Writing Studio Purdue University Department of Mathematics October 15, 2015
Abstract The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is perhaps this most prestigious graduate fellowship for those of us in the mathematical sciences. Edray Goins (Associate Professor of Mathematics) and Mark Ward (Associate Professor of Statistics, Associate Director of Actuarial Science, and Undergraduate Chair) will run two seminars to maximize your chances of being awarded this fellowship! During the second of two seminars, we will host a writing studio. We will discuss examples research statements with an emphasis on the concepts of intellectual merit and broader impact. We ll discuss the do s and don ts of applying for the fellowship; and best practices for maximizing your chances of being awarded the fellowship. If you have a partially completed fellowship which you wish to be read and critiqued, feel free to bring your documents! At the seminars, we will have several Purdue staff and students in Mathematics and Statistics who have served on NSF GRFP panels and/or been awarded the fellowships over the years. And Dinner will be served at both sessions!
What is the NSF GRFP?
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is the countrys oldest fellowship program that directly supports graduate students in various STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15597/nsf15597.htm The fellowship stipend is currently $34,000 for a 12-month tenure period. The deadline for the 2016 NSF GRFP Applications in Chemistry, the Mathematical Sciences, and Physics and Astronomy is 8:00 pm Eastern Time on Friday October 30, 2015 Reference Letters must be submitted by 8:00 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, November 5, 2015 The Graduate School will pay $250 for submitting an application. Mathematics and Statistics will pay an additional $100 for submitting an application. https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/documents/funding/ fellowships/incentive-grant-announcement-2015-16.pdf
Purdue Graduate School Incentive Grants Fellowship National Science Foundation Amount/ Duration $34,000 for 3 years Application Deadline October 30 Web Site http://www.nsfgrfp. org Hertz Foundation $32,000 for 5 years October 30 http://www. hertzfoundation.org Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship $24,000 for 3 years November 20 http://sites. nationalacademies. org/pga/ fordfellowships/ National Physical Science Consortium National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship $20,000 for 6 years $34,000 for 3 years November 30 December 18 http://www.npsc.org http://ndseg.asee.org https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/documents/funding/fellowships/ incentive-grant-announcement-2015-16.pdf
NSF GRFP Application Materials
https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/login.do
NSF GRFP Application Materials The following must be submitted through FastLane GRFP Application Module: 1 Personal Information 2 Education, Work and Other Experience 3 Electronic Transcripts 4 Proposed Field(s) of Study 5 Proposed Graduate Study and Graduate School Information 6 Names and e-mail addresses of reference letter writers 7 Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement 8 Graduate Research Plan Statement
NSF GRFP Application Materials The following are the most important documents! 1 Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement No more than Three Pages This limit includes lists of publications and presentations 2 Graduate Research Plan Statement No more that Two Pages This limit includes references, citations, and images 3 Three Reference Letters Deadline is November 5 Applicants can request up to five reference letters
Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement 1 Why are you fascinated by your research area? 2 What examples of leadership skills and unique characteristics do you bring to your chosen field? 3 What personal and individual strengths do you have that make you a qualified applicant? 4 How will receiving the fellowship contribute to your career goals? 5 What are all of your applicable experiences? 6 For each experience, what were the key questions, methodology, findings, and conclusions? 7 Did you work in a team and/or independently? 8 How did you assist in the analysis of results? 9 How did your activities address the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria?
Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement Jamie Weigandt (2009 NSF GRFP Awardee)
Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement Kyle Bemis (2012 NSF GRFP Awardee)
Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement Joan Ponce (2013 NSF GRFP Awardee)
Graduate Research Plan Statement 1 What issues in the scientific community are you most passionate about? 2 Do you possess the technical knowledge and skills necessary for conducting this work, or will you have sufficient mentoring and training to complete the study? 3 Is this plan feasible for the allotted time and institutional resources? 4 How will your research contribute to the big picture outside the academic context? 5 How can you draft a plan using the guidelines presented in the essay instructions? 6 How does your proposed research address the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria?
Graduate Research Plan Statement 1 Criterion 1: What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity? How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the proposer to conduct the project? To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? 2 Criterion 2: What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity? How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups? To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding?
What is Broader Impact? 1 Innovations in teaching and training 2 Development of curricular materials and pedagogical methods 3 Contributions to the science of learning 4 Development and/or refinement of research tools 5 Computation methodologies, and algorithms for problem-solving 6 Development of databases to support research and education 7 Broadening the participation of groups underrepresented in science, mathematics, engineering and technology 8 Service to the scientific and engineering community outside of the individual s immediate organization 9 Giving talks for the Math Club
Graduate Research Plan Statement Jamie Weigandt (2009 NSF GRFP Awardee)
Graduate Research Plan Statement Kyle Bemis (2012 NSF GRFP Awardee)
Graduate Research Plan Statement Joan Ponce (2013 NSF GRFP Awardee)
NSF GRFP Sample Documents
http://www.alexhunterlang.com/nsf-fellowship
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/ preparing-award-winning-nsf-grfp-application
https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/funding/ funding-opportunities/external.html
Jamie Weigandt Joan Ponce Mathematics Grad Student Mathematics Grad Student NSF GRFP Awardee ( 09) NSF GRFP Awardee ( 13)
Arman Sabbaghi Kyle Bemis Statistics Faculty Statistics Grad Student NSF GRFP Awardee ( 09) NSF GRFP Awardee ( 12)
Mark D. Ward Professor of Statistics NSF GRFP Panelist Frederi G. Viens Professor of Statistics NSF GRFP Panelist
Good Luck! The deadline for the 2016 NSF GRFP Applications in Chemistry, the Mathematical Sciences, and Physics and Astronomy is 8:00 pm Eastern Time on Friday October 30, 2015 Reference Letters must be submitted by 8:00 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, November 5, 2015 The Graduate School will pay $250 for submitting an application. Mathematics and Statistics will pay an additional $100 for submitting an application. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15597/nsf15597.htm