Over the past four years, I’ve applied to numerous programs and scholarships. For every 10 applications, I get an acceptance. The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) is my next endeavor. The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based graduate degrees at accredited United States institutions.
Being a NSF GRFP fellow means:
- Three-year annual stipend of $34,000 along with a $12,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees (paid to the institution)
- Opportunities for international research and professional development
- Freedom to conduct their own research
Over the last few years, the success rate is approximately 17%. Maybe this will be my chance!
Before starting my NSF GRFP application, I looked at personal statements and research plans from previous NSF GRFP fellows because I wanted to see what a winning application looked like. While it helped me understand the structure of the application, I felt pressured to attain the same level as the NSF GRFP fellows on my first attempt. People spend months on this application, so it was unrealistic to expect myself to get it on the first try.
The application is not due until mid-October, but it is an intensive application that includes a CV, a personal statement, a research plan, and multiple letters of recommendations. Since I am also applying to graduate school this fall, I wanted to do as much as I can now to alleviate any future stress. I work best when I have deadlines, so this is my current plan:
- July
- Complete first draft of personal statement
- Draft outline of research plan with maximum of 5 sources
- Develop aims/methods using sources
- August
- Revise with professors/advisors
- Request letters of recommendation
- Fill out application info
- September
- Obtain second/third revisions (if needed)
- October
- Review application and submit
In May, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) held a workshop to help NSF GRFP applicants, but I found out about it later. I contacted the hosts, who gave me more information and connected me with the mentor of the peer writing group. The peer writing group had one review session already, but the mentor allowed me to submit for the next deadline, July 23. While I had a CV and personal statement ready, I had nothing prepared for my research plan.
Over the past two months, I gradually formed my idea by integrating my previous research projects and searching for relevant sources to support my idea. While searching the literature, I found a paper that researched exactly what I was going to propose. I was stuck for a little bit, but I decided to keep my idea and modify the aims to approach it from a chemistry standpoint than an environmental engineering standpoint.
Now I finally have a draft of my research plan. I completed the introduction and broader impacts section and outlined the aims. Within the next two weeks, I will critically analyze my sources to develop the experimental methods for the aims. The goal is to completely finish the research plan before school starts again, so that I can ask my mentors to help me revise it.
Currently I am using the following resources:
Do you have resources that you like using?
Best of luck to everyone who is applying to the NSF GRFP!