Writing Effective Applications for Graduate Fellowship & Traineeship OpportunitiesMary Jo OndrechenDept. of Chemistry & Chemical BiologyNortheastern UniversityBoston, MA [email protected]
OutlineMy background & experienceSome general resourcesGraduate Fellowship
opportunities My experience as a panelistWriting effective proposalsResources for application process
My experienceTheoretical & computational
chemistry (currently working on understanding spatially extended active sites in enzymes; functional genomics; computationally guided drug discovery)
Served as a panelist for:◦NSF-GRFP◦NDSEG◦SMART
Why fellowship?FREEDOM !!!Prestige$$ - (Stipends vary)Also benefits your institution
Application preparation = good experience
If you don’t play, you can’t win
Some general resourcesScience.gov – Internship and Fellowship
opportunities: http://www.science.gov/internships/graduate.html
ScienceCareers.org (AAAS):http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/funding
http://www.stanford.edu/~pgbovine/fellowship-tips.htm (the musing of Philip J. Guo, a successful NSF-GRFP & NDSEG applicant from Stanford)
ACS (students → graduate → fellowships & grants)
Faculty (particularly former panelists)Successful recipients
Graduate Fellowship Opportunities
NSF-GRFPSMARTNDSEGNIHother
NSF – GRFP http://www.nsfgrfp.org/Deadlines vary by field –
Engineering 11/13; Chemistry 11/14
Overall, about 1 in 6 applications was successful in 2012 (2,000 out of 12,000)
Odds may improve – NSF has been trying to increase the # of awards made
See Solicitation NSF-12-599
My experience as a panelistDiverse panelRead applications in selected
sub-fieldsAll applications get 2x readings;
top applications get a third readGenerate a rank-ordered listTop category – all are awarded
fellowshipSecond category – NSF considers
other factors; some will receive fellowship
The application – some tipsStart now – get proposal and
personal statement written ahead, so that you can give them to your references & also get feedback
Select sub-field carefully – this will determine who reads your application
Which address to use – esp. if you are from an EPSCOR state (ME, NH, VT, …)
Three written componentsPersonal statementPrevious research experienceResearch proposal
1. The Personal StatementThis is your opportunity to
convey what is special about youHere show can show breadth of
interestIncorporate outreach activities –
have you worked with children? Promoted science to the lay community?
Convey love for science and commitment to success / scientific career
Personal Statement – con’tMaturitySense of direction in lifeWhat is your life’s purpose?Commitment to diversity –
broadening participation (by gender, race, persons with disabilities)
READ Program Announcement (12-599) carefully and speak to ALL of its criteria
2. Previous research experience• Describe any scientific research activities
you have participated in, and what you learned from this experience
• Explain the purpose of the research and your role, including the extent to which you worked independently and/or as part of a team
• If you have no direct research experience, describe any activities that you believe have prepared you to undertake research
3. The Research ProposalMust be focusedIntro – describe why the work is
importantMake sure that your passion and zeal
for the subject come throughMake sure that your in-depth
knowledge of this topic comes throughDescribe what you have already doneDon’t copy your adviser’s grant
proposal
NSF Review criteria are:
◦INTELLECTUAL MERIT◦BROADER IMPACTS
Be very certain that both are addressed in your application!
Intellectual MeritFor example, panelists may consider the
following with respect to the Intellectual Merit Criterion:
Strength of the academic recordProposed plan of researchDescription of previous research
experience or publication/presentations
ReferencesAppropriateness of the choice of
institution relative to the proposed plan for graduate education and research.
Broader ImpactsFor example, panelists may consider the
following with respect to the Broader Impacts Criterion:
Personal, professional, and educational experiences
Future plans and prior accomplishments in the integration of research and education
Potential to reach diverse audiences Potential to benefit society.
Science Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Scholarship for Service Program
Deadline: 5:00 pm EST, Dec. 14, 2012
http://smart.asee.org/US Citizens only Note: Post-tenure service
obligation as a civilian employee of the DoD
Years of service obligation = years of support
SMART – my panel experiencesPanel selects most qualified
applicants; DoD facilities select the awardees from that set
Personal statement must reflect interest in performing defense research
Summer internship obligation at a DoD facility
Best if your adviser has a contact at a DoD research facility
DoD Research Facilities - examplesNatick Soldier Research, Development
and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), Natick Labs, MA
Engineer Research and Development Center - Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab (ERDC-CRREL), Hanover, NH (Army)
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS), Kittery, ME
Naval Undersea Warfare Center - Division Newport (NUWC NPT), Newport, RI
See announcement for nationwide list
NDSEG (opens 9/1/2012)Deadline – 5:00 pm EST, Dec. 14,
2012NATIONAL DEFENSE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PROGRAM
http://ndseg.asee.org/US Citizens onlyNote: NO post-tenure service
obligation Success rate varies with fieldVery prestigious & pays well
NDSEG – my panel experiencePanelists provide a list of the top-
ranked applicantsDoD decides on its priorities each
yearThese priorities are not known to
the panelists at the time of the review
Many excellent applicants are not selected
Chances of an award are greater if your application is in a priority area
NIH Predoctoral (F31)Multiple programs and deadlines
datesNext deadline date: Dec 8, 2012Prof. Hanson (Chemistry) has
served as a panelistCheck the individual Institutes,
e.g. ◦NCI (Cancer) NIDA (Drug Abuse) ◦NIAAA (Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism)◦NINDS (Neurological Disorders &
Stroke)◦not all Institutes participate
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Hertz FoundationDeadline Nov 2, 2012Very prestigious Very rigorous & difficult interview
processProvides numerous valuable
connections – a lifetime network of influential people
U.S. citizens or permanent residents only
Five years of support (can be combined with e.g. NSF-GRFP or NDSEG)
Preparing for Hertz interviewsTwo rounds of rigorous interviewsIf you are selected for Hertz
interview, talk with someone who has been through them previously
Best to practice – have knowledgeable person fire questions at you
Deadline: November 9, 2012http://www.pdsoros.org/Eligibility (see announcement)
◦foreign-born naturalized U.S. citizens◦green card holders◦U.S.-born children of foreign-born
parents (both parents must be foreign-born & at least one parent must be a naturalized US citizen)
Last year – 30 awards across all fields
Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
Other opportunitiesSearch for opportunities that may
be specific to you – for instance:◦Environment-related research◦Agriculture-related research◦Alternative-energy-related research◦Research in computation◦Chemistry (ACS Analytical & Organic)◦Underrepresented minorities (e.g.
GEM – gemfellowship.org , Ford Foundation)
Other opportunitiesEast Asia – Pacific Summer
Institutes (funds research experiences in Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore or Taiwan)
Application Process ResourcesGet the support of your adviser
(or future adviser)Identify potential referencesAsk for feedback on your
proposal and personal statementTalk to fellow studentsTalk to faculty resource person
General grant writing tipsAlways read the call for proposals
carefullyMake sure that you cover
EVERYTHING that the RFP asks for
Write your essays and research proposals ahead of time
Ask for feedback from an experienced person
Grant writing tipsWrite to the intelligent generalistRemember that the reader
(panelist) may not be in your exact area. Do not assume that the reader knows about your system.
In the research proposal, make sure that your points are clear.
If you wrote the research proposal yourself, make sure that your references say so in their letter.
More tipsIn the personal statement,
convey what is special about you◦Show direction and purpose in life◦How did you get interested in
science?◦Why did you choose this path?
OK to use humor, but be sure that you come off as mature and serious about science and your future
Tips on the research proposalBe sure to cover:
◦What is the problem and why is it important?
◦What is the purpose – what needs to be done?
◦What will you do – methods, approach
◦What do you expect to learn?◦What are the potential impacts of
your results?Show that you know the
literature and cite references
Special tips for the NSFSpecifically label intellectual
merit and broader impactsIntellectual merit – What is the
impact on the field? Why is this work conceptually important? Transformative potential?
Broader impacts – Impact to society; Involvement of diverse groups; integration of science and education; building infrastructure
General preparationResearch experiencePublish! Fellowship applicants
with publications have a higher success rate
Cultivate future references – talk with faculty about your ambitions
NSF prep – Do some type of outreach activity
A plus for: Internship, international, military service, community outreach
Some general resourcesScience.gov – Internship and Fellowship
opportunities: http://www.science.gov/internships/graduate.html
ScienceCareers.org (AAAS):http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/funding
http://www.stanford.edu/~pgbovine/fellowship-tips.htm (the musing of Philip J. Guo, a successful NSF-GRFP & NDSEG applicant from Stanford)
ACS (students → graduate → fellowships & grants)
Faculty (particularly former panelists)Successful recipients
When in doubt – Apply!Valuable experienceProposal writingPromoting yourselfDo not feel bad if you are
declinedSuccess is possible
Start Writing Today!Good Luck!
