U of I

So Hirata

Marvin T. Schmidt Professor
Department of Chemistry

Noyes Laboratory 355F
600 S. Mathews Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801-3364

Tel: (217) 244-0629
Fax: (217) 244-3186
Email: sohirata@illinois.edu

Workshop: Preparing Graduate Fellowships
Fall 2017
Syllabus

Room: Noyes Laboratory 165
Period: September 5, T 5:30 – 6:50 PM

Instructor: So Hirata
Email: sohirata@illinois.edu
Phone: 217-244-0629
Office: CLSL A520
Office hours: email only

Required text: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) solicitation

Audience: Incoming first-year and rising second-year graduate students enrolled in the graduate program of the Department of Chemistry. Some senior undergraduate students with research experience and high GPA can also enroll with the instructor’s consent.

Objectives: The course aims at assisting first- and second-year graduate students in their effort to obtain external grants, awards, and fellowships. Using NSF GRFP as a template, the course provides the students with general information and guidance on all aspects of preparing grant/award/fellowship applications. Each student is required to prepare a complete and competitive application package in the style of NSF GRFP. Submission of the package to NSF is encouraged but not required.

Date

Topic

Sep 5

Class (5:30-6:50 PM, Noyes 165): course overview (objective, students' tasks, schedule, etc.); panel of current NSF fellows.

Sep 8

Graduate College NSF GRFP workshop (2:00-4:00 PM, Illini Union, Rm 314): attendance strongly recommended.

Sep 12

Outline due: find and read the current NSF proposal solicitation; read successful past applications; identify research topics and conceive personal statement ideas; contact and obtain commitments from 3 letter writers; familiarize with the NSF FastLane system; write and submit (electronically as email attachments) an outline listing the research topics, personal statement ideas, and name of your UIUC faculty mentor/letter writer.

Sep 19

First draft due: write the first draft and submit electronically to the instructor.

Sep 22

Peer review due: read the draft of other students and submit anonymous reviews electronically to the instructor.

Sep 26

Second draft due: revise/rewrite the draft and submit electronically to the instructor and letter writers.

Oct 3

Third draft due: revise/rewrite the draft and submit electronically to the instructor and letter writers.

Oct 10

Fourth draft due: revise/rewrite the draft and submit electronically to the instructor and letter writers.

Oct 23-27

NSF GRFP application deadlines.

Nov 2

NSF GRFP recommendation letters deadline.