Graduate Fellowship Workshop NSF GRFP fellowships provide a

Graduate Fellowship Workshop • NSF GRFP fellowships provide a $34, 000 annual stipend for three years to catalyze professional development and independent research. • GRFP proposals are due in late October (varying by discipline), you get one attempt • Many other sponsors provide graduate student fellowships, including: • NASA • Department of Defense • National Institute of Health • Department of Energy

General Tips for Applicants • Start early to allow time for revisions and reviews • Read the solicitation carefully to make sure you address all the required topics • Use subheadings and bold to help guide reviewers to key information • Write to the review criteria: • Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts • Use plain language to convey ideas clearly and concisely • Do not assume that your reviewers are experts in your subfield • Contact your reference writers early • Choose references who can speak to different qualities • Choose one or two backup references, just in case

Tips for Writing the Graduate Research Statement • Include a specific section for Intellectual Merit, plus weave it throughout your proposal • How will your research advance knowledge in your field? • Provide a thorough research plan • Demonstrate creativity • Discuss potential risks and alternative approaches • Provide evidence that you have the skills to be successful • Include a section for Broader Impacts • How will your research benefit society?

Tips for Writing the Personal Statement • Describe what motivates you to pursue a STEM graduate degree • Ex: how has a unique personality trait or experience of hardship shaped your motivation? • Discuss your growth as a researcher • Don’t be shy about sharing your accomplishments • Provide evidence of perseverance, leadership and collaboration skills, creativity, initiative, etc. • Articulate your long-term career goals • Provide evidence of your contributions to society

Tips for Reference Writers • Provide details about the applicant that speak to the review criteria (Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts) • Discuss what sets the applicant apart from other students • What makes her/him exceptional? • Provide evidence of the applicant’s potential to succeed in graduate school • Emphasize the applicant’s potential as a future STEM research leader

Panelists • Civil Engineering: Profs. Chris Higgins, Prof. Tim Strathman • Dr. Bridget Ulrich, Juliane Brown, Andrew Koehler • Chemistry: Allison Lim and Prof. Alan Sellinger • Mechanical: Ava Segal and Jasmin Honegger • Geology: Prof. Alexis Sitchler