Application Advice

I have extensive experience helping peers with scholarship and fellowship applications. Here I've compiled my personal advice, my own successful applications of various things, and helpful links.

These are all to be used for inspiration and guidance only.
You are welcome to distribute advice pages with proper attribution.
Do not distribute application materials without authorization.
Honor system here people.

Grad School Application Advice

Here I have compiled my advice and takeaways from my graduate school application and decision making process, as well as my successful application materials (ones that resulted in offers).

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

GRFP offers three years of funding for you graduate program including tuition and fees, health insurence, and a stipend. It is through the NSF and it open to US citizens. From Fall 2020 - Fall 2021, I worked as a graduate consultant for the University of Arizona GRFP Application Development Program. As an undergrad at the University of Texas, I worked as a consultant at the University Writing Center for three semesters, helping folks improve their writing on all kinds of writing pieces, of which maybe 50% were applications for scholarships or programs. I've developed a toolbox of common advice and feedback throughout all these consultations.

Post Doc Application Job Cycle

My materials and collected resources for a post doc job application cycle. My friend Taylor Hutchison created a detailed and thorough application guide that I used extensively. I've also provided my application tracker (based on Taylor's) if someone wants to copy it. I also provided some of my submitted applications. I had a hard time finding examples for what some of the weirder things looked like in the NSF apps, for example, so I provided them here. Please know that these apps did not result in an offer! Only the University of Michigan ELT fellowship resulted in an offer.

NSF GRFP INTERN Program

If you are a GRFP Fellow or funded through your advisor's NSF grant, there is supplemental funding for you to do an internship of up to 6 months at a non-academic institution. I did an internship at NASA Ames from April - Sep 2023. A housing stiped, travel, etc are all included. You are even eligible if you are not on tenure, in which case they also provide the normal tenure stipend for those months (I was not on tenure when I did it). Make sure you give a lot of lead time though, the bureaucracy is slow. It took me ~2 years from initially considering it to getting it approved.
(This program was formerly known as GRIP)

NSF REU and Award Application

Above writing advice is applicable to these applications as well.

Stuff I've made!

Doing Good Academia

My "Doing Good Academia" Blog Post Series

Advice from Others

Poster design and colors:
Color palettes:
Talks:
Plots

Grad School Resources

My "Grad School Stuff" Blog Post Series

Job Cycle Resources

Library Management Resources

Funding Resources

Writing Resources

Coding and Websites Resources

Let me know if you have a link of valuable resources, I'm eager to collect more! Send me an email!

Header Image: Carina Nebula from JWST/NIRCam, source: NASA