Crash Course in Proposal Writing
Informational Session:
National Science Foundation Graduate
Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP)
Workshop
Mary P. Watson
Adapted from slides by Martha R.C. Bhattacharya, PhD
Washington University in St. Louis
Goals for This Workshop
•  Knowledge of funding opportunities for
graduate students
•  Awareness of NSF fellowship opportunities
and deadlines
•  Basics of writing a research proposal
•  Understanding of review process for NSF
fellowships
•  BIG GOAL: Increase fellowship awards to UD
students
Funding Opportuni-es •  At UD (http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/financial/index.html)
–  University Graduate Fellowship
–  University Dissertation Fellow
–  Professional Development Award (travel grant for conferences)
•  National
–  NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP)
–  National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (DoD,
http://ndseg.asee.org)
–  DOE Graduate Fellowships (http://scgf.orau.gov)
–  Ford Foundation (http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/
FordFellowships/index.htm)
Top 10 Reasons to Apply for NSF GRFP
10. Prestige for UD (or your grad institution)
9. $12,000/year to UD for research support
8.Very attractive to potential mentors
7. Opportunity to think deeply about your PhD
research
6. Independence
5. Prestige for you (these are highly competitive
awards)
4. Easier to get other fellowships later
3. Looks awesome on your CV
2. Guaranteed RA for 3 years (no TA’ing)
1. $34,000 (!!!!) annual stipend for 3 years
NSF’s Goals for the GRFP
•  “to select, recognize, and financially support
individuals early in their careers with
demonstrated potential to be high achieving
scientists and engineers”
•  “to broaden participation in science and
engineering of underrepresented groups, including
women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and
veterans”
GRFP supports individuals proposing a comprehensive holistic plan for graduate
education that takes into account individual interests and competencies. A
holistic plan describes the experiences, attributes, and academic achievements
and, when considered in combination, shows how the applicant has
demonstrated potential for significant research achievements in STEM or in
STEM education. Thus, an applicant must provide a detailed profile of her or his
relevant educational and research experiences and plans for graduate education
in such a way as to demonstrate this potential for significant achievements.
Eligibility Requirements
•  US citizen, US national, or permanent
resident alien
•  In a research-focused Master's or Ph.D.
program in an NSF-supported field
•  Have completed no more than 12
months of full-time graduate study (or
the equivalent) by Aug 1, 2013
•  Seniors, First- and Second-Year Grad
Students
What is Required to Apply?
•  Graduate Research Plan Statement (2 pages)
•  Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals
Statement (3 pages)
•  3 Recommendation Letters
•  Undergraduate (and graduate) Transcript
•  Applications submitted via FastLane
•  Format for essays: 8.5” x 11” page size, 12-point
Times New Roman font, 1” margins on all sides,
single-spaced or greater. References, footnotes,
figure captions may be smaller font (10-point Times
New Roman).
Graduate Research Plan Statement
“Present an original research topic that you would like to pursue in graduate school. Describe the research idea, your general approach, as well as any unique resources that may be needed for accomplishing the research goal (i.e., access to na-onal facili-es or collec-ons, collabora-ons, overseas work, etc.) You may choose to include important literature cita-ons. Address the poten5al of the research to advance knowledge and understanding within science as well as the poten5al for broader impacts on society.” Topics for your Proposal
•  The point here is to show you can think!
•  First Years:
–  Pick something you are comfortable with, or have
already done some reading on
–  Great if it will form a foundation for your future
grad research
–  Can also be work stemming from your
undergraduate or other research experiences
•  Second years: your thesis research
A General Format for Fellowship Research
Proposals
Title
Overview & Objectives/Specific Aims (usually 3
objectives)
Background and Significance/Broader Impacts (this can
be 2 sections)
Preliminary Results (if appropriate)
Research Approach
- discuss each aim, and the experiments you will do
(and what you will learn)
Conclusion and Restate Significance
Overview and Objectives Section
•  Most important part! (If they don’t like this,
they won’t read the rest.)
•  Capture the enthusiasm of the reviewer, and
convince them to be on your side.
•  Things to watch out for:
–  -dependent (domino) aims: if one fails, the others
will too
–  -technically challenging, or not likely to work
(some screens)
–  -lack of specifics: spell out what you want to do!
Background and Significance
•  Clear description of what is known and not known.
–  What is the state-of-the-art in the field?
–  Critically evaluate the literature, but be positive about what others
have done (they may be your reviewers!)
•  What is the gap in knowledge that your research will fill?
–  Why is filling that gap important?
•  Why is your research important? Why are your hypotheses and methods
important?
–  Do not assume that it will will be obvious to your reviewers why your work is
important.
–  What is the potential impact of your research? (What’s the pay-off?)
•  Citations are important.
•  Gives evidence of your competence in this scientific field.
Should I add figures/data?
Images can often convey much more information
than text. Use them to your advantage!
Reviewers should not have to read your
proposal. They should know what you want to
do just by looking at the pictures!
Research Approach
•  Follows order of specific aims
•  Detail methods/approach
•  Clear rationale for interpreting results:
–  -if I get result X, I would conclude Y, follow up with Z.
–  -if I get result –X, I would conclude –Y. This could be
because A, B, or C. I could rule out possibilities by
doing … instead.
–  -include caveats: shows your ability to think! What will
you do if your first idea doesn’t work?
Writing Style (from Karen Dodson)
Common Errors in Grant
Writing:
1.  “Squid Technique”: The
author is doubtful about
facts or reasoning and
retreats behind a cloud of
ink.
2.  Mystery story: keep
reviewer guessing about
your central hypothesis
until the last paragraph.
How to Apply the Basics of Good Writing to
Your Proposal
•  Begin with clear statement of hypothesis and its
significance.
•  Write in a simple journalistic way: short
sentences in logical sequence.
•  Make sure message is crystal clear.
•  Your reviewer has a limited amount of time: help
them get the message early.
•  Bold/underline major points!
•  Make it easy to look at and easy to read.
Evaluation Criteria for NSF Fellowships
Intellectual Merit: potential to advance knowledge
Broader Impacts: potential to benefit society and
contribute to achievement of specific, desired societal
outcomes. Can be from research itself or through
outreach activities.
Evaluation Criteria for NSF Fellowships
Questions reviewers consider for both criteria:
1.  What is the poten-al for the proposed ac-vity to: a)  Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and b)  Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)? 2.  To what extent do the proposed ac-vi-es suggest and explore crea-ve, original, or poten-ally transforma-ve concepts ? 3.  Is the plan for carrying out the proposed ac-vi-es well-­‐reasoned, well-­‐organized, and based on a sound ra-onale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success? 4.  How well qualified is the individual, team, or organiza-on to conduct the proposed ac-vi-es? 5.  Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home organiza-on or through collabora-ons) to carry out the proposed ac-vi-es? Suggestions from a REAL NSF reviewer! (Dr.
Leonard Green, Psychology, Wash U)
•  Broader impact criteria matter a LOT!
–  outreach, diversity, presentations of your science to
others
•  2 main reviewers – give two scores based on
intellectual merit and broader impacts
–  Can go to a 3rd person if 2 reviews differ
•  Ranked by score. Top 50% of available slots are
filled by score alone.
•  Bottom 50% are filled by consideration of other
criteria (gender/geography/etc.)
REAL evaluations
National Science Foundation
Graduate Research Fellowships
Must be focused on a BASIC science question.
Your research proposal will be declared
INELIGIBLE if it has disease-related goals.
Example: you work on a mouse model of cancer
Good Topic: Mechanistic questions about cell
division control
Bad: Cancer metastases and effects on
physiology
Personal, Relevant Background and
Future Goals Statement
“NSF Fellows are expected to become globally engaged knowledge experts and leaders who can contribute significantly to research, educa-on, and innova-ons in science and engineering. The purpose of this statement is to demonstrate your poten5al to sa-sfy this requirement.”
Personal, Relevant Background and
Future Goals Statement
Important ques.ons to ask yourself before wri.ng the statement: •  Why are you fascinated by your research area? •  What examples of leadership skills and unique characteris-cs do you bring to your chosen field? •  What personal and individual strengths do you have that make you a qualified applicant? •  How will receiving the fellowship contribute to your career goals? •  What are all of your applicable experiences? •  For each experience, what were the key ques-ons, methodology, findings, and conclusions? •  Did you work in a team and/or independently? •  How did you assist in the analysis of results? •  How did your ac-vi-es address the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria? (from nsfgrfp.org website)
Personal, Relevant Background and
Future Goals Statement
•  What excites you about science, or a
career in science
•  **What you are doing/plan to do to give
back to the community (after getting $$
from the government)**
•  Emphasize communication of science with
others (other scientists or general public)
–  Poster sessions, tutoring, volunteer work
Personal Statements
•  Same principles of good writing apply
here: topic sentences, concise, to the
point.
•  Use your own personal statements and
research summaries for graduate school
applications as a starting place for this.
Research Experiences
•  Put most significant experience first, or
current lab work (if G2)
•  Talk about your results and conclusions, any
publications you have been or will be a part of,
broader impact of your work
•  Comments about each should be roughly
proportional to their significance on your CV
Letters of Reference Guidelines
“Applicants can improve their chances of obtaining
strong reference letters by doing the following:
•  choose people that can speak to your abilities and
potential
•  Provide referees sufficient time
•  Discuss the application and share your essays with
them
•  Inform them that reference letters should reflect
both your “intellectual merit” and “broader impacts”
•  if necessary, remind referees about deadline.”
Things to do NOW if you will apply for NSF
•  Request Transcripts from your Undergraduate
institution (G2s – get one from UD)
•  Ask for letters of recommendation
•  Register for a FastLane account
•  Start working on your proposal idea
Resources for You
•  Chemistry & Biochemistry Department
–  Your research group & mentor
–  Your potential research mentor
–  Step 1: Schedule a meeting to discuss your research
idea. Bring a draft of your 3 Specific Aims (and
Abstract).
•  Your Peers (read & critique each others’
proposals)
NSF Websites & Deadlines
•  For Information:
–  www.nsf.gov/grfp
–  www.nsfgrfp.org (very imformative and not so
government-y)
•  Apply at FastLane:
–  www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/
•  Deadlines:
–  Your complete application: Oct 30, 2015 by 8pm EST
(Chemistry)
–  Your recommendation letters: Nov 5, 2015 by 8pm
EST