Dear Students,
This fall, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) will host again a series of events designed to offer ongoing and individualized support to students who wish to apply for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP).
There are two components to our offerings: presentations designed to introduce the NSF GRFP and the application-writing process, and a series of individual meetings with an NSF writing consultant. Please see below for more information, as well as a list of eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the NSF GRFP, you must:
- be a US citizen, US national, or permanent resident
- intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in a research-based graduate degree program in an eligible field of study
- have never previously accepted a GRFP award
- if previously offered a GRFP award, have declined by the deadline
- have never previously applied to the GRFP while enrolled in a graduate degree program
- have never earned a doctoral degree
- have never earned a master’s, professional, or bachelor’s-master’s degree in any field, unless returning to graduate study after an interruption of at least two years
- not be an NSF employee
- meet all other eligibility requirements as set forth in the current program solicitation
NOTE: Graduate students are limited to only one application to the GRFP, submitted in either the first year or the second year of graduate school.
Presentations
NSF Graduate Fellowship Presentation
Friday, September 14, 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Schapiro Center (CESPR), Room 750
This presentation will provide information about preparing a competitive NSF fellowship application. Professors Helen H. Lu and Ruben Gonzalez, who have served as NSF fellowship reviewers, will offer tips, and a panel of NSF fellows will share their experiences and advice.
Writing a Winning NSF GRFP Application
Monday, September 17, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Schapiro Center (CESPR), Room 750
In this workshop, students will conduct a close-reading of essays from successful past NSF applications and consider strategies for writing their own NSF application essays. We will discuss structure, voice, and content.
If you plan to attend either or both of these sessions, please RSVP here.
NSF Writing Consultations
You also will have the opportunity to receive individualized support from an NSF writing consultant through a series of three meetings. These consultations are open to GSAS and SEAS students who are submitting the NSF GRFP application in late October.
In order to participate in these consultations, you must submit drafts of your application essays to gsas-nsf@columbia.edu by Saturday, September 22 at 8:00 p.m.
Once you have submitted your draft, you will be paired with an NSF writing consultant and given appointments for a series of meetings. The consultant will read and comment on both essays before the first meeting, and will review subsequent drafts in the second and third meetings.
Please note that NSF application deadlines are in late October, with deadlines varying by discipline; see the 2018 GRFP Deadlines for more information. You may contact us at gsas-finaid@columbia.edu with any questions.
Sincerely,
Tom Tarduogno
Director of Financial Aid
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
