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Chi non risica, non rosica!
Italian for: “Nothing Ventured,
Nothing Gained!”
A rough guide to Awards and External Funding Opportunities
Stefano
Profumo – UC
___________________________________________________________________________________
Contents:
1. Why apply for Awards and External Funding Opportunities
2. Tips on how to win a Graduate Fellowship
3. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
4. References and Other Awards and Funding Opportunities
___________________________________________________________________________________
1. WHY APPLY FOR AWARDS AND EXTERNAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
A
great career opportunity for you (and your CV!)
Fellowships
can pay for your stipend, tuition, travel and research expenses
Free
your time for research (instead of, e.g., TA’ing)
2. TIPS ON HOW TO WIN A GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP
[see:
http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/05/2006051101c/printable.html]
Make time
As with any writing project applying for
a fellowship demands a substantial, polished, well-thought-out product:
cramming at the last minute will not produce your best work.
Do your homework
Search for the best
opportunities out there; ask to your advisor, other faculty members, the graduate student office. Once you've decided which
fellowships to apply for, it's time to gather information: which topics are
most often supported? and which rarely get the nod?
Read all of the material supplied by the grant agency. Tailoring your proposal
to the interests of the agency or foundation is critical. Parse the call for
proposals thoroughly, and make sure your proposal deals with all the criteria.
Read as many successful proposals as you can find. Hit up previous winners in
your department for their proposals, and ask for their advice [see also sec.4].
Narrow your focus
A few students enter
graduate school knowing exactly what they want to study. If you are one of
them, build on what you have already done. Many students don't have such focus,
although most have some idea of the areas that interest them. Find out which
are the hot topics in your areas of interest. Search the literature and ask the
faculty, postdocs and senior grad students.
The Idea
It can be of your own
design (Finding a question that follows logically from an existing line of
inquiry is a great way to go, e.g. reading the “Conclusions” of research
papers). An equally valid approach is to look to your adviser or another
professor for a topic, or merely for guidance on a topic you've identified.
You need to be able to
boil down your research goal to a specific question you propose to ask, rather
than discussing a general examination of a topic. Explicitly laying out your
approach as a test of null and alternate hypotheses will force you to clarify
your thinking about the research you plan to pursue, and it will help you
explain it unambiguously.
The style
Write clearly. Minimize
your use of jargon. Format appropriately: underline your hypothesis, italicize
key points, put big ideas in boldface type, use bullets – but don’t overuse!
Use figures and graphics where appropriate: a strong visual element can be well
worth the words you trade for it.
It’s about you!
Don't forget that most
graduate-student fellowships are intended to support a person, not an actual
product. Your main task is to demonstrate that you can conceptualize and
present a strong potential research path: agencies are usually fine if you
later switch your research topic. Outline a “doable” research program, relevant
to the grant agency's goals. Try to demonstrate
a clear knowledge of the subject.
Drafts!
Rewriting again and
again your proposal will tighten your prose, clarify your ideas, and polish
your proposal. It will also help you ferret out typos. Ideally,
faculty/researchers in your field will carefully read and improve your drafts.
Others who are not as expert (friends, family, and peers) can evaluate your
writing and logic: if what you are trying to say is unclear to a fellow
student, chances are it will be unclear to the evaluation committee!
Recommenders
It's important to offer
evidence that your work has the support of your department: Grant agencies want
to know that faculty members are invested in your success. It doesn't hurt if
your recommenders are prominent in your field of interest. However, it is more
important to have someone in your corner who writes
well and wants to be your champion than to choose a big name who is not
invested enough in your success to put the effort into writing a glowing
appraisal. Give your recommenders copies of your draft proposal well before
they write their letters. Better yet, give them a copy of it well before it is
due, and solicit their feedback. The more they invest in you, particularly if
you might work in their research group, the better off you are.
Apply!
The odds may seem
against you, but this is a worthwhile exercise. Accept that your chances
might be slim (everybody's are!), and approach the process as an opportunity to
explore an idea that you actually want to pursue, without attachment to the
notion of a big payoff. However your fellowship application turns out, you will
gain valuable experience and a much deeper understanding of a field of interest
to you. You might also get a dissertation topic out of it, or, equally
valuable, the knowledge that you don't want to explore that topic. You will
also gain a template for future proposals. Some fellowships will even send you
copies of reviewer's comments, which will help you recraft
your proposal for resubmission.
And, maybe, you will be
rewarded by a fellowship…
3. THE NSF GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
[References: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf07576/nsf07576.pdf
https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/html/GRFP_Applicant_User_Guide.pdf]
What is it: “The National Science Foundation aims
to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics in the
The Graduate Research Fellowship
stipend currently is $30,000 for a 12-month tenure period; The cost of
education allowance currently is $10,500 per tenure year. Fellows are allowed
an additional one-time $1,000
International Research Travel Allowance.
All awards will be for a maximum of
three years usable over a five-year period.
The anticipated award date is late
March 2008.
Dealdine: For
applicants (Physics & Astronomy): November 9, 2007
Reference Submission deadline: December 1, 2007
Who can apply: restricted to citizens, nationals,
or permanent resident aliens of the
“Individuals
are typically eligible to apply during the senior year of college, after
graduating from college but prior to
entering graduate school, during the first year of graduate school, or prior to completing the first term of
the second year of graduate school.”
What you need to prepare: The application is fully
electronic, and can be accessed at http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/.
It includes three 2-pages essays on: Personal statement (personal,
professional, and educational experiences; don’t forget the “broader impact”
requirement!), Previous Research Experience and Proposed Plan of Research.
What if you don’t get it: “The NSF accords Honorable
Mention to meritorious applicants who do not receive fellowship awards. This is
considered a significant academic achievement nationwide and provides access to
cyber infrastructure resources through the TeraGrid
for a period of one year following notification of the Honorable
Mention.”
4. REFERENCES AND OTHER AWARDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
General Websites/Useful resources:
GrantsNet [http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/funding]
NSF
GRFP [http://www.nsfgradfellows.org/]
NASA [http://university.gsfc.nasa.gov/programs/graduate.jsp]
Grants.gov
[http://www.grants.gov/]
The
National Academies, Fellowships Office
[http://www7.nationalacademies.org/fellowships/]
Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship [Krell Fellowship]
Info: $32,400 stipend, $1,000/yr
research allowance, $2,500 for computer support
Requirements: US citizens, first and
second year grad students
Website:
http://www.krellinst.org/csgf/index.shtml
Deadline: January 16, 2008
Department of Energy Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship [Krell Fellowship]
Info: $32,400 stipend, $1,000/yr research
allowance, all tution and fees; Fields: high energy
density physics, low-energy nuclear science, properties of materials under
extreme conditions, hydrodynamics
Requirements: US citizens, first and
second year grad students
Website: http://www2.krellinst.org/ssgf/index.shtml
Deadline: January 9, 2008
Harriett G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship
Program [NASA]
Info: full-time underrepresented (women,
minorities, and persons with disabilities) graduate students in science,
technology and education with financial support for their education in
NASA-related disciplines. Students are selected for a
fellowships that include an annual 10-week, hands-on research experience
at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) or a
Website: http://university.gsfc.nasa.gov/programs/jpfp.jsp
Deadline: February 1, 2008
NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP)
Info: fellowship support on research
projects of interest to the student and GSFC mentor; 1yr renewable up to 3
years, application available in November, due February 1.
Website: http://university.gsfc.nasa.gov/programs/gsrp.jsp.
National Defense
Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship
Info: DoD annually supports 8,000 graduate students in
fields important to national defense needs.
Website: https://www.asee.org/ndseg/
Deadline: January 7, 2008
Hertz Fellowships [closed,
Nov 2 Deadline!]
Website:
http://www.hertzfoundation.org/
Info: resticted to US citizens, Option
1 - Five Year Hertz $31,000/ 9-month
personal stipend, Full tuition equivalent, Renewable for up to 5 years; Option 2 - Five-Year Coordinated Hertz
Period - Two Years $36,000/ 9-month personal
stipend Full tuition equivalent
Jacob K. Javits Fellowships
Program [US Department of Education, closed on October
15, 2007!]
Website: http://www.ed.gov/programs/jacobjavits/index.html
Info: US
Citizens only
Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships
Website: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/fordfellowships/
Info:
Online application deadline: November 15, 2007
Announcement of Awards: April 2008; US
Citizens only
Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates [DoE-NSF]
Website: http://www.orau.org/lindau
Deadline: November 19, 2007
List of Other Fellowships/Award opportunities:
AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships [Deadline: December 20]
Alexander von Humboldt Fellowships
American Association of University Women
Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships
Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation
Fellowships
Fulbright Fellowship programs
Department of Defense National Defense Science and
Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program
Easley National Scholarship Program
Gates Millenium Scholars Program
GE and LuLac Scholarship Funds
GEM -- National
Consortium in Engineering and Science For Graduate Degrees for Minorities
Heinz Dissertation Award
Hispanic College Fund
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
International Research and Exchanges Board
International Students Scholarships & Aid Help
Josephine de Kármán Fellowships
Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship
Marshall Sherfield Scholarships
Murray Research Center at Radcliffe
College
NASA Bioastronautics and Fundamental Space Biology Postdoctoral Research
Program
Nature Jobs
National Physical Science Consortium Graduate Fellowships For Minorities
and Women in Physics
NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeships
Program
NSF Other Graduate and Postdoctoral Support
NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research
Fellowships
National Security Education Program
Northeast Consortium for Faculty Diversity (Visiting Dissertation Fellowships)
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
Pew Charitable Trusts Education Division
Population Council Fellowships
Presidential Freedom Scholarships
President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Project 1000
Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship (at AED)
Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford
Santa Fe Institute
Sarnoff Endowment
Semiconductor Research Corporation
Social Science Research Council
Spencer Foundation
Student Inventors Scholarships
Student Video Scholarships
Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
Truman Foundation
Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid
U.S. Department of Energy High-Performance Computer Science Fellowship
U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Stewardship
Science Graduate Fellowship
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Undergraduate Scholarships and Graduate
Fellowships
United States Gold Association Fellowship
University of Central Florida Nanoscience Technology Center Fellowships
Venture Scholars
Whitaker Foundation
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
(Very partial list of) Local Recipients of Graduate Fellowships you can
contact:
Tesla
Jeltema (Astronomy Postdoc,
former NSF Fellow at MIT), tesla@ucolick.org
Gregory
Novak (Astronomy Grad Student, Krell Fellow), novak@ucolick.org