Workflow Workshop: Fellowship Applications - Dr. Toryn Schafer
Resources
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Alex Lang Webpage: Statements from Previously Funded Applications
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Advice from Previous Winners:
Presentations
Summary
Why Apply?
If you’re an Undergraduate or 3+2 student:
Getting this fellowship will significantly increase your chances of getting into a doctoral program.
If you are preparing your applications for doctoral programs, you can reuse your statement of purpose for this application (not much additional paperwork needed).
You can apply as many times as you want before enrolling in a graduate program, as long as you haven’t accepted an award yet.
If you do not receive the fellowship before enrolling in the doctoral program, you can reapply your third semester of the program.
If you’re a current PhD student:
You’ll receive a much more generous funding than the university stipend (combined $53,000 each year for three years over a five-year period).
Even if you do not receive the fellowship, you may receive honorable mention, which is an excellent addition to your CV/resume.
Deadline
October 30th, 2025 (letters of recommendation due ~ 2 weeks later)
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/grfp-nsf-graduate-research-fellowship-program
Eligibility: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/information/faq-graduate-research-fellowship-program-grfp/nsf23-154#question-2
Application Package
3-page personal statement
2-page research statement
Transcript (unofficial is fine)
3-5 letters of recommendation
Review Criteria: NSF evaluates on Intellectual Merit (advancing knowledge) and Broader Impacts (societal benefits). Make these easy for reviewers to find in both of your statements.
Tips for Writing
Health or epidemiology related research plans are ineligible. Apply with Statistics focused research plans.
For every claim you make, provide tangible evidence that supports it. For example, instead of simply stating “I am an excellent R coder,” make sure to describe how working on a project trained your coding skills (class projects are okay).
Balance novelty with feasibility. The statements should convey that your research plans are feasible, supported by resources such as computation resources (Arseven cluster) or your project advisor, etc….
Timeline
Applications due: late October
Fellowship offers: March - April
Fellowship year begins: early September
Jose’s Tips
look at a lot of statements from previously funded applications to get an idea what the reviewers are looking for (alex Lang repo for all previously accepted applications).
If you need help with coming up ideas for research project, ask your recommenders for advice.
Have your recommenders or faculties review your statements (Dr. Schafer is happy to review your material).
Dr. Vidakovic (brani@stat.tamu.edu) will be a good person to talk to, because he was a program director for Math and Physical Sciences at the NSF.
Whenever they release the solicitation make sure to read it because they will have all the standards for the applications.
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