Congrats to Our NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Winners!
By Karen Rucker, 2017 Brooke Owens Fellow
The Brooke Owens Fellowship is proud to announce that 3 of our Brookies were National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP) awardees or honorable mentions in 2020! This National Science Foundation award is incredibly competitive, only awarded to ~2,000 students pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees in the natural, social, and engineering sciences at US institutions. We asked our winners Emma, Esther, and Morgan about their research, future goals, and any advice they had for future NSF GRFP applicants and grad students.
Emma Louden
What’s your research?
I am grateful to have my research proposal recognized with an honorable mention in the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. My proposal was to continue my senior thesis research about misalignment in planetary systems. The dramatic increase in the number of known exoplanetary systems over the past three decades has led to the realization that the architecture of the solar system is only one of many possibilities. For example, the Sun’s equator is well aligned with the orbits of the planets, but observations of exoplanetary systems revealed large misalignments between the stellar rotation axis and the planetary orbital axes. Understanding the frequency of this misalignment, the distribution of alignments, and the characteristics of systems in which misalignment is most likely to occur will increase understanding of the relative occurrences of different types of systems. Modeling planetary formation and evolution situates the solar system in context and is fundamental to understanding our place in the universe.
What are your goals for the future?
My goal is to continue doing research about planets outside our solar system in order to learn more about our own planetary home and share that understanding to increase appreciation for life here on Earth. My next step toward this goal will be pursuing a Ph.D. in astronomy at Yale University starting Fall 2020.
Any advice for fellow grad students/GRFP applicants?
I would advise anyone interested in applying for the NSF GRFP to use the process as a chance to establish professional goals and grow your network. Talking to past Fellows and reaching out for advice and mentorship during the application process was tremendously helpful and regardless of the results, the process can aid personal and professional growth.
Esther Putman
What's your research?
My current research investigates whether the application of galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) in training scenarios can improve vestibular performance. We are exploring if the use of GVS may be implemented to enhance small motion perception and overall performance in functional mobility and manual control tasks for pilots and astronauts. GVS may have benefits for individuals on Earth as well, improving balance and performance, for example, in elderly individuals who otherwise may be at a higher risk for falls.
What are your goals for the future?
Besides wanting to be an astronaut, I hope to utilize my research in Bioastronautics at CU Boulder to support human spaceflight for long-duration exploration missions, working to combine the fields of engineering and medicine to create comprehensive solutions for the unique environment of space. I am also passionate about translating the research and work we do in the space industry to benefit life on Earth and look forward to continuing this research during my graduate studies.
Any advice for fellow grad students/GRFP applicants?
Apply! I had many moments where I wasn't sure if I was a strong enough applicant or if submitting an application would be worthwhile. That fear can be tough to overcome, but definitely apply! This is important beyond the GRFP- the only guaranteed no is an opportunity you don't apply to.
Morgan Irons
What’s your research?
For my Ph.D., my proposed dissertation focuses on microbial- and organo-mineral stabilization mechanisms in soil aggregates and their contribution to the persistence and long-term sequestration of soil organic matter and carbon. The title of my research proposal for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program was: “Microbial Holdfast: A Stabilization Mechanism for Soil Organic Matter?” I applied in the Geosciences category with a Biogeochemistry focus. In my research proposal, I hypothesize that the presence of microbial organic adhesives, such as holdfasts, foster mineral-mineral, organo-mineral, and organo-organic interactions to increase aggregation and aids in soil organic matter and carbon persistence. The microorganism on which I will focus my research is Caulobacter crescentus. The high-level objectives of my research are to (1) determine the physiochemical properties, molecular and atomic properties, and structure of the Caulobacter holdfast and to (2) link the holdfast’s occurrence and abundance with organic carbon dynamics to quantify soil organic matter persistence. The methods I will use to accomplish my objectives are a bit complex, so I will not list them all. I will say that one method I will use is a “lab-on-a-chip” culture methodology I developed to perform high-resolution imaging and chemical analysis on transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with EELS, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) with force spectroscopy. Much of the research I am performing and will perform involve experiments on Earth, but I will also be performing two experiments in space in support of my dissertation work.
The thesis project that will occur in space is titled “Soils in Microgravity: Differentiating gravitropism mechanisms and microbial mechanisms in Earth soil aggregate formation and stability.” The purpose of the project is to accomplish fundamental science in the study of soil aggregation mechanisms other than that of gravity by taking soil microbiome experiments off Earth. I will study the degree to which gravity might be directing fungal mycelial movement and the production of organic adhesives by bacteria in Earth soils, ultimately affecting the organo-mineral chemistry involved in soil aggregate formation and stability. To perform the study, a Blue Origin approved soil microbiome experiment on a New Shepard rocket and a planned International Space Station experiment will occur, accompanied by ground control experiments. The Blue Origin experiment is possible through receiving the 2019 Ken Souza Memorial Spaceflight Award from the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research and Blue Origin.
What are your goals for the future?
Address current gaps in knowledge in the spatial and chemical complexity of soil aggregate and soil organic matter (SOM) and carbon stabilization mechanisms
Investigate if gravitropism drives the physiochemical properties and mechanism processes of fungal hyphae and mycelium and bacterial holdfast in Earth soils
Determine if the presence of bacterial holdfast fosters mineral-mineral, organo-mineral, and organo-organic interactions in soil aggregates and aids in SOM persistence
Perform research that will lead to the development of practices to restore vulnerable soils in which SOM and carbon sequestration are limited (on Earth and in space)
Address the current questions posed by the NASA Astrobiology Roadmap: How have microorganism populations in soil co-evolved under the influence of Earth gravity? Is gravity a planetary control for ecological dynamics and metabolic functioning of microorganisms in different soil environments? What does this tell us about potential microbial diversity on Earth-like planets elsewhere?
Continue to participate in science communication initiatives through classroom visits and Skype calls, speaking at conferences, mentoring students, and publishing research papers
Contribute to the research and development of habitation systems for extreme environments on Earth and in space
Continue to grow my company, Deep Space Ecology Inc., to help solve the challenges of food security and the problems of human sustainable in the deep spaces of Earth, the Moon, Mars, and beyond
The ultimate goal I have set for myself is to help in the development of sustainable, resilient agricultural systems that are food secure and allow for people and communities to thrive and live healthy lives no matter where they are on Earth or in our universe.
Any advice for fellow grad students/GRFP applicants?
I recorded the advice I was given as well as the lessons I learned while applying to the NSF GRFP. Here are the key pieces of advice I would give to undergraduate seniors and graduate students who are in the process of applying:
Read the ENTIRE solicitation EARLY (a couple of months to a year in advance) and create a to-do list with every item for which the solicitation asks. Set due dates for each of those to-do items. The earlier you start, the less stressed you are, and the more revisions you can make.
You will go through countless drafts! I had 12 drafts of my personal statement and 11 for my research statement. I saved each version under a different number, so I could go back if I preferred an older version, etc.
The solicitation will also have KEY words that you should emphasize in your personal and research statements.
Follow the 20-80 Rule: 20% of your total time should be spent on the first draft; the other 80% on revision. Cranking out the first draft can be the most difficult step to get past and can thus, by the most time consuming and wasteful. The first draft is not your final, so get it done as soon as possible, no matter how messy! The time you spend revising after that first draft and allowing people to review your draft(s) is what will make your submission more likely to succeed.
Outreach experience and goals for continuing/increasing outreach are VERY important to NSF! Outreach holds a lot of weight, so emphasis it! Both can go under Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts, but mostly Broader Impacts (READ the solicitation to understand Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts requirements!)
In Broader Impacts, be specific in your (potential) impacts; how your research translates into applications; how you will use resources at the university and local resources, etc.
Understand how receiving the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship would help you and put it in at least one of your statements: funding, allowing you to focus on your research; the ability to use NSF’s other programs like GROW (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504876), which is open just to people who receive the Graduate Research Fellowship, etc.
Read successful proposals (honorable mentions and awardees of the fellowship) to see how people approached their personal and research statements.
See if your school/graduate school office has copies of successful proposals that you can read and review
Have your advisors read it. Have past awardees review it. Have lab mates read it. Have family and friends read it. To make this possible, you need to start EARLY. People need to have enough time to review it.
Personal Statement: All the successful personal statements I have read tell the reader about the student’s personal, academic, research journey. I have been told countless times that the personal statement is as important if not more important than the research statement. This is physically shown by the personal statement being 3-pages, while the research statement is only 2-pages. This fellowship puts a lot of focus on the person.
The story is told sequentially, in the order it happened. DO NOT jump around in your timeline. The reviewer/reader wants to understand you. They want to understand your path and how you built upon your past experiences and knowledge to achieve new things.
The first and last paragraphs should connect with each other. The first paragraph may be a story from your childhood, your young adult years, or some other personal experience that helped set you up to start your journey. The last paragraph, to finish strong, should connect back to the first paragraph, that first story. It helps bring your personal statement and journey full circle, which reviewers appreciate.
Your closing paragraph is as important, if not more important than any other part of your personal statement. A reviewer can tell (usually) by the last paragraph whether the personal statement was rushed or well thought out. Have a well thought out closer (again, connecting it back to your beginning for a full circle effect).
DO NOT repeat your CV/resume. The reviewers can see your resume if they want to. Your personal statement is there to tell the reader who you are as a person, a student, a researcher. Make it personal. Do not list. Tell your story.
Stories about rewarding experiences
Skills to support research plan (e.g., You were a work-study student in this lab where you helped do this. Learning ___ allowed you to perform your own research.)
Turning points? (personal, research, academic)
Why pursue a graduate degree?
Broader impacts/lessons learned, outreach
Show your commitment
Strong record in research
A consistent track record for leadership & outreach
Plans for ongoing/future plans, career goals
Research statement: The research statement should provide a general overview of your 3-year research plan while revealing to them that you are knowledgeable about the subject.
It is important to realize that you do not need to know your research plan in all its glorious detail for this proposal. What you write in the proposal is not set in stone if you receive the fellowship. Things change. More knowledge is gained. Circumstances can lead to one path closing and another one opening. So, please do not feel like whatever you write down for your research statement has to be what you will do for the next 3-years. However, it must be in the same field you apply into.
One way I found helpful for writing my research statement was working from my objectives and hypotheses backward. I started with my novel hypotheses for my proposed research. I then detailed out my two main research objectives. Under each objective, I then wrote out a few research aims (or broad steps to take towards meeting the objective). Finally, under each research aim, I put down the general methodology that would allow me to meet that research aim.
Since the research statement is 2-pages (which includes sections on Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts), you DO NOT need to be highly detailed in your research plan. It just needs to be enough to show that you know what you are talking about and have a general idea of how you will approach your research. However, be specific in your overall objectives and aims; propose a new mechanism and/or explain how your research is different (e.g. answers a gap in knowledge, different approach to the question)
Every word, in your personal statement and research statement, should be meaningful. If a word or sentence does not add meaning to your sentence or statement, it is just fluff. Be concise. Be strong in your writing. Do not have fluff or sentences that do not add to what you are saying. Every word is important.
Do not use descriptive words like “exciting” or “groundbreaking.” Show the reviewer through your writing and storytelling. You should not have to use those words. You want the reviewer to read your story and your research and say, “Wow, that is groundbreaking.” Let the reviewer come to that conclusion.
Plan to apply the day before or a few days before the due date for your field. This will allow you to avoid any potential technical problems and system overloads due to everyone trying to enter the server at once.