Fall officially begins tonight, but the new school year is already in full swing. For many first and second year grad students (and some prospective grad students), that means it’s time to prepare National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) applications. It can be a stressful experience, but never fear: I am here to help with my unsolicited advice!

Each year, the NSF awards ~2,000 competitive fellowships to grad students in a variety of STEM disciplines. In addition to providing a prestigious resumé (or, as we prefer in academia, CV) boost, these fellowships pay our tuitions and a $32,000/year stipend for three years.

I applied for an NSF GRF back in 2011, as I was preparing my grad school applications. I was lucky enough to receive an award that year – and I do mean lucky; grant reviewing is quite subjective, and my award came down to my ability to please…