HOW TO WRITE SUCCESSFUL GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROPOSALS OCTOBER 29, 2010

1. HOW TO WRITE SUCCESSFUL GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROPOSALS OCTOBER 29, 2010

2. Graduate Research Fellowship Programs (GRFP) 1) National Science Foundation (NSF) http://www.nsfgrfp.org/ 2) National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships http://ndseg.asee.org/about_ndseg

3. NSF GRFP Eligibility Information • Citizenship • US citizens or nationals or permanent resident aliens of the U.S. • Field and Degree Program • Research-focused Master’s or doctoral degrees in the fields of science, mathematics and engineering.

4. When should you apply? If you are: Currently in your final year of your undergraduate program Or Finished your baccalaureate degree and are planning to attend graduate school in Fall 2011 Or Are a first year graduate student (started in Fall 2010), or are in the first semester of your second year in graduate school (started Fall 2009)

5. Award Information • - Three years of support • - $30,000 annual stipend • - $10,500 cost-of-education allowance • - International research and professional development opportunities • - TeraGrid Supercomputer access

6. Evaluation of Applications • NSF’s merit review criteria: • What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity? • What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?

7. Guidelines for Applying • Fellowship applications must be submitted by the prospective Fellow. • Applicants must register with the FastLane system prior to submitting an application. • http://www.nsfgrfp.org/how_to_apply • Tips for Applying http://www.nsfgrfp.org/applicant_resources/tips_for_applying

8. Deadlines November 15, 2010 - Interdisciplinary applicationsNovember 16, 2010 - Engineering fieldsNovember 18, 2010 - Mathematics, CISE, Chemistry and PhysicsNovember 19, 2010 - Social Sciences, Psychology, Geosciences and STEM EducationNovember 22, 2010 - Life Sciences • Applications should be submitted by 5:00 p.m., submitter's local time. • 2011 NSF GRFP reference letters must be submitted by the application deadline.

9. National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships • Eligibility/Ability to accept • Disciplines • Benefits • Application Evaluation • Key Dates

10. Eligibility • Open to students who are U.S. citizens or nationals. • To be eligible, applicants must either: • be enrolled in their final year of undergraduate studies, or • have completed less than two full-time years of graduate study in the discipline in which they are applying. • Exceptional circumstances may qualify other applicants as being at an early stage of their graduate studies, therefore making the applicant eligible for consideration.

11. Ability to accept (if awarded) Students must: • intend to pursue a doctoral degree in order to be eligible for NDSEG Fellowship support. • Start tenure in the fall of that year. Fellowships awarded in the spring of 2011 must start in September 2011 (can be be deferred only under exceptional circumstances) • NDSEG Fellows must be enrolled full-time and must be pursuing graduate study at a U.S. institution; the NDSEG Fellowship does not pay for tuition at any non-U.S. institution.

12. Disciplines Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Biosciences, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences, Computer and Computational Sciences, Electrical Engineering, Geosciences, Materials Science and Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Oceanography, Physics 

13. Benefits • Full tuition and required fees (not to include room and board). • Stipend: • 1st year : $30,500 • 2nd year: $31,000 • 3rd year: $31,500 • Persons with disabilities may be considered for additional allowances • Medical insurance up to $1,000 per year.

14. Application Evaluation • Academic records • Personal statements • Recommendations • GRE scores

15. Application Deadline All application materials must be submitted electronically by 5 p.m. EST on December 17, 2010. Award notifications are sent via email around the second week of April 2011.

16. The Starting Point • Do the background work: • You’re doing that now! • Lots of good advice already up on the NSF website • http://www.nsfgrfp.org/ • Know what you’re up against: • ~10% success rate, “Best of the best” • Get some help: • Get an Application Mentor

17. Why Does the NSF Want ME?* • You demonstrate a combination of: • Intelligence • Leadership • Social responsibility • Determination • Excitement • Ability to succeed in an ever-changing, complex environment • You exhibit strength in Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts to Society regarding research capacity * http://www.nsfgrfp.org/

18. Evaluation Criteria • Intellectual Merit: “Demonstrated intellectual ability and other accepted requisites for scholarly scientific study, such as the ability • (1) to plan and conduct research; • (2) to work as a member of a team as well as independently; and • (3) to interpret and communicate research.” • Broader Impacts: “Contributions that • (1) effectively integrate research and education at all levels, infuse learning with the excitement of discovery, and assure that the findings and methods of research are communicated in a broad context and to a large audience; • (2) encourage diversity, broaden opportunities, and enable the participation of all citizens--women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities--in science and research; • (3) enhance scientific and technical understanding; and • (4) benefit society.”

19. Know thyself… • Make a list of everything notable you’ve accomplished in the past 4-8 years • Intellectual Merit Activities: research, class projects, design teams, industry projects, others • Broader Impact Activities: teaching, mentoring, leadership roles, teamwork experiences, volunteer efforts of any kind • These activities are the evidence by which others will judge who you are

20. Know thyself… • Match your activities with evaluation criteria • You should have evidence for every criteria • Where do you excel? • This is what makes you stand out – It should be a theme that spans your essays • eg. For me it was mentoring • Personal statement: tutoring experience (actively recruited minorities) • Past research experience: Influence and benefit of my undergraduate research advisor’s mentoring on me • Proposed research experience: Started program in my research group for minority & female REUs

21. Additional Advice… • Personal Statement • Intro: The big picture of who I am • Past: Evidence of who I am • Present: What I’m doing now to further demonstrate and build upon who I am • Future: What will I do with who I am in the future? How will NSF GRF help me do that?

22. Intellectual Merit

23. Broader Impacts

24. Keys to Fellowship Applications • GRE scores are a factor • Take time to study for the GRE (especially English/vocabulary) • Acquire helpful study kits to help you study • Take practice exams to familiarize yourself with the GRE format • Reference letters • Most fellowships require recommendation letters • From faculty or former supervisors from industry experiences • It is helpful to have relevant references from your proposed research area

25. Keys to Fellowship Applications • Research Proposal • Most important aspect of the fellowship application • If not already started, speak with various professors whose research interests align with yours • Discuss possible ideas for potential graduate research projects with the professor • Use these ideas in your research proposal • Propose ideas relevant to the funding source • Don’t be too general with your proposal • Reviewers are interested in content and clarity • Research topic is important • Demonstrating that you have a clear research plan is also important (i.e. do not be vague with your ideas)