Blog
- The “Fellowship Applications” blog posts are mainly about the NSF GRFP and NIH Kirschstein (F-series).
- “Persuasive Writing” posts contain both general advice for writing improvement and advice specific to proposal development.
- Posts in the “LA School meets the Wisconsin Idea” are commentary on the current state of the US economy, inspired by my dissertation research.
I answer questions on Quora and post to the NORDP, SciTS, and IWCA listservs. Subscribe to the blog to get notices of new posts.
Didn’t win last year? Resume hasn’t changed much? You can still win this year.
If you applied to NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program before [...]
Should I apply this year for the NSF Fellowship?
You can apply for an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship once [...]
How to make your proposal stand out
There are many ways to stand out because many proposals [...]
Using plural pronouns for singular subjects
Someone recently asked this question on Quora: " I have [...]
The Most Important Component of Your GRFP Application
The GRFP fellowship application requires three letters of recommendation, two essays, and university transcripts. So which of these is the most important? Trick question. There is no “most important component.” Applications are reviewed holistically. This means that the reviewers are supposed to look at the entire application as a whole. Based on that holistic impression, they’ll decide whether you qualify or not.
How to Write a Great Title for Your Project
START BY TELLING THEM WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET, [...]