Title: How to Fund your Graduate Studies An Overview of National Graduate Fellowships and How to Compete fo
1How to Fund your Graduate Studies An Overview of
National GraduateFellowships and How to Compete
for Them
- September 23, 2009
- Texas AM UniversityCorpus Christi
- Office of Proposal Development
- Office of Research and Graduate Studies
- John Ivy
- JohnIvy_at_tamu.edu
2Presenter
- John Ivy, AB PhD, Research Development Officer
- Undergrad and graduate degrees in biology
- Postdoctoral experience in yeast molecular
biology - Ten years as scientist, group leader with small
biotech company supported in large part by
federal SBIR grants - Ten years experience as research scientist and
lecturer, Dept. of Biology, TAMU - Three years experience in current position with
TAMU and TAM-Health Science Center
3Texas AM UniversityOffice of Proposal
Development
- Unit of Office of Research and Graduate Studies
- Supports Texas AM faculty in the development and
writing of research and educational proposals - Junior faculty research proposals
- Center-level initiatives
- Multi-investigator Program Project grants
- Multidisciplinary and multi-institutional
research teams - Diversity in the research enterprise
4OPD Member List
- Jean Ann Bowman, PhD jbowman_at_tamu.edu
- Physical Geography/Hydrology, earth, ecological,
environmental - Mike Cronan, PE, BS (Civil/Structures), BA, MFA
- Center-level proposals, research and educational
partnerships, new proposal and training
initiatives mikecronan_at_tamu.edu - Lucy Deckard, BS, MS (Materials) l-deckard_at_tamu.ed
u - New faculty initiative, fellowships,
engineering/physical science proposals,
equipment, and instrumentation - John Ivy, PhD (Molecular Biology) johnivy_at_tamu.edu
- NIH biomedical and biological science initiatives
- Phyllis McBride, PhD (English) p-mcbride_at_tamu.edu
- Proposal writing training, biomedical, editing
- Libby Pasciak libbyp_at_tamu.edu
- Scheduling, workshop management, project
coordination - Robyn Pearson, BA, MA (Anthropology) rlpearson_at_tam
u.edu - Social sciences and humanities proposals, editing
and rewriting
5Office of Proposal Development OPD-WEB
http//opd.tamu.edu/
- For an electronic version of this presentation
- Funding opportunities
- Junior faculty support
- Proposal development resources
- Grant writing seminars and workshops
- Craft of Grant Writing Workbook
- Agency Toolkits
- PI perspectives on competitive proposals
6For 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
- For examples of successful fellowship essays
- E-mail libbyp_at_tamu.edu with your request
7How to Fund Your Graduate StudiesTopics
- Types of Fellowships
- Why bother?
- Wheres the ?
- How to apply and win
- Overview of the Process and Strategies
8Funding 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
9The Continuum
Graduate School
Generic Fellowships
Dissertation Grants
Fellowships for Early Grad Students
10Two Types of Fellowships
- 1 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.)
11Two Types of Fellowships
- 2 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.)
12Graduate 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)
13Finding Potential Fellowships
- Keep an open mind
- As research becomes more multi-disciplinary, you
may find opportunities in unexpected places - NIH, NSF fund aspects of social and behavioral
sciences, philosophy (ethics), communication,
etc. - Talk to faculty in your department
- Look at large fellowship programs and smaller
targeted programs (by discipline, demographic
group, etc.) - Excellent web resources available
14Finding 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
15Using the Internet to Find Fellowships
- http//opd.tamu.edu/funding-opportunities/funding-
opportunities-by-category/graduate-funding-opportu
nities - Two types of sites
- Compendia of Fellowships
- Cornellhttp//cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/lis
t.phtml?categoryGENERAL 1 - Michigan Statehttp//www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/gra
nts/3gradinf.htm 2 - University of Chicagohttp//grad-affairs.uchicago
.edu/programs/index.shtml - Notre Dame University, Graduate Fellowships
Databasehttp//www.grad.nd.edu/gfd/ - Community of Science (available by subscription
only)http//www.cos.org/ - Specific agency or fellowship programs
- e.g., DHS Graduate Fellowship http//www.orau.gov
/dhsed/ 3, 4
16Using the Internet
- Humanities Social Science Fellowships and
Grants for Graduate and Professional Students - http//www.ors.duke.edu/orsmanual/graduate-and-pro
fessional-student-funding - Cornell, Humanities
- http//cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/list.phtml?
categoryHUMANITIES - Michigan State University Hotlinks to 31 academic
disciplines - http//www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3gradinf.ht
m
17Example National Fellowships
- National Science Foundation, Graduate Research
Fellowship Program 1600 to be awarded this
year, usually due early November annually
https//www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/ - National Institues of Health, Ruth L. Kirschstein
National Research Service Award for Individual
Predoctoral Fellows (F31)(others for nursing and
to promote diversity) 21,000 stipend 60
tuition fees, 400 awards, due April, August,
December http//grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-fi
les/PA-09-208.html - Department of Defense Science and Engineering
Graduate Fellowships 200 awarded annually, due
January http//www.asee.org/ndseg/index.cfm
18Example National Fellowships
- NASA Earth Systems Science Fellowships 50 new
fellowships awarded annually, due
February/Marchhttp//nspires.nasaprs.com/external
/solicitations/summary.do?methodinitsolId758A1
856-D5EE-C8AC-1D29-D8DD649CB8FFpathclosed - EPA STAR and GRO Fellowships 115 awarded
annually, due Oct. or Nov. annually
http//epa.gov/ncer/fellow/ - DHS Scholarship and Fellowship Program 60
awarded annually due Jan. annually
http//www.orau.gov/dhsed/ - Dept. of Education, J. K. Javits Fellowships due
Oct. annually - http//www.ed.gov/programs/jacobjavits/index.html
19Example 1 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
- Typically due early November
- This year, Nov. 2- Nov. 12 depending on
discipline - Up to 1,600 to be awarded this year
- For any research area funded by NSF
- Includes Social and Behavioral Sciences as well
as Math, Science and Engineering - Look through NSF web site at www.nsf.gov for
research areas
20NSF 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
21Example 2 National Defense Science and
Engineering Graduate Fellowshiphttp//www.asee.or
g/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
Aeronautical and Astronautical EngBiosciencesChe
mical EngineeringChemistryCivil
EngineeringCognitive, Neural, and Behavioral
Sci. Computer and Computational
ScienceElectrical EngineeringPhysics
GeosciencesMaterials Science and
EngineeringMathematicsMechanical
EngineeringNaval Architecture and Ocean
EngineeringOceanography
22NDSEG Fellowship
- 3 year 30.5K - 31.5K stipend/year
- Application
- Essays
- GRE
- Transcripts
- 3 Letters of Reference
- Need 4.0 GPA or very near to be competitive
- Typically due early January
23Example 3 Jacob K. Javits Fellowships Selected
Fields of Study
- ARTS creative writing, music performance,
theory, composition literature, studio arts,
television, film, cinematography, theater,
playwriting, screenwriting, acting, dance - HUMANITIES art history, archaeology, area
studies, classics, comparative literature,
folklore, foreign languages/literature, history,
linguistics, philosophy, religion, speech,
rhetoric, debate - SOCIAL SCIENCES anthropology, communications and
media, economics, ethnic cultural studies,
geography, political science, psychology, public
policy, sociology
24Jacob K. Javits FellowshipsEligibility
- Must be pursuing highest degree available in
their field at an accredited US institution of
higher learning - Apply before or during your first full year of
study - Must be a citizen or national of the US, a
permanent resident, or intend to become a
permanent resident
25Jacob K. Javits Fellowships
- US Department of Educationhttp//www.ed.gov/progr
ams/iegpsjavits/index.html - Deadline Oct 5, 2009
- About 64 awards anticipated this year
- Average size of awards 43,755 (depends on need)
- Funding for up to 48 months
- Includes a stipend for personal expenses and an
institutional payment for tuition and fees - No cost sharing or matching requirements
26Fellowships to Promote Diversity
- See OPD List http//opd.tamu.edu/funding-opportun
ities/funding-opportunities-by-category/programs-t
o-enhance-diversity - 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
27Fellowships for Diversity
- Ford Foundation http//www7.nationalacademies.org/
fordfellowships - Goal increase the diversity of the nations
college and university faculties by increasing
their ethnic and racial diversity - Predoctoral Diversity Fellowships.
- 60 awarded at 20K per year for up to 3 years
- Dissertation Fellowship
- 35 awarded for 21K for 1 year
- Postdoctoral Fellowship
- 20 awarded at 40K for 1 year
28Fellowships for Minorities
- United Negro College Fund Merck Foundation
Science Initiative - Graduate Science Research
Dissertation Fellowships. 30,000 to assist
African-American graduate students in completing
coursework, conducting research, and preparing
dissertation in the biomedical sciences. December
deadline. http//www.uncf.org/merck/programs/grad.
htm - NIH Ruth Kirschstein NRSA Predoctoral Fellowships
to promote Diversity in Health-Related Research.
Seeks to improve the diversity of the
health-related research workforce by supporting
the training of predoctoral students from groups
that have been shown to be underrepresented
(includes low family income). Must be citizen or
permanent resident. Deadline Apr. 13, Aug. 13,
Dec. 13 annually.http//grants.nih.gov/grants/gui
de/pa-files/PA-09-209.html
29Fellowships for Women
- American Association of University Women -
International Fellowships. 18,000 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. Approximately
5,000-12,000 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/fellowsh
ips_grants/selected.cfm
30Fellowships for International Students
- Look for industry, professional organization
sponsors (not US govt) - Look to your home country or companies that do
business in your home country - Look for departmental fellowships
- Examples
- American Association of University Women
International Fellowships - AACC (American Assoc of Cereal Chemists)
International Graduate Fellowship Program - Fellowships for International Students list
http//grad-affairs.uchicago.edu/programs/Interna
tional20student20fellowships20list.xls
31Preparing Your Fellowship Application
- Remember that 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.)
32What 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?
- e.g., 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?
33Analysis 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
34Putting 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
35Typical Application Components
- Biographical information
- GRE scores
- Transcript
- Letters of Reference
- Essays or Research Plan
- Discussion of proposed research
- Often, discussion of one or more research
experiences - Sometimes, other questions
36Evaluation 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
- Contact awarding organization if you have
questions
37References
- Select faculty who know you well and who can give
you a positive reference (Undergraduate research
experience great opportunity to develop
references) - Provide them with info on yourself that will
provide details they can include in the letter
(e.g., a draft of your research essay, a resume,
a summary of your career plans, etc.) - Follow up and make sure they sent in your
reference letter - For helpful info, see http//opd.tamu.edu/funding
-opportunities/funding-opportunities-by-category/r
esources-for-faculty-on-writing-letters-of-referen
ce.html
38Writing 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
39Resources for Proposal Writing
- Many resources available on how to write good
proposals - OPD links regarding the Craft of Writing
Proposalshttp//opd.tamu.edu/proposal-resources/e
xternal-links-the-craft-of-writing-proposals - Science Careers How to Obtain Research and
Other Fundinghttp//sciencecareers.sciencemag.org
/tools_tips/how_to_series/how_to_get_funding - Excellent books on writing
- Strunk and White (http//www.bartleby.com/141/)
- The Art of Writing Proposals, by the Social
Science Research Council, available online at
http//www.ssrc.org/publications/ - How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 6th
Ed., R.A. Day B. Gastel Ch. 37 Grant
Proposals and Progress Reports - Agency-specific Guides check their websites
(e.g., NIAID) - Google
40Example The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Program
41How to Apply for NSF Fellowship
- See https//www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/ and
https//www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/html/GRFP_Applic
ant_User_Guide.pdf for application instructions,
FAQ, etc. - Apply on-line using NSFs Fastlane system at
www.fastlane.nsf.gov
42Parts of the NSF Application
- Personal Profile
- GRE test Scores
- Education and Work Experience
- Proposed Graduate Program
- References (3 letters)
- Personal Statement (2 page essay)
- Previous Research Experience (2 page essay)
- Proposed Plan of Research (2 page essay)
43Strategies 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
44Personal Statement(2 pages)
- Describe personal, professional, or educational
experiences or situations that prepared you or
contributed to your desire to pursue advanced
study in science, technology, engineering, or
mathematics. - Describe your competencies and evidence of
leadership potential - Discuss your career aspirations and how the NSF
fellowship will enable you to achieve your goals.
45Previous Research Experience (2 pages)
- Describe any scientific research activities in
which you participated - Explain the purpose of the research and your
specific role in the research and the extent to
which you worked independently and/or as part of
a team and what you learned - Distinguish between undergraduate and graduate
research experience
46Proposed Plan of Research (2 pages)
- Present a complete plan for a research project
that you may pursue while on fellowship - Discuss how you became interested in the topic
- Demonstrate your understanding of research design
and methodology and explain the relationship to
your previous research, if any.
47Proposed Plan of Research
- Outline
- Title
- Key words
- Hypothesis
- Research Plan (strategy, methodology, and
controls) - Anticipated finding or results
- Literature citations
- Statement attesting to the originality of the
proposal
48Research 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 proposalsdemonstrate creativity in
thinking about research questions as well as
communication and organizational skills.
49Required for Each Essay
- Intellectual Merit
- Demonstrate ability to plan and conduct research
- Ability to work as a member of a team as well as
independently - Ability to interpret and communicate findings
- Broader Impact
- Contributions that integrate research and
education at all levels and communicate finding
to a broad audience - Encourage diversity and enable particiatpion of
all citizens in science and research - Enhance scientific and technical understanding
- Benefit society
50