1. Tips and Strategies for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams NSF Graduate Research Fellow October 12, 2009

2. 10/12/09Matt Williams (mdwilli@ufl.edu) 2/9 Why am I talking to you? 2004 –Winner, Barry Goldwater Scholarship 2005 –Winner, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship 2006-present –Help advise undergrad and grad students in my lab who apply for fellowships Involved w/ 10 NSF applications to date –3 NSF Winners –2 Honorable Mentions

3. 10/12/09Matt Williams (mdwilli@ufl.edu) 3/9 Should you apply? Many professors will say… –“3.98 GPA and >1500 GRE or don’t bother” 2003-2007 UF Winner (28) Stats: Women and minorities: You’re crazy if you don’t apply! MeanMedian GPA3.843.9 GRE V590 GRE Q740760

4. 10/12/09Matt Williams (mdwilli@ufl.edu) 4/9 Essays They will make or break you You need to stand out Pay attention to the prompt and rubric Revise, revise, revise... –… then have others read it and revise some more. Express excitement and be positive –Never “I hope”; always “I will ” Broader Impacts –Should permeate all your essays –Common examples: Dissemination of your research results Your goal of being a professor (and thus a mentor) Intellectual Merit … Broader Impacts 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 (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? 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 may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?

5. 10/12/09Matt Williams (mdwilli@ufl.edu) 5/9 Specific Essay Tips Research Proposal –Clearly “place” your proposed research within your field What is novel? What is the impact? –Support Expertise Courses Equipment –Don’t be too technical The best essays are accessible Limit the jargon and acronyms Pictures Don’t let your professor write it for you –Remember: You’re not locked in

6. 10/12/09Matt Williams (mdwilli@ufl.edu) 6/9 Specific Essay Tips (cont’d) Personal Statement –Don’t be afraid to open up What are you about? What makes you tick? –Address Broader Impacts at every turn –Be memorable Childhood wonderment and fuzzy feelings about science Cool intros –“The raw power of a top-fuel dragster screaming down the quarter mile…” –“I can feel the drone of the aircraft engine pulsing through my chest almost as strongly as my quickly beating heart.”

7. 10/12/09Matt Williams (mdwilli@ufl.edu) 7/9 Recommendation Letters Prepare your letter writers –Rubric –Memory-jogging notes –Notes on effective letter writing Yale website –Resume Good letters are specific –“Jim is a bright and conscientious student who does excellent work in the lab.” –“Jim recently solved some long-standing difficulties with an optical test setup entirely on his own - and he fixed our toaster, too!” Pick writers who have something interesting to say about you… –…or else give them something to say. Arrange a middleman for letter review –Honors College? Library?

8. 10/12/09Matt Williams (mdwilli@ufl.edu) 8/9 Other Fellowships Hertz Foundation Fellowship (Due: 10/30) –$31-$36k/yr for 2-5 years DoD SMART (Due: 12/15) –$25-$41k/yr DoD NDSEG (Due: 1/4) –$30.5-$31.5k/yr for 3 years NASA GSRP (Due: Feb.) –$22k/yr up to 3 years And many more!

9. 10/12/09Matt Williams (mdwilli@ufl.edu) 9/9 Questions? Thanks for listening!