Application Support
Additional Application Support
Email your C.V., personal statement, and/or research proposal to madige@rpi.edu for feedback and suggestions on constructing powerful, clear, and effective documents. Please email documents at least a week before the deadline to allow for revisions. Consulatations via Webex are also encouraged.
Find more writing resources, attend a workshop, or schedule a consultation on any communication project at the Center for Global Communication+Design.
HELPFUL ONLINE RESOURCES
Applying to the NSF Graduate Research Program Guide for 2020 application cycle
Resumes and Cover Letters for PhD Students Guide provided by Harvard University Office of Career Services
Alex Lang's NSF GRFP website. Contains application tips and numerous examples of successful applications.
Mallory Ladd has an extensive bank of NSF GRFP statements with feedback identified by discipline (scroll down)
GRFP Essay Insights from the University of Missouri.
VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSIONS FROM FUNDERS
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Opportunities
NSF GRFP Outreach Calendar of Information Events
SMART Scholarships webinars and events
NIH information videos (Youtube channel)
Fulbright Information Sessions
National Institute of Justice Research Assistantship Program
External Resources for Writing
Writing in the Sciences Stanford University
- This free, self-paced online course covers everything from sentence-level issues like wordiness and verb choice to formatting a manuscript and communicating science to a non-technical audience. It is highly recommended by graduate students and faculty alike.
Greene, Anne E. Writing Science in Plain English. 2013. Chicago: University of Chicago Press
- A short, practical guide full of examples on topics like active vs. passive voice, transitions, and organizing information within sentences and paragraphs.
Schimel, Joshua. Writing Science: How to Write Papers that Get Cited and Proposals that Get Funded. 2012. New York: Oxford University Press
- Taking a story-based approach, this book proves science writing doesn't have to be dry—and gives you the tools to craft your own research narrative.
Essay Bank
The Office of Graduate Education maintains a library of successful proposals written by Rensselaer students. We have winning applications for the NSF GRFP, NDSEG, SMART, Fulbright, AAUW, and more. These documents are available to view in person only. Email graduate@rpi.edu to set up a time. This is temporarily unavailable in light of Covid-19 precautions. See links to examples of statements.
