How to Fund your Graduate Studies: An Overview of National Graduate Fellowships and How to Compete for Them

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How to Fund your Graduate Studies An Overview
of National Graduate Fellowships and How to
Compete for Them
June 17, 2008
Texas AM University Office of Proposal
Development Lucy Deckard L-Deckard_at_tamu.edu
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For more information

• For an electronic version of this presentation
  and background materials
• Go to http//opd.tamu.edu/
• Click on Seminar Materials then Seminars by
  Date
• Click on todays date

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How to Fund Your Graduate Studies

• Types of Fellowships
• Why bother?
• Wheres the ?
• How to apply and win
• Overview of the Process and Strategies
• Examples

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Funding for Graduate Students

• Research Assistantships
• Funded by facultys research funding
• Typically funded through proposal process
• Teaching Assistantships
• Funded by department
• Teaching-related responsibilities, separate from
  research
• Graduate Fellowships
• Dissertation Grants

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The Continuum
Graduate School
Generic Fellowships
Dissertation Grants
Fellowships for Early Grad Students
Finish classes
Senior Year Undergrad
1st Year
Post-Doc
Dissertation Work
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Two Types of Fellowships

• Awards directly to Students
• Students compete directly for award
• Award is portable with student
• Examples
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate
  Fellowship
• J. Javits, Ford Foundation, Humane Studies
  Fellowships
• Many targeted fellowships (e.g., Semiconductor
  Research Graduate Fellowship, Whitaker Fellowship
  for Biomedical Engineering, ATT Fellowship,
  etc.)

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Two Types of Fellowships

• Institutional Awards
• Awarded to departments, programs, etc.
• Students selected by department, program or
  faculty
• Examples Graduate Assistantships in Areas of
  National Need (GAANN), larger programs (IGERT,
  AGEP, etc.)

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Graduate Fellowships why bother?

• Guaranteed source of funding
• Stipends generally much higher than department
  RAs (NSF stipend 30K/yr)
• Fellowships are portable more autonomy in
  selecting advisor, research project
• Fellowship can be path to a job (e.g., National
  Lab)

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Finding Potential Fellowships

• Fellowship programs often targeted based on
  discipline, demographic group, career interests
• Look for the fellowship programs that apply to
  you
• Excellent web resources available
• Talk to faculty in your department

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Finding Potential Fellowships

• Variety of funders
• Federal agencies (NSF, DoD, NASA, NIH, EPA, NEH,
  USDA, Dept. of Ed., Dept. Homeland Security,
  etc.)
• Foundations
• Professional Organizations
• Corporations
• For various stages
• Early Graduate training
• Dissertation Grant
• Post-doctoral

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Using the Internet to Find Fellowships

• See OPD webpage for this seminar
• Two types of sites
• Compedia of Fellowships
• Cornell http//cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/li
  st.phtml?categoryGENERAL 1
• http//cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/ 2, 3
• Specific agency and/or fellowships
• DHS Graduate Fellowship http//www.orau.gov/dhsed
  / , 4

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Example National Fellowships

• National Science Foundation, 1000 awarded
  annually, usually due early November annually
• https//www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/
• NASA Earth Systems Science Fellowships, 50 new
  fellowships awarded annually, due February/March
• http//nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitation
  s/summary.do?methodinitsolId17EE5894-7FE1-44C8
  -431F-A985AEEE4B3Cpathclosed
• Department of Defense Science and Engineering
  Graduate Fellowships, 200 awarded annually, due
  January http//www.asee.org/ndseg/index.cfm
• EPA STAR and GRO Fellowships, 115 awarded
  annually, due Oct. or Nov. annually
  http//es.epa.gov/ncer/fellow/
• DHS, 60 awarded annually due Jan. annually
  http//www.orau.gov/dhsed/
• Dept. of Education, J. K. Javits Fellowships (48)
  due Oct. annually
• http//www.ed.gov/programs/jacobjavits/index.html
  

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National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate
Fellowshiphttp//www.asee.org/ndseg/

• Eligibility
• US citizen or national
• Pursuing doctoral degree in, or closely related
  to, one of the following disciplines having the
  greatest benefit to national security

GeosciencesMaterials Science and
EngineeringMathematicsMechanical
EngineeringNaval Architecture and Ocean
EngineeringOceanography                
Aeronautical and Astronautical Eng
BiosciencesChemical EngineeringChemistryCivil
EngineeringCognitive, Neural, and Behavioral
Sci. Computer and Computational
ScienceElectrical EngineeringPhysics            
        
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Fellowships for Minorities

• Ford Foundation - Predoctoral Diversity
  Fellowships. The 22,000/year fellowships are
  awarded to individual minority students who
  demonstrate superior scholarship and show promise
  for future achievement as scholars, researchers,
  and teachers. November deadline.
  http//www7.nationalacademies.org/fordfellowships/
  fordpredoc.html
• American Sociological Association - Minority
  Fellowship Program. An annual stipend of 14,688
  for up to three years for minority graduate
  students in the early stages of sociology
  graduate programs with emphasis on mental health
  issues and research. January deadline.
  http//asanet.org/page.ww?sectionFundingnameMin
  orityFellowshipProgram
• GEM PhD Engineering Fellowship Program. Min 14,
  000 for Year 1 additional 4 years support for
  engineering (M.S, PhD) and science (PhD) majors.
  (University must be GEM member.) Due November.
  http//www.gemfellowship.org/gem_fellowship/overvi
  ew.php

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Fellowships for Minorities

• United Negro College Fund Merck Foundation
  Science Initiative - Graduate Science Research
  Dissertation Fellowships. Up to 42,000 stipend
  to assist African-American graduate students in
  completing coursework, conducting research, and
  preparing dissertation in the biomedical
  sciences. December deadline. http//www.uncf.org/m
  erck/programs/grad.htm
• Social Science Research Council and the Andrew W.
  Mellon Foundation - SSRC-Mellon Minority
  Fellowship Program. Up to ,5000 to increase
  number of African Americans, Latinos, and Native
  Americans in the arts and sciences for students
  enrolled in Ph.D. programs in Mellon-designated
  fields. Citizenship unspecified. Deadline
  November (annual). http//mellonmays.ssrc.org/gra
  nts/
• National Physical Science Consortium Traditional
  Fellowships Tuition, fees and research stipend
  for 2 to 3 years and possibly more. Nov.
  deadline. http//www.npsc.org

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Fellowships for Women

• American Association of University Women -
  International Fellowships. 20,000 awards to
  women graduate students studying in the United
  States who are not U.S. citizens. December
  deadline. http//www.aauw.org/fga/fellowships_gran
  ts/international.cfm
• American Association of University Women -
  Selected Professions Fellowships. Up to 20,000
  awards for women in the final year of graduate
  study in historically under-represented
  professions, including Business Administration,
  Law, Medicine, Architecture, Computer Sciences,
  Mathematics, and Engineering. January deadline.
  http//www.aauw.org/fga/fellowships_grants/selecte
  d.cfm

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Analysis of Applicant Instructions/RFP

• What are eligibility requirements?
• When is the application due?
• How many are awarded each year?
• Apply through university or as individual?
• What criteria are used to evaluate applications?
• Check with faculty in your department (may have
  been on review panel)
• Look at goals of funding organization
• What are the required components of the
  application and what is application process?
• Contact awarding organization if you have
  questions

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Typical Application Components

• Biographical information
• GRE scores
• Transcript
• Letters of Reference
• Essays/Proposal
• Discussion of proposed research
• Often, discussion of one or more research
  experiences
• Sometimes, other questions

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Fellowship Application is Mini-Research
Proposal

• You are selling yourself and your ideas
• Identify fellowship opportunities for which you
  are eligible
• Analyze what they are looking for (review
  criteria)
• Write best possible application
• Gather and submit other required material
  (references, GRE scores, etc.)

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What are They Looking For?

• Will you further the goals of the funder?
• Will you be a successful graduate student and
  researcher?
• Do you understand the research process?
• Do you do your homework?
• i.e., read the literature in your area,
  understand previous work, etc.
• Can you express your ideas well?
• Is your selected area of research something they
  want to support?
• Varies in importance depending on mission of
  funder
• Are you one of the best candidates in the
  applicant pool?

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Putting together your application

• Find faculty mentor(s)
• Faculty with whom you plan to do your graduate
  research
• Faculty in your undergraduate department
• Graduate coordinator in your department
• They will provide advice on research plan,
  critique your writing
• Ask for references early and check
• Make sure GRE scores, transcripts, etc. will be
  available on time

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Writing Strategies

• Start early and get others to edit your work!
• Write in a scholarly style
• Make it clear you understand your subject
• Cite references if allowed
• Make it clear that you understand the research
  process
• Clear hypothesis, goals, objectives
• Discussion of your planned approach with
  sufficient detail to show your understanding of
  the topic

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Hotlinks to Writing Strategies

• Many resources available on how to write good
  proposals
• See hotlink table e-mailed to you
• Grant Doctor in Science Magazine
• Agency-specific guides
• Google
• Excellent books on writing
• Schrunk and White (http//www.bartleby.com/141/ )
• The Art of Writing Proposals, by the Social
  Science Research Council, available online at
  http//fellowships.ssrc.org/art_of_writing_proposa
  ls/

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Evaluation Review Criteria

• Read application, related information carefully
• find out what they are looking for
• Investigate goals and culture of funder
• Reflect vision of the funding agency

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References

• Select faculty who know you well
• Select faculty who will give you a positive
  reference!
• Undergraduate research experience great
  opportunity to develop references
• Follow up and make sure they sent in your
  reference letter

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Example NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

• Typically due early November
• 1000 to be awarded this year
• For any research area funded by NSF
• Includes Education, Social and Behavioral
  Sciences as well as Science and Engineering
• Look through NSF web site at www.nsf.gov for
  research areas

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How to Apply for NSF Fellowship

• See www.ehr.nsf.gov/dge/programs/grf/ and
  https//www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/ for
  application instructions, FAQ, etc.
• Apply on-line using NSFs Fastlane system at
  www.fastlane.nsf.gov
• Parts of application
• Information form (name, school, etc.)
• Application form (includes two essay questions)
• Proposed Plan of Research
• Previous Research Experience
• References
• GRE, GPA form and transcript request form

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NSF Fellowship

• 30,000 per year plus 10,500 education allowance
  for 3 years
• Must be US Citizen or permanent resident
• May apply
• during undergrad senior year
• prior to or during 1st year of grad school,
• or at beginning of 2nd year of grad school

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Strategies to Win

• Good grades and GRE scores help
• GPAs typically 3.7 or higher but not always
• Undergraduate research experience
• Good essay answers
• Great research proposal
• Excellent references

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Research Proposals

• Be original.
• A less polished essay that shows evidence of the
  students own creativity is usually more
  impressive than a sophisticated plan that is not
  original.
• Be rigorous.
• The best research proposalsdemonstrate that the
  applicant understands how to conduct research in
  his/her discipline using the scientific method
• Be clear and well-organized.
• The best proposals demonstrate creativity in
  thinking about research questions as well as
  communication and organizational skills.

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Finally.

• Start early
• Do your homework
• Ask for help
• The Office of Proposal Development is available
  to help contact me
• Lucy Deckard at L-deckard_at_tamu.edu