Frequently Asked Questions

Transcript Questions

1. What transcripts are required?
2. How do I submit my transcripts?
3. Can I send a hard-copy transcript for the 2012 GRFP application?
4. My school does not offer official electronic transcripts. How can I submit my transcript?
5. How can I check if my electronic transcript file is legible?
6. Can I re-use transcripts from last year's application?

Supplemental Application Material Questions

1. Can I submit my GRE scores for the GRFP application?
2. Am I allowed to submit material that is not included in the online application, such as videos, presentations, papers, etc., for reviewers’ consideration?
   

Announcement Questions

1. When will I be notified of the decision?
2. Will I be able to view my rating Sheets?
3. Is there any way to receive advance notification of the results of my application?

Transcript Questions

1. What transcripts are required?

Academic transcripts are required for all institutions listed in the Education and Work Experience section of your application.

2. How do I submit my transcripts?

For the 2012 application, applicants will submit their transcripts electronically via the FastLane GRFP application. You will upload an electronic transcript file, similar to the essay files. After you enter each school in the education and work experience section of the application, you will have the option to upload a transcript for that school.

3. Can I send a hard-copy transcript for the 2012 GRFP application?

All transcripts for the 2012 GRFP must be submitted electronically. We regret that we cannot accept any hard-copy transcripts that are sent to the GRF Operations Center or NSF.

4. How can I check if my electronic transcript file is legible?

Once you upload a transcript, you will have the option to view the uploaded file. This view/preview feature will help you determine the legibility of your file.

5. Do I need to send transcripts from international institutions?

Transcripts from international institutions are required by the FastLane application module. It is acceptable to submit a scan of an official or unofficial copy of an international transcript.

6. Can I re-use transcripts from last year's application?

Supporting material from previous applications, including all transcripts, must be resubmitted. We do not have access to any of the components of previous applications.

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Supplemental Application Materials (GRE scores, etc.)

1. Can I submit my GRE scores for the GRFP application?

GRE Scores are not accepted for the 2012 GRFP. This policy is not intended to be a reflection on the value of the GRE test.

2. Am I allowed to submit material that is not included in the online application, such as videos, presentations, papers, etc., for reviewers’ consideration?

To ensure that all applicants are evaluated using the same application materials, we cannot accept supplemental material. Only materials that are requested as part of the GRFP application can be considered. Any supplemental material that is received will not be included in your application package. 

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Announcement Questions

1. When will I be notified of the decision?

All eligible applicants will be notified of the results of their application by e-mail around early April, 2012.

NSF will post a list of the 2012 awardees and honorable mentions at www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/ at the same time notifications are sent.

2. Will I be able to view my rating Sheets?

Rating sheets are hosted in the FastLane system. You can access them by logging into your FastLane account.

Awardees should be aware that their rating sheets will no longer be available once they declare tenure. Please save a copy of your rating sheets before accepting the fellowship.

For all applicants, once the FastLane system has switched over to a new application cycle, it will not be possible to view rating sheets from previous competitions. Applicants are strongly encouraged to save a copy of their rating sheets before the new application cycle begins.

3. Is there any way to receive advance notification of the results of my application?

The only applicants who receive notifications prior to the official award announcement are those whose applications were not eligible for review.

All eligible applicants will be notified of the results at the same time – around early April. We are not able to inform individual applicants of their results prior to the official announcement.

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Fellow Carlos J. Cela, from the Bioelectromagnetics Laboratory at North CarolinaStateUniversity, works on the modeling of electrical interactions between implantable retinal stimulators and neural tissue, which has application to the development of an artificial retina to restore partial vision to the blind. Retinal implants aim to restore vision to the blind suffering from degenerative retinal diseases, including Age-related Macular Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa.