How to Win a Graduate Fellowship by Michael Kiparsky

The odds may seem against you, but this is a worthwhile exercise. A month before submitting my NSF proposal, I was deeply distressed. Everyone else applying seemed so much more in control, confident, and focused. I came pretty close to chucking the whole thing. I’m glad I didn’t.

The reason I stuck with it was that I shifted my attitude from an all-or-nothing, win-or-lose mentality. I relaxed, accepted that my chances were slim (everybody’s are!), and approached the process as an opportunity to explore an idea that I actually wanted to pursue, without attachment to the notion of a big payoff.

The article provides some good advice. You must commit the time to do a good job, the competition is steep. At the same time the payoff is large and the process is a learning experience. He lists many fellowships, another one is the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship.

Also the Naval Research Enterprise Intern Program (NREIP), provides an opportunity for students to participate in research at a Department of Navy (DoN) laboratory during the summer. And Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP) provides competitive research internships to approximately 250 high school students each year.

Note while I work for ASEE this blog is my own and is not associated with ASEE. ASEE administers, and I work on, several of these fellowships including the: National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, SMART, NDSEG, SEAP and NREIP.

Previous posts on fellowships and scholarships include: Graduate Scholar Awards in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (a proposed addition to the current federal fellowships), Google Announces 2006 Anita Borg Scholarship Winners, Science and Engineering Fellowships Legislation.

6 Responses to “How to Win a Graduate Fellowship”

1. Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » Blog Archive » NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Says:
   August 9th, 2006 at 12:50 pm

   [...] Advice is available online for applying for the fellowship: How to Win a Graduate Fellowship, Advice for Applicants to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the University of Missouri provides a guide for completing an NSF FRF application. You may use the coordinating officials directory to find a resource at your school to provide advice and assistance. You can search for those who won fellowships previously. [...]

2. Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » Science and Engineering Internships for Summer 2007 Says:
   October 20th, 2006 at 2:23 pm

   SEAP provides competitive research internships to approximately 250 high school students each year. Participating students spend eight weeks during the summer doing research at Department of Navy laboratories…

3. Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » SMART Fellowships Says:
   November 23rd, 2006 at 8:51 pm

   The Science, Mathematics, And Research for Transformation Defense Scholarship for Service Program (SMART)…

4. CuriousCat: National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Says:
   November 24th, 2006 at 4:16 pm

   The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG)…

5. CuriousCat: NSF Graduate Research Fellow Profiles Says:
   August 17th, 2007 at 3:08 pm

   profiles of past NSF Graduate Research Fellows. We started with probably the most famous and certainly the richest: Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin…

6. CuriousCat: Science and Engineering Fellowship Applications Open Now Says:
   October 11th, 2007 at 7:49 am

   “Some of the science and engineering fellowship applications that are currently open: National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program…”

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