strategies for successful graduate fellowship submissions · strategies for successful graduate...
TRANSCRIPT
StrategiesforSuccessfulGraduateFellowshipSubmissions
DebraHaringandCindyGaryAssistantDeans,GrantsandContracts
Arts,Sciences&EngineeringSeptember30,2016
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INTRODUCTION
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1.0
INTRODUCTION–FELLOWSHIPS
• Grantsmanshipistheartofgainingpeer-reviewedfunding.• Ourobjective:tohelpyouoptimizeyourchancesofsuccesswhencompetingforfellowships.
• ThisISacompetition.Thebiggestreasonforfailureisthatthereissimplynotenoughfundingforallapplicants.
• Successorfailuredependsonthequalityoftheproposalandcomprehensivenessoftheapplication.
• Goodgrantsmanshipwon’tmakeamediocreproposalfundable.• Butgoodgrantsmanshipcanturnaverygoodproposalintoafundableproposal.
• Itmaytakeseveralsubmissionstobecomefunded.• Bepersistent;takecritiquesinthespiritinwhichtheyareextended,andbepersistent.
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1.1
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SEARCHINGFORFUNDINGOPPORTUNITIES• URFellowships&Awards-http://www.rochester.edu/fellowships/
• UROtherFunding-http://www.rochester.edu/fellowships/other.html
• SPIN-https://spin.infoedglobal.com/Home/Search
• FoundationDirectory-https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/search/member-index
• Grants.gov–http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html
• WebsitesofSponsors(i.e.,ACLS,NIH,DOE,CASVA,NSF)
• Foundation&Corporatewebsites(i.e.,Simons,Kauffman,Microsoft,etc.)
• Allfederalagencies(andsomeorganizations)havee-alertsystems–register!
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1.3
PROGRAMANNOUNCEMENTS/GUIDELINES• Apublic“call”orasolicitation(announcementwithguidelines).• Federal:ProgramAnnouncements(PA),RequestsforProposals(RFP),
FundingOpportunityAnnouncement(FOA),orfortheDept.ofDefenseandDept.ofEnergy,BroadAgencyAnnouncements(BAA).
• Checkforthemostcurrentprogramannouncement.Often,oldannouncementsarearchived,mayappearinonlinesearches.
• Guidelinesarethebestsourceofinformationabouttheapplication’sexpectationsandthereviewcriterion.
• Readthembeforeyoustarttheapplication,readthemagaininprocessandreadthemagainasyoupreparetosubmit;keepacopyandrefertothemoften.
• Someprogramsalsoofferwebinars,and/orhavespecialwebsiteswithawealthofinformationaboutprograms.Ø Example:NSFGraduateResearchFellowshipProgram(GRFP)https://www.nsfgrfp.org/
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1.4
BEFOREYOUSTARTTOWRITES OM E T H I N G S WO R T H D O I N G
• Understandthefundingagency/sponsoranditspriorities
• Duediligence-cindoutwhat/who/howmuchtheagencyfunds.
• Reviewthelistofrecipientsfor“like”grantees.Thiswillgivecontextaboutthefunder.
• Sponsorsfundgranteestoadvancetheirmissions,notthegrantee’sobjectives.Yourresearchidea/cieldneedsto"cit"wellwiththemissionofthefunder.Yourintellectualobjectivesshouldbealignedwiththoseofthesponsor.
• Doubtsorquestions?Contactagencypersonnel.Theywanttohelp,butdoyourhomework8irstbycheckingFAQs,thewebsite,andaskingonlytargetedquestions.Don’taskquestionscoveredintheGuidelinesandonlineinstructions.
• Seekoutadvisorswhohaveservedon,orhavereceivedgrantsfromtheagencyintherecentpast.Theymayhave“insider"informationandtips.
• Thisisn’tanexactscience:Ø Foundations,inparticular,maychangepriorities.Ø Federalfundingrespondstoagencystrategicplanningandinresponseto
U.S.governmentnationalprioritiesandagencyallocations.
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2.0
BEFOREYOUSTARTTOWRITE
B EG I N TO C L A R I F Y YOUR I D E A S
• Doyouhaveaclear,concise(andtestable,ifapplicable)hypothesisoridea?• Haveyourobjectivesandaimscomeintofocus?
“Needingfunding”isnotanacceptableobjective.• Whatquestion(s)willbeaddressed?• Canyoudecineanddesignspecicicexperiments/scholarlyprocessesthatwilltestyour
hypothesisorexpanduponanimportantidea?• Canyoudecinemeasurableandrealisticoutcomesoftheproject?
• Canyouidentifyandarticulatemethodsmostlikelytoachievethoseoutcomes?• Canyouthinkofwaystoassessormeasureoutcomes/success?• Canyouestablishyourcredibilityandcapacityforresearch?
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2.1
BEFOREYOUSTARTTOWRITE
• Findexamples.Reviewsuccessfulfellowshipproposalsofpeers-usetheirorganization,butofcoursenottheircontent,asamodel/template.
• Identifyappropriatefacultyand/oradvisorstohelpyou.Identifyotherpeople
“onyourteam”whowillcriticallyreadyourproposal:peers,graduatecoordinator,assistantdeansandresearchspecialist,CollegeWritingCentertutors,and/ormentors.
• Discussideasandsubmissionwithyourresearchadvisor;advisorsarebest
resourceforresearchproposalandmayidentifygapsinlogic.Youwillneedyouradvisor’ssupporttogoforward.
• Talktoyourgraduatedirector,departmentchair,administratorand/or
graduatecoordinatorofyourintentionandtheduedate.Remindagainatcriticalstagesifyouneeddirectinputfromthem.
• WRITE!Writingisawayofthinking.Itisawayofdeveloping,clarifyingandtestingideasaswellasexpressingthem.
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T H I N G S WO R T H D I S C U S S I N G W I T H O T H E R S
2.2
THEAPPLICATION• ReadthegeneralinstructionsCAREFULLYandfollowthem
EXACTLY.Don’timprovise!!
• Successfulapplicationsmuststandoutfromthecompetition;thesadrealityisthatreviewersreceivemanymoreapplicationsthancanberecommendedforfunding.
• Fellowshipapplicationsshouldbe"apleasuretoread;”Contentshouldbepolished,organizedandattractive.
• Useappropriatetypesize,font,spacingandmargins.Ifundisclosed,assumeconventionalfont,i.e.,TimesNewRoman,12-point,singlespacewith1inchmargins.
• Neverexceedthemaximumnumberofpagesorspace/charactersallowed.
• Ifextramaterials(attachmentsand/orappendices)aren’tallowed,don’tsubmit;submitadditionalinformationafterthedeadlineonlywhenexplicitlyallowed.
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3.0C OMMON S E N S E T I P S
Thequickestwaytogetaproposalreturnedwithoutreviewis
noncomplianceandincompleteapplications;secondonlytonot
meetingthedeadline.
THEAPPLICATIONUND E R S T A N D I N G T H E R E V I EW P R O C E S S
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3.1
COMPONENTSOFAGOODPROPOSAL
Thinkofyourproposalasanargumentforwhyreviewersshouldrecommendyourprojectforfunding.Well-formulatedproposalshavesomeorallofthefollowingcomponents:
1. Anopeningthatdrawsattention.Ananecdote,apowerfulstatistic,acompellingquestion,orastatementofimpact/signicicance.
2. Aconcisestatementthatexplainsyourproject.ThereviewershouldknowexactlywhatyourresearchisaboutwithintheAirstfewlinesoftheproposal.
3. Areviewofwhatisalreadyknownaboutyourtopic.Makeacaseforwhyyourresearchisnecessary;requiresshowingyourknowledgeofthecield,priorliterature.
4. Anexplanationofhowcurrentliteratureleadstoyourresearchquestions.Acitedargumentthattheresearchwilladdtoknowledge.Makeacaseforhowtheliteratureleadstoyourresearchquestions.
5. Adescriptionofhowyouplantoansweryourquestions.Nowthatyouhavesetupyourtopic,explainexactlywhatyourmethodologywillbeandwhyitisthebestapproachforthisproject.
6. Atimelineforcompletion.Asuccessfulgrantproposaliscompelling,creative,andfeasible.Youmustshowthatyouhavethoughtthroughthewholeprojectandthatyouhaveareasonabletimelineforcompletion.
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UND E R S T A N D I N G T H E R E V I EW P R O C E S S
3.2
THEAPPLICATION
Fellowshipsarejudgedontheapplicants’proposal,academicrecord,GREs,recordofproductivity,andlettersofsupport.However,youcanfacilitateabetterreviewbyunderstandingthereviewprocess.
• Yourobjectiveistomakethereviewersenthusiasticadvocatesofyourproposal.
• Rememberthatreviewersaredoingthisaboveandbeyondtheirdailyresponsibilities.Theytypicallyreviewmanysimilarapplicationsinanygivenprogram.
• Assumethereviewerisinasomewhatrelatedcield,ratherthanforanexpertdirectlyinyourarea;aimtheapplicationatboththespecialistandthegeneralist.
• Reviewersmayreviewunderlessthanidealconditions(evenings,weekends,holidays,atmeetings,withscreamingkidsinthehouse,orevenonthewaytoreviewcommitteemeetings).Theymaybegrumpyordistracted.Surprise:theymaywaituntilthelastminutetoreviewyourapplication!
• Reviewersmayworkinbitsandpiecesand/orskim.Organizeyourapplicationinaccessible,digestiblesections,usingformattingsothatitcanbereadefciciently.
• Organizewithappropriateheadingsandsub-headings,whitespace,cigurecaptions,tablecaptions,usingsimpleandobviousnumericalclassicications.
• Makeiteasytoenjoyreadingyourapplication;usegoodwritingpractices,i.e.,thesisstatement,topicsentences,supportingparagraphs,conclusion,etc.
Knowyouraudience.Don’tmakereviewersdoextraworktounderstandyourproposal
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3.3UND E R S T A N D I N G T H E R E V I EW P R O C E S S
THEAPPLICATION
• Avoidabbreviations,acronymsandjargonthatanon-expertwon’tunderstand.Ifyou
useabbreviations,fullydecinethemthecirsttime-i.e.,UniversityofRochester(UR).
• Don’trelyonlyonyourcomputerspelling/grammarchecker.Useadictionaryandathesaurus;proofreadandpolish.
• Editingtip:Proofreadinseveralformats-changethefontdrastically,changethescreensize…anythingtomakeyourselfapproachtheproposalafresh.
• Spelling,formatting,andgrammaticalerrorsraisea“redclag”andperhapsmoreimportantly,annoyreviewers.
o Mechanicalerrorsdistractfromtheproposedideasandreclectpoorlyontheapplicant.
o Presentationspeakstothecredibilityoftheproposer-iftheproposalispreparedcarefully-byimplication-theresearchwillbecarefullyconducted.
o Usedirectshortsentences.Long,convoluted,complexsentencescanlosethereaderalongtheway.
o Researchhasdemonstratedthattheaveragereaderlosesthethreadofanargumentafter~15words.Neverusealong,compoundsentencewhentwoshortersentenceswilldo!
o Printoutahardcopyatleastonce.Flawssuddenlybecomeapparentonpaper.
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3.4E N G L I S H U S A G E – P R OO F R E A D I N G T I P S
THEAPPLICATION
• Ensurethatafairlycinaldraftisreviewedatleastbyyouradvisor.• Otherswhocanhelp:
o Additionalfacultyinyourdirectresearchareacancheckrelevance,accuracy,ambiguities,andthequalityofproposal.
o Ageneralistcancheckforclarity,languageclow.
o Someonewhoisagoodeditor/writer;choosesomeonewhocanbe(kindly)criticalandhonest.
o Yourletterwriters–shareyourproposalwiththem
o IfEnglishisnotyournativelanguage,alwaysengageanativeEnglishspeaker’shelp.
Giveinternalreviewersenoughtimetodoathoroughjob.
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3.5I N T E R N A L R E V I EW I S E S S E N T I A L
STARTEARLYWellbeforethedeadline:• RequesttranscriptsandGREscoreswellinadvance.• Enlisthelpfromdepartmentaladministrativestaff,graduatecoordinator,peers,others(parents)for
proofreading.• Obtainsupporters’agreementtowritelettersofsupportearly;thesearecriticaltofellowship
submissions.• Providesupporterswithadraftofyourproposalandyourrésumé.• Startwriting!Writeafewhourseveryday,notinonelongmarathon.Beforethedeadline:• Bepreparedtosubmitaheadoftime!
Ø Onthedayofdeadlineinvariably:o Thecopymachineisoccupiedbyothersorisbrokendown.o Yourlaptophasavirus,yourharddrivecrashed,you’velostallyourdata.o Youradvisorisaway;everyoneinthedepartmenthasleftfortheday.o Theonlineportalisbusyormalfunctioning.Yougettheidea…….
• Ifpapercopy,sendoutbyFedExorexpressmail/courierandtrackthepackage.• Ifonlineindependentsubmission,makesuretosubmit
atleast2daysinadvanceofthedeadline.Thedayofthedeadline:It’sover.Relax.Getsomesleep!!J
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4.0
ORGANIZINGTHEPROPOSAL
1) TitleorCoverpage/Onlineinfo2) Abstract/ProjectSummary
Ø ForNSF-Overview,IntellectualMeritandBroaderImpact3) HypothesisandObjectives4) SpecicicAims(especiallyforNIH)5) BackgroundandSignicicanceSection6) PreliminaryData/Studies7) ResearchDesign&Methods;forNIH,ResearchStrategy(mayinclude
assessment)8) LiteratureCited/Bibliography9) AppendedDocuments/Sections(mayberequired)o Personalessayo Essayoncareerplanso CVorrésuméo Lettersofsupportfromfacultyo Budgetandbudgetjusticicationo FacilitiesandOtherResources(i.e.,accesstolab,libraries,specialized
equipment,sharedresourcesandfacilities).
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5.0S E C T I O N S F O R M AN Y F E L L OW S H I P A P P L I C A T I O N S
THEPROPOSAL-GENERAL
• Tailoryourproposaltothemostimportantinformation,basedonthespecicicspaceconstraintsofeachsponsor.
• Demonstratefocused,original,innovative,andfeasibleresearch.
• Forscienticicproposals,proposealternativestrategies,incasetheoriginalexperimentsormethodsfail.
• Usediagrams,graphics,tablesandcigures:“Apictureisworthathousandwords”.However,bemindfulthatthatcopiesmayprintinblackandwhite.
• Keepreviewersengagedwithyourexcitementandpassionforthetopic.
Writeandrewrite:workandpolishtheproposal. Even
withinputfromothers,alwayskeepyourownauthenticvoice.
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THEPROPOSAL-GENERAL• Don’toverstateorimplythatastudywillbecarriedout"becauseithasnever
beendone"or"therearenodataon…"
• Beconcident,butnotarrogant-remember,youarestillastudent/trainee.Reviewerswillappreciatetheappropriatetone.
• Ontheclipside,don’tbetootentative.YouareamemberoftheURresearchcommunity,whichhasbeendeemedeminentlyfund-worthybythefederal&stategovernment,industryandprivatedonors.
• Passive,tentativelanguageweakensproposals.Projectthatyouhaveeveryintentionofachievingyouraims.Reviewersdislikesentencessuchas“Ihopetoattempttoseekthedevelopmentof….”
• Stateexplicitlyhowtheproposalrelatestothemission,objectivesandprioritiesofthesponsor.
• Referenceyourwriting.Useintellectualintegrityinallyourwriting.
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6.1
THEPROPOSAL
Helpfultousefollowingexampleheadingsandexpand,insequence:• HypothesisandLong-TermObjectives• SpecicicAims• BackgroundandSignicicance:CurrentStateofKnowledge(Literaturereview)• PreliminaryStudies(studentsmaynothavepreliminarydata)• ResearchDesignandMethodsorifNIH,ResearchStrategy• Timetable-graphictimeline,ifpossible• StrengthsandWeaknesses-berealistic,butnotself-defeating.Thissection
demonstratesthatyouarepreparedforeventualities.Reviewersdon’texpectyoutohavealltheanswers.
• Conclusion-wrapitup,ifpossible.Oftenthereisnot enoughspaceforageneralconclusion.
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6.2S P E C I F I C C OM PON E N T S F O R S T EM A N D S O C I A L S C I E N C E S
THEPROPOSAL
• Thebodyoftheproposalcantaketheformofadescriptivenarrativeoranswerstospecicicquestionsoraspecicicneed.
• Thesponsor’sstatedhumanisticpriorities,inadditiontoapplicationinstructions,canguidetheorganizationofyourproposal.
• Beginbyoutlininginformationguidedbycivequestions,basictomostresearchproposals:1) Whatisityouwanttolearn?2) Howareyougoingtolearnthis?3) Whyisitworthdoing-whyisitimportant?4) Timelineanddesiredoutcome-completeddissertation,archivalresearch,
additionalchapterscinalized?5) Howwillreceiptofthefellowshipadvanceyourresearch?Howareyouuniquely
qualiciedtoconductthestudy?• Outlinethewholeproposal,thenreviewtoseethateverythingrequiredisincluded,with
minimalredundancy,andthattheorganizationisaseffectiveaspossible.• Endonahighnote-concludewiththeinspirationalstatement,signicicancetoyourcield.
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6.3S P E C I F I C I N S T R U C T I O N S F O R H UMAN I T I E S
TITLEPAGE&PROJECTTITLE
• Fillintitlepage/coverpagecompletelyandaccuratelyandensurethatanysignaturesareobtained,ifneeded.
• Thetitleofyourprojectisimportant.
o Itsetsthecirstimpression.
o Oftenused,alongwiththeAbstract/ProjectSummary,toroutetheapplicationtotheappropriatereviewcommittee(s).
o Yourtitleshouldbedescriptive,specicicandappropriate,andshouldreclecttheimportanceoftheproposal.
o Acatchytitleandacleveropeningwillpotentiallygetyoutheattentionyouneedtostandoutamongothersvyingforthesamefunding.
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7.0
ABSTRACT/SUMMARYOFPROPOSAL
Theabstractisaconcisedescriptionoftheproposal,evenwhenitisseparatedfromtheapplication.SometimescalledProjectSummaryorExecutiveSummary.Itshouldstandonitsown.Notallfellowshipapplicationsrequireanabstract,butiftheydo…….Thismaybethemostimportantsectioninyourapplication.
• Itisthecirstsectionreadandsetsthecirstimpression.• Workonitaftermostoftheproposalhasbeenwrittenandcine-tuned.• ORwriteitcirstanduseitasanoutlineforyourproposal,tweakingattheend.• Itmustbeunderstoodbybothexpertsinyourcieldandbygeneralists.• Forscienticicabstractsusethird-personlanguage.• Theprimaryreviewer(s)readtheentireapplication,butothersmayread
onlytheabstract;itmaybetheonlysectionreadbyallthemembersofthereviewcommitteewhorecommendfunding(ornot).
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8.0
HYPOTHESIS,VISION&LONG-TERMOBJECTIVES
• Atestablehypothesis-drivenproposalismostpersuasiveforscienticicproposalsusinganempiricalapproach.
• ForHumanitiesproposalsthiswillbetheidea/vision/statementofneed,i.e.,“theimportantinsightortheenduringquestion”thatexaminessomethingaboutthehumancondition.
• Beginwiththestatedhypothesisoridea,andlinkittoyourlong-termobjectives.
• Whatdoyouintendtoaccomplish?• Whatisthesignicicanceandrelevanceoftheresearch?
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SPECIFICAIMS• SpecicicAimsaredifferentfromthehypothesis/ideaandserveadifferent
purpose.• Thesearethespecicicsteps,experiments,cield–work,archivalwork,
comparativestudiesandreadingsthatwillbeundertakeninordertoful8illthelong-termobjectives.
• Presenttheminalogicalandsequentialorder;refertothemthroughoutthe
proposallinkingwritingbacktoSpecicicAims.• Indicateprioritiesandfeasibility.
• BereasonableaboutwhatcanaccomplishedwithintheperiodoffundingØ Example:Manyfellowshipsareavailableforoneyearonly-whatcanberealistically
accomplishedinoneyear?• Forlongerprojectsthathavenumerousincrementalsteps,deviseaplanfor
benchmarksoranassessmentofresultsalongtheway.
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BACKGROUND&SIGNIFICANCE
• Thissectionshouldanswerthreequestions:
1)Whatisalreadyknown?
2)Whatiscurrentlynotknown?
3)Whyisitimportanttogainunderstanding/knowledge?
• Brieclyoutlinethehighlightsinthebackgroundsection.Criticallyevaluaterelevantliterature:don’tjustpresentacompendiumorlist.
• Discussanycontroversy,disagreement,and/ordiscrepanciesinthepublishedresults.
• Identifyspecicicgapsandcontradictionsthatwillbeclariciedbyyourstudy.Carrythisintotherationaleforyourproposal.
• Emphasizetheimportanceandrelevancewhichconnectsyourhypothesesandlong-termobjectivestotheliteraturereview.
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11.0C U R R E N T S T A T E O F K N OW L E D G E
PRELIMINARYDATAANDEXPERTISE
• Describerelevantpreliminarydata.• Beginningstudentsmaynothavetheirowndata-stateifyouarebuildinguponyouradvisor’s/group’sresearch.Theextentofthissectionwilldependuponwhereyouareinyourgraduatecareerand/ortheagency’srequirements.
• Reviewothers’preliminarystudies,resultsandscholarship.Thiswillhelpestablishyourexperience,competenceandcredibility.
• Persuadereviewersofyourrelevanttraining,andthatyouhavesubstantivedataorareworkingwithanexpertwhodoes.Ø Summarizeanyrelevantpreviouswork,highlightinguniquequalicicationsandskills.Explainhowtheseskillsareutilizedinyourproposedstudy.
Ø Listanypublicationsandposterpresentations(ifpermitted).Ifpreviouslyfundedbytheagency,statethatelegantly.
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RESEARCHDESIGN&METHODSResearchDesign&MethodssectionoutlineshowyouplantofulAilltheSpeciAicAims.
• Presentthissectioninalogicalandsequentialorder.• DescribetherelationshipofeachSpecicicAimtoeachotherandtotheoverall
objectives.ThenoutlinethedesignandmethodstoaccomplisheachAim,andexplainwhythisapproachwaschosen.
• Reference,butdonotdescribeindetail,well-knownorstandardprocedures.• Describeproceduresthatareneworunlikelytobeknowntoreviewers.• Fornewmethods,explainwhytheyare“better”thanexistingmethods(more
cost-effective,fewersteps,lessadverseenvironmentalimpact,utilizenewtechnology,etc).
• Discusscontrolexperiments,ifrelevant.• Explainprocessesfordatacollection,analysisandinterpretation.• Acknowledgepotentialdifcicultieswithmethodology-suggestalternative
procedurestoachievetheaims.• Statepossibleweaknessesand/orambiguitiesandyourresponse(i.e.,
preemptreviewercriticisms).
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RESEARCHSTRATEGY-NIHOrganizetheResearchStrategyinthespeciciedorder
andusingtheNIHinstructions:
SigniWicance• Importanceoftheproblemorcriticalbarrierto
progress.• Howtheproposedprojectwillimproveknowledge/
technology.• Howcieldwillbechangediftheproposedaimsare
achieved. Innovation
• Howproposalchallengesandseekstoshiftcurrentresearch.
• Noveltheoreticalconcepts,approachesormethodologies,instrumentationorintervention(s).
Approach• Overallstrategy,methodology,andanalysestobeused
toaccomplishthespecicicaims.• Potentialproblems,alternativestrategies,benchmarks.• Anystrategytoestablishfeasibility;strategiestodeal
withhazardousmaterials.
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13.1
BUDGETMostagenciesstateanallowablebudgetforfellowships,independentofthescientiWicmeritoftheapplication.ThisinformationcanbefoundonthewebsiteandGuidelines.
• Fellowshipsaretypicallylimitedtoafewcategoriesofexpense:
ü Stipendü Tuition(costofeducationorinstitutionalallowance)ü Travelü Suppliesü Institutionalpaymentforrelatedfees
• Thebudgetusuallystandsalone;aseparatesectionfromtherestoftheapplication.• Althoughrareforgraduatefellowships,abudgetjusticicationissometimesrequired.
Yourbudgetiscinancialdescriptionofyourproject;thejusticicationispersuasive,explanatorydetailastohowyouarrivedatthiscalculation.
• Writethebudgetjusticicationinthesameorderasthelineitemsorintheorderthesponsorlistslineitemsforthebudget.Usethird-personlanguage.
Ø Example:$1,000toattendtheAmericanEconomicSocietyannualmeetinginChicago,ILisrequestedtopresentaposter.Thesecostsareestimatedasfollows:airfare$500(estimatesbaseduponInternetsiteExpedia);conferenceregistration$200,andsubsistence$300(basedupon$75perdayforfourdays).
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14.0
BUDGET• MethodofPayment:Doesthepaymentcometotheinstitutionorwillthe
awardcomedirectlytotheawardee?
• TaxImplications:AllstipendsmustbereportedtotheIRSfortheamountofstipendpaid.UndercurrentlawsandregulationsthefellowisresponsibleforsubmittingestimatesofincometotheIRSandpayingtheamountdue.ThefellowmayhaveasimilarliabilityforStateand/orlocaltaxes.URadministrationandfundingagenciesareprohibitedfromgivingtaxadvice.
• Manynationalgraduatefellowshipsprovideaninstitutionalallowance(calledcostofattendanceand/orinstitutionalpayment).Typicallyprovidedtosupportpartialpaymentoftuitionandfees.Ø Examples:theNSFGraduateResearchFellowship,theFordFoundationPre-doctoralFellowship,
TheACLS/MellonDissertationCompletionFellowship,theNationalDefenseScience&Engineering(NDSEG)fellowship,theHowardHughesMedicalInstitutePre-doctoralFellowship
• Indirectcosts(overhead,F&Arate)arerarelyallowedforfellowships.
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14.1
CURRICULUMVITAE-RÉSUMÉ
Mostapplicationsaskforsomekindofbiographicalinformation.• FollowtheGuidelinesandprepareaccordingly.• Ofteninformationisentereddirectlyintheonlineapplicationandnoseparate
résumé/CVisallowed.• Ifallowed-makeitbrief(1-2pages,ifunspecicied).• Useheadingsanddescribesequentially:educationalpreparation;research
experience;honorsandawards;publicationsandtalks,ifany;communityexperience,especiallyleadershiproles;additionalskills(language,specializedcomputerprograms,relatedworkexperience).
• Lessismore–organizeinformationtobeeasilyaccessibletoreviewersandanyadministratorswhohandletheapplicationataglance.
• Donotincludeanypersonalinformation(DOB,SS#,maritalstatus,personalwebpage,citizenshipstatus).Ø Iftheagencyneedspersonalinformation,suchascitizenship,they’llrequestit.
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15.0
LETTERSOFREFERENCE
• Recommendationlettersand/orinstitutionallettersofendorsementorcommitmentaregenerallyacriticalpartofthefellowshipapplication.
• Inadditiontointellectualmerit,fellowshipsareoftenreviewedonthebasisoftheapplicants’potentialorpromiseforscholarship.(Incontrasttofacultyproposalswhicharealsoreviewedforrecordofproductivityasevidencedbypublications,fundedgrants,priorresults).
• Recommendationlettersmayhavespecicicformat,submissionandpagelimitations.Providecompleteinstructionstofacultysupportersandallowthemenoughtimetoprovideathoughtfulandsubstantiveletter.
• Makeiteasyforrecommenderstodoagoodjob!Ø SendsupportersdraftsofyourmaterialØ RemindthemofthedeadlineandsubmissionprocessesØ Providename/emailofyourgraduaterep.ordepartmentsecretary
ifconcidentialityiswarrantedorrequestedbytheagency/sponsor
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INSTITUTIONALOVERSIGHT
ORPA–theOfWiceforResearchandProjectAdministrationatURprovidesinstitutionaloversightoverallsponsoredresearch.www.rochester.edu/orpa
• ORPA–providesmanyservicestoresearchersforpre-award(proposal)developmentandsubmission.
• IfaproposalrequiresinstitutionalcontactsoranauthorizedsigningofcicialanORPArepresentativemustbelisted.
• ORPAistheonlyofcicethatcansubmitaproposalfortheinstitution.Readtheprograminstructions–mostfellowshipsarenotsubmittedviatheinstitution,howevermostgrantsare.
• ORPAmayneedtoprovidealetterattestinghowfellowshipfundswillbeappliedand/orthatnooverheadischarged.
• ORPAmayverywellnotplayaroleinyoursubmission,butinformingyourdepartmentofyourintentionwillprecludeanyconfusionaboutwhetherORPAshouldbeinvolved.
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17.0
POSTSUBMISSION&AWARDCONSIDERATIONSü InformyourGraduateStudiesOfciceifyouhavereceivedafellowship.
Wetrackthisinformation.• ShouldyoureceiveachecktoURforeducationalfees,contactthe
GraduateStudiesOfcice.Staffcanassistwithdepositandset-upofasponsoredresearchaccountforresearchrelatedexpenses.
• Ifthesponsorrequiresprogressorcinalreports,makesurethesearepreparedandsubmittedtimely.
• Evenifnoreportsarerequired,sendaformalnoteofthankstotheprogrammanager.
• Follow-upwiththesponsorasyouachievebenchmarksinyourcareer.Sponsorswanttoknowthattheirinvestmenthasimpact.Ø Example:MellonFoundationfundedyourdissertationcompletion.Onceyouhavepublishedyourthesis,sendacopywithanotethankingthemfortheirsupport.
• Ifyouaresuccessful,youhavejoinedanelitegroupofscholarswhohavebeenfunded;thecontactsyoumakeviathisprocessmaybeusefulnetworkingcontactslater.
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COMMONPITFALLS• Poor(sloppy)presentationand/ornotenoughfocusfortheproposedproject.
• Incompleteapplication;noncompliancewithinstructions;formattingandmaterialsnotinaccordancewithGuidelines.
• Thestudent/investigatorrunsoutoftimetodoathoroughjoband/orenlistotherswhocanbecrucialtothesuccessoftheproposal.
• Forfoundationalfundingespecially,theresearchideaisnotcompelling;notinnovative,notground-breakingornotalignedwithmissionofthesponsor.
• Proposalisunrealisticallyambitious.Therearenoclearlydecinedprioritieswithnosenseofwhatcanbeaccomplishedduringthetermofthefellowship.
• Theliteraturepriorstudiesreviewislacking.Ø Noevidencethattheproposerisfamiliarwithpriorwork/knowledgeinthecield.
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THEGOODNEWS….
• Youareagraduatestudentatamajorresearchuniversity• YourURpeershavebeensuccessfulinsubmissionandreceiptoffellowships.• Thereareinstitutional,onlineresourcestohelpyoucindappropriatefunding.• TherearepeopleatURwhocanhelpyounavigatethisprocess.• Youradvisor,departmentanduniversityareallinvestedinnurturingyour
successandprofessionaldevelopment.• Youwilllearnagreatdeal-mostwritingcanbere-purposed.• Fellowshipreceiptisarésumé/careerbuildingendeavor.• Experiencewillhelpineachsubsequentapplication.Goodgrantsmanshipisthecombinationofagreatideacoupledwithclearandpersuasivewriting,meticulousattentiontodetail,andduediligencetosponsorguidelines.
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PANELISTSIskanderZulkarnain–VisualandCulturalStudiesCLIRFellow,previousMellon/ACLSDissertaFonCompleFonFellowshipLisaVandenbossche–EnglishMcNeilCenterforEarlyAmericanStudiesDissertaFonFellowshipandLibraryCompanyofPhiladelphiaFellowshipsRubenYepezMunoz–VisualandCulturalStudiesMellon/ACLSDissertaFonCompleFonFellowshipJenniferSuor–ClinicalandSocialSciencesinPsychologyNIHNaFonalResearchServiceAward(NRSA)CollinScllman–PhysicsandAstronomyDOENNSAStewardshipScienceGraduateFellowshipChristopherFarrar–BiomedicalEngineeringNIHNaFonalResearchServiceAward(NRSA)
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