Applying for an NSF
Graduate Research
Fellowships
Tips from a Reviewer’s Perspective
Doug Levey
Dept. Biology
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3 days in DC
30-40 people per
panel
“calibration”
exercise first
15-20 minutes
per proposal
Random
assignment of
proposals
Reviews written
& scores given
immediately
3 Levels of
applicants,
judged separately
The Review Process
Exciting, Intense, Empowering …. Exhausting, Boring, Irritating
Advice
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Make the proposal about YOU (not just your
science)
Be personal …. speak from the heart
 Weave together
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why you are who you are
 who you want to become
 how you plan to get there
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Where does this go in the application?
Broader Impacts
Previous Research
What is the #1 weakness of most
applicants?
Broader Impacts
Community service
Outreach
Public talks
Volunteer work (science or engineering
based)
Mentoring
Overcoming hurdles (disabilities, gender,
socioeconomic, family history, ethnicity)
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See NSF website for examples Invest a lot of thought in this
Get examples of others’ Broader Impacts statements
How to craft a Broader Impact
statement that rings true
A common and effective formula:
1. This is what I believe (with respect to
Broader Impacts)
2. This is why I believe it
3. I have a track record
4. I want to do more, and this is how…
Make everything Perfect and
(painfully) obviously organized
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Remember reviewers’ task (to write
something accurate about Scientific Merit
and Broader Impacts)
Use different fonts to identify sections and
emphasize important points
Use graphs, tables, photos: “Visually
Stunning”
Assume the reviewer does not know your
field.
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State what’s innovative
State Hypotheses or Goals -- a must
Methods explained; connected to Hypotheses
Follow Directions
Personal Statement
(Marvin Morales)
Growing up in Guatemala, I have been deeply influenced by
the wonders of tropical forests and their astonishing
diversity of animals and plants. I accompanied my father, a
subsistence farmer and carpenter, on his expeditions into
the jungle to extract timber for his own use. He was
thoughtful not to harvest more than what we needed and to
minimize use of rare species. I experienced first-hand that
the forest was a valuable resource -- our well-being directly
depended on it -- and I learned the importance of
balancing use and conservation of natural resources.
Because my father was also a naturalist (by necessity), he
encouraged me to discover and explore the rainforest’s
immense biodiversity. In retrospect, I gained a deep
curiosity for tropical ecology that fueled a passion to
contribute to the science of nature.
Personal Statement
(Marvin Morales)
At age 15, I had to decide on a professional career. In Petén,
the region where I grew up, we only had two options: school
teacher and accountant. A third option, however, suddenly
became available: tourism training. Although I was excited
about this new option, my father was definitely not. From his
perspective, tourism training was unproven and too expensive.
This was a serious roadblock because in that culture, career
choices are heavily based on one’s parents’ financial assets and
their belief in education, which largely depends on their own
education. My parents had practically no money, and neither
had completed middle school. I was persistent, explaining to
my father that in a country with growing tourism, learning a
second language would open many doors. … My mother grew
more accepting for my career “choice” and helped convince my
father to allow me to pursue a non-traditional path. I proudly
graduated with a technical degree in tourism in 1998
In short, I encountered and overcame many challenges commonly
faced by Hispanic Americans in the U.S. educational system. I
clearly recognize the importance of educating disadvantaged youth
about science and conservation. I’ve seen personally that the
socioeconomic circumstances of many youth give them the
impression that science is beyond their grasp – that other people
become scientists. The lack of role models perpetuates that
perception. Based on my personal experiences, I am
determined to make a difference and confident in my ability
to do so through outreach and education. As a role model, I
have exposed children to science in Guatemala, and have taught K12 students about natural history in the U.S. I will never forget the
students’ excitement about doing science and having fun. I will
continue with those activities because I have witnessed how they
empower youth from diverse backgrounds, thereby enriching
science. This is an essential part of who I am and it will be
part of the scientist I become.