NSF GRFP Mini-course - Fall 2023
This fall, there will be an 8-session mini-course focused on helping students develop their applications to the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP, https://www.nsfgrfp.org/).
NSF GRF applications are due in mid-October and the mini-course will meet for 8 weekly sessions ahead of the due date. In these sessions, Dr. Diana Pilson will introduce the GRFP and focus primarily on the Personal and Research Statements which are a critical component the application. Students will write, receive feedback from each other, from other faculty and from Dr. Pilson, and revise several drafts of these statements. Student feedback from last fall's seminars was very positive.
The course will meet Wednesdays at 4:30-6:00 pm. Undergraduates will enroll in CASC 191 (0cr). Enrollment is by permission, so students should contact Dr. Diana Pilson (dpilson1@unl.edu) or Dr. Jim Lewis (jlewis@unl.edu). Student should expect to have brief conversations with Dr. Pilson or Dr. Lewis to be sure they understand the commitment, suggest some thinking and statement outlining they might begin over the summer, and provide permission codes.
Eligibility
· Students must be committed to submitting an application for the NSF GRF in the fall; applications are due mid-October.
· Current juniors (who will be seniors in AY 23-24) who will apply to graduate school in fall 2023 for matriculation in fall 2024.
· Students must be enrolled (or plan to enroll) in fall 2024 in a research-based Masters or PhD. Program in one of the fields supported by NSF (broadly speaking – the basic sciences and some social sciences, i.e. not agriculture or medicine)
The NSF GRF is one of the most prestigious national fellowships available to graduate students. Not surprisingly, the program is quite competitive, only offering Fellowships to 15-20% of applicants. Competitive applicants typically have participated in significant research and broader impacts activities (relative to their career stage and opportunities available to them). Successful applicants receive three years of fellowship support (currently $37,000/year) paid over 5 years, as well as other benefits.
Questions? Please contact DDr. Diana Pilson (dpilson1@unl.edu) or Dr. Jim Lewis (jlewis@unl.edu).