7/23/2019 NSF Recommender Info

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  Melissa A. Hines  Director

627 Clark Hall of Science

Ithaca, NY 14853-2501

607.255.3040

Melissa.Hines@cornell.edu

http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/  

October 6, 2015 

Dear Cornell Faculty Member:

Thank you for agreeing to write a letter of recommendation for one of our NSF GRF applicants. The

NSF FAQ on this process is at https://goo.gl/ILRIXY.

The most impactful letters are those that directly support and make reference to the applicant’s five-page

personal statement and research proposal with specific detail and comparisons to other graduate students.

General letters that do not make reference to the application materials are much less impactful.

The applicant has been asked to provide you with a draft of their three-page personal statement and two-

page original research proposal. They should also be providing you with some specific “talking points”

that you may want to address in your letter.

Research Proposal Originality: The NSF is looking to support a promising individual, not a specific

research project. The applicants original research proposal is primarily used to evaluate the applicant’s

creativity and promise, not the quality of research in your lab. To the extent possible, it is useful for you

to comment both on the quality and feasibility of the proposed project as well as on the degree of

originality in the proposal.

Research Proposal Broader Impacts and Intellectual Merit: Your letter must include a discussion of

both the intellectual merit and broader impacts of the research proposal. The applicant has been asked to

provide you with suggestions on this.

Applicant’s Broader Impacts: The NSF is looking to support the next generation of scientific leaders,

people who will be impactful scientifically and to the broader community. Former panelists state that the

primary reason that good applicants fail is because of weak “Broader Impacts.” The applicant’s personalstatement outlines their previous accomplishments (e.g., community service, educational outreach) as

well as their plans for the future. Your comments on the past and future impact of these activities would

be helpful. Any information that you can provide on the applicant’s potential for leadership (broadly

defined) would also be useful.

Mentoring, Career Development, and/or Research Infrastructure: Some description of the many

formal and informal mentoring and career development programs at Cornell may be useful. If the

student’s proposal requires specialized instrumentation, infrastructure, or travel/collaborations, your letter

should confirm the availability of such.

Format and Deadline: Letters must be no more than two pages in length,   signed, and on Cornell

letterhead. You will receive an e-mail from NSF asking you to register as a recommender. Your letter is

due no later than 8:00 pm EST on November 5, 2015.

Any feedback you can give the applicant on improving his/her personal statement and research proposal

would also be much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Melissa A. Hines

Director, Cornell Center for Materials Research

Professor of Chemistry