How to Apply to the NSF GRFP​

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The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) is a paid fellowship designed to support an individual student in their graduate research pursuits. I like to think of it as an investment that the NSF can make in you. You can apply for the GRFP before you begin grad school or as an early-stage grad student (see the eligibility rules for more details). It includes 3 years of funding, which can be used over the course of 5 years as you see fit. Because of this, the GRFP can help to insure funding for grad school and can even help you get into grad school. You can find more information about the NSF GRFP here. 

 

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Within the GRFP application, there are two main focuses: intellectual merit and broader impacts. Let's familiarize ourselves with them briefly.

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Intellectual Merit

This refers to your ability to create and carry out a research project based on your experiences and potential. 

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Broader Impacts

This is the idea that your science should have some positive impact on society that goes beyond scientific journals. The specific type of broader impact you want to have speaks to your personal values. 

 

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Now that we have that down, below are several topics to think about for writing a successful NSF GRFP application.

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Audience

The GRFP is very different than a grad school application in that your audience is not restricted to people in your field. This means that your science case needs to be broadly appealing and clear to an audience of non-experts. This often requires a couple of sentences discussing the big picture impact of your work. It's generally a good idea to run this portion of your application by an honest friend or family member from outside of physics/astronomy. 

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Show, Don't Tell

Having an audience of non-experts may seem like a complicating factor at first, but it's actually an opportunity. This is because it gives you the chance to show off your science communication skills rather than just saying that you're a great science communicator. As scientists, we like to use a lot of jargon, but the most talented scientists are able to explain something complicated in a way that any audience can understand. Make sure every piece of jargon in your statements is either replaced with something more palatable or explained clearly. 

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Don't Burry the Lead

While a dramatic build up can be a powerful way to convey your science case, it's often better to reveal the novelty of your science right off the bat... and then dig deep into the details. In other words, put the point you want to make at the beginning of the paragraph rather than "burying" it under a mountain of context. 

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Confidence

As scientists, we don't always think about self-confidence as a prerequisite for success. However, building up your self-confidence is not only important for your mental health, it's also important for an application. For many of us, it feels unnatural to brag or boast about our accomplishments. However, if you don't channel that self-confidence, you are more likely to undersell yourself in an application... If you haven't convinced yourself that you're an awesome applicant, it's much harder to convince others. If this is something you're struggling with, it is very unlikely that you will come off as arrogant in your application, so you should go all out. Even if it feels silly, spend some time focusing on affirmations and thinking about how much you have accomplished. Your belief in your own ability to succeed will shine through. You can also share your application with some of your biggest fans, who may have an easier time picking out areas where you have undersold yourself or missed an opportunity to include other strengths. 

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Story

Telling a coherent story is the key to a successful application. Each activity, accomplishment, training program, or research project you share should somehow tie into an overarching theme of who you are as a scientist. For example, if you did a data science bootcamp, then your application will be stronger if you explicitly talk about utilizing data science skills in your research proposal. If you are an event planner for SPS, you can talk about what you learned from that experience and how it will help you in your broader impacts endeavors.  

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Recommendation Letters

Recommendation letters are generally an afterthought in the application process, but they are an incredibly valuable piece of your application package. If you can, you should choose letter writers who know you on an interpersonal level over several years and have the ability to share specific stories or examples to reinforce your strengths. A generic letter about grades or experience doesn't add much value or new information about your potential for success, so think carefully about who would add another piece to your story and bolster key points you've made. While you may have several options of writers who know you well, not everyone is a good letter writer. If you're stuck deciding between two people, always choose the one who you believe will do a better job of expressing their thoughts. Remember that it is also okay (and often times a good idea) to share talking points with your letter writer, along with a list of your accomplishments and/or your CV. This not only demonstrates your organization, it also makes their lives easier and helps to insure that every topic you want them to discuss will be represented.

 

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As a parting note, we want to encourage every GRFP applicant to manage their expectations. 

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Expectations

The GRFP is a very selective award, it is also reviewed by a panel of folks who are not necessarily experts in your field and who may come in with their own biases. By nature, this means that countless people who deserve to be recognized for their hard work do not receive the award... and that is okay! Your worth as a human being and as a scientist is not defined by the awards you win. It is defined by the joy you experience from doing science and the ability you have to share that joy with the world, in your own way. So give the GRFP a shot, and if you don't win it then you still have an awesome proposal that will help give you direction moving forward and may serve as the groundwork for future proposals. 

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