellowships work in conjuction with receiving department funding? I've been interested in applying for a NSF fellowship but I'm not sure when I should be doing so. This would really help me a alot and hopefully others!

[TakeruK]

It depends on your department. I think it's best to apply first and then figure it out after you get the award! Usually you will already know what school you'll be attending by the time the results come out so you just have to figure out the details for one place.

However, there are three typical scenarios:

1. The NSF fellowship (I'm assuming you mean the GRFP right?) completely replaces departmental funding. You get nothing from the department, except usually for a tuition waiver for the difference in the NSF tuition payment ($12000 ish) vs. the school's actual tuition. This is most common when the GRFP stipend is higher than the typical stipend of the department. But I've heard that at some places where the standard stipend is higher, the GRFP may still replace all other funding, so you might end up with less money.

2. Same as #1 but you have the option of doing TA work for additional pay.

3. You get a new funding package that combines the GRFP with internal funds. This might mean the GRFP package plus an additional amount of money from your department, which may come in the form of internal awards with no strings attached (to entice you to come to their institution) or TAships and/or RAships. This is more common in places where the stipends are higher than the GRFP (more common in high cost of living areas).

[Eigen]

Pretty sure NSF won't allow TA/RA funds on top of the fellowship. The department isn't allowed to require service from you if you have one, last I checked.

[Levon3]

37 minutes ago, Eigen said:

Pretty sure NSF won't allow TA/RA funds on top of the fellowship. The department isn't allowed to require service from you if you have one, last I checked.

hm. I am still required to work in my advisor's lab, even though I am funded by NSF.

[TakeruK]

48 minutes ago, Eigen said:

Pretty sure NSF won't allow TA/RA funds on top of the fellowship. The department isn't allowed to require service from you if you have one, last I checked.

I think this was changed in recent years? The FAQ says (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12062/nsf12062.jsp#mib)

• May I also be paid (supplement my Stipend) from a university or private Fellowship?
  Supplementation to a Fellowship while on Tenure is at the discretion of the GRFP Institution. Fellows should check with their COs.

• May I be paid (supplement my Stipend) as a teaching or research assistant on top of my Stipend?
  Fellows are expected to devote full time to advanced scientific study or work during tenure. However, because it is generally accepted that teaching or similar activity constitutes a valuable part of the education and training of many graduate students, a Fellow may undertake a reasonable amount of such teaching or similar activity, without NSF approval at the affiliated institution. It is expected that furtherance of the Fellow's educational objectives and the gain of substantive teaching or other experience, not service to the institution as such, will govern such activities. Compensation for such activities is permitted based on the affiliated institution's policies and the general employment policies outlined in The Administrative Guide for Fellows and Coordinating Officials.

But maybe we are splitting hairs with wording? The FAQ reads to me, very clearly, that you can get TA and RA funds on top of the GRFP. However, I think you are right that they cannot "require" you to take the TA or RA ship. But "require" is a subjective phrase, for example, GRFP fellows at my old department were asked to TA like every other student. We were not paid for TAships, they were instead "educational opportunities" and whether they are really "required" was never written down anywhere. That said, there is a general expectation that you would TA for years 2 through 4 unless there weren't enough TA spots (happened a few times). I don't think I ever heard of a showdown where a GRFP fellow refused to TA. No one got out of TAing due to being a GRFP fellow, so it might be an "unwritten rule" required rather than a hard requirement to TA.

Also side question:

The GRFP tuition support only covers 25% of the ticket price of tuition at my PhD institution. Does the GRFP really prevent schools from requiring service in exchange for tuition waiver?

[TakeruK]

Oops, just realised the quote above is from 2012. Going to check for a more modern source to see if it's still correct.

[TakeruK]

The same text is in the 2016 version of the guidelines: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2016/nsf16104/nsf16104.pdf

[Eigen]

Huh, ok- that must have changed after I got my award, because I was allowed to teach but not be paid for it when I got mine. I know people raised a fuss, so it looks like it changed which is good. 

I will not that the text is changed that much for. The earlier solicitations, under which the teaching was allowed but had to be certified by the advisor in yearly reports as a necessary part of graduate training. 

[Eigen]

So the 2010 solicitation is missing from the website (directs to 2012), but the language change more subtle than I remembered. I just asked directly and was told no, then didn't check back when things changed  

Fellows are required to devote full time to advanced scientific study or research during their tenure, including a reasonable amount of such teaching or similar activities as are in the opinion of the faculty of your institution contributory to academic progress. Fellows may, therefore, engage in teaching or comparable activities only at the affiliated institution without NSF approval. Furtherance of your educational objectives and the gain of substantive teaching experience, not service to the institution, should be the purpose of these activities. If you teach or engage in similar activities, all decisions regarding augmentation of your stipend within the limits outlined in Sec- tion 8 will be made by your affiliated institution.

NSF permits institutions to require appropriate service of Fellows by appointment to positions that can generate additional income to cover any difference between the cost-of- education allowance and tuition. Any such required service must contribute to the progress of the Fellow toward an advanced degree and must not adversely affect a Fellow's fulltime study. Fellows are strongly encouraged to determine the requirements for any service of their proposed fellowship institutions before committing to enrollment. 

[TakeruK]

Ah okay, this seems to all be consistent with what I remember. I started in 2012 but did not apply for GRFP (not eligible as a foreign student). However, I did remember something about TAs and GRFP fellows and a big positive change. So it must have been related! There was a similar change for the Canadian equivalent of the GRFP a few years earlier too.