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Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

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Page 1: Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

Tips for NSF GRF Applicants

Matt WilliamsBarry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-

05)NSF Graduate Research Fellow

(2005-08)

October 13, 2010

Page 2: Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

Matt Williams ([email protected])

Evaluation Criteria

Intellectual Merit• Demonstrate

intellectual ability– Plan and conduct

research– Work in team or

independently– Interpret and

communicate research

Broader Impacts• Contributions that

– Integrate research and education

– Make learning exciting– Broadly communicate

findings– Encourage diversity

(women, minorities, people with disabilities)

– Benefit society

10/13/10 2/9

Page 3: Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

Matt Williams ([email protected])

10/12/09 3/9

Essay Tips: General

• Essays will make or break you• Follow essay prompt and target

evaluation criteria– Address “Intellectual Merit” and

“Broader Impacts” in all essays!• Be memorable• Express excitement and be

positive– Never “I hope”; always “I will ”

• Revise, revise, revise ...– … then have others read it and

revise some more. From the Reviewer’s Mouth…

“… did not go in depth on outreach activities or his personal perspectives and plans to translate the technical research into societal impact…”

“… uses I quite a lot to demonstrate accomplishments rather than team’s…”

“As a weekend volunteer in our GatorTRAX program, I have had the pleasure of teaching grade-school students basic concepts of math, science and engineering.”

“I participated in the UF sponsored GatorTRAX program designed to reverse the decline of graduating engineers in the United States. I spent Saturday mornings teaching …”

“It is commendable that you are thinking about the declining graduate trends in the US…”

Page 4: Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

Matt Williams ([email protected])

10/12/09 4/9

Essay Tips: Research Proposal

• Clearly “place” your proposed research within your field– Novelty? Impact?

• Support– Expertise, courses,

equipment• Don’t be too technical

– Best essays are accessible– Limit jargon and acronyms– Diagrams/pictures– Don’t let your professor

write it for you

From the Reviewer’s Mouth…

“… consider the kinds of facilities available and how they might contribute to the success of the project.”

“... is familiar with available resources at proposed graduate school.”

“… the plan should address explicitly the novelties of the proposed approach.”“Focus on improving crop yield and agricultural development has potential broader impact.”

Page 5: Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

Matt Williams ([email protected])

10/12/09 5/9

Essay Tips: Personal Statement

• Open up– What are you about?– What makes you tick?

• Childhood wonderment is tired

• Past outreach activities– Use to support future

plans/ideas

“… I feel that I can successfully serve as a mentor to young women because of my experience as a residential advisor. Sophomore year, I …”

Broader Impacts!

“I can feel the drone of the aircraft engine pulsing through my chest almost as strongly as my quickly beating heart.”

“As far back as I am able to remember, I have been intrigued at the thought of flight.”

Page 6: Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

Matt Williams ([email protected])

Essay Tips: Prior Research

• Show technical competence• Highlight…

– Valuable contributions– Achievements– Leadership– Communication of results

10/13/10 6/9

From the Reviewer’s Mouth…

“… currently working on paper to be published…”

“… research findings have been presented to the sponsor; student participated…”

“… encourage you to have faculty or grad students mentor you on writing a publication, even to a student conference…”

Page 7: Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

Matt Williams ([email protected])

10/12/09 7/9

Thanks for Listening!

Page 8: Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

Matt Williams ([email protected])

Evaluation Criteria

• Intellectual Merit– Demonstrated intellectual ability and

other accepted requisites for scholarly scientific study, such as the ability to• Plan and conduct research• Work as a member of a team as well as

independently• Interpret and communicate research

findings

10/12/09 8/9

Page 9: Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

Matt Williams ([email protected])

Evaluation Criteria (cont’d)

• Broader Impacts– Contributions that

• Effectively integrate research and education at all levels, infuse learning with the excitement of discovery, and assure the findings and methods of research are communicated in a broad context to a large audience

• Encourage diversity, broaden opportunities, and enable the participation of all citizens—women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities—in science and research

• Enhance scientific and technical understanding• Benefit society

10/12/09 9/9

Page 10: Tips for NSF GRF Applicants Matt Williams Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (2004-05) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2005-08) October 13, 2010

Matt Williams ([email protected])

10/12/09 10/9

Recommendation Letters

• Pick writers who have something interesting to say about you…– …or at least give them something to say.

• Prepare your letter writers– NSF Evaluation Criteria– Memory-jogging notes– Notes on effective letter writing– Resume

• Arrange a middleman for letter review– Honors College? Library?