{"id":1328,"date":"2024-10-24T13:38:45","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T13:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/?p=1328"},"modified":"2026-07-31T15:43:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T15:43:10","slug":"applying-to-fellowships-advice-from-grad-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/2024\/10\/24\/applying-to-fellowships-advice-from-grad-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Applying to Fellowships: Advice from Grad Students"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One constant concern throughout grad school is funding. You could take many routes to secure funding, but fellowships are a popular option. Fellowships are typically merit-based awards to support a graduate student\u2019s personal, academic, and\/or professional development. They usually contain two parts: a personal statement and a research proposal. The former details your academic and research journey. It aims to describe how your past experiences have shaped you and prepared you for the research that\u2019s to come. The latter details your research aims and execution plans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0This blog assumes that you\u2019ve decided to apply for a fellowship and are just starting the writing process. Nonetheless, navigating fellowships and their applications can be overwhelming since they differ significantly from undergraduate or grad school applications. There are specific ideas to remember when writing a fellowship application to ensure that you successfully and effectively share your research project vision and aims.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To unearth some common best practices, I interviewed several graduate students in AeroAstro to learn from their experiences in applying for fellowships:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Interviewed AeroAstro Graduate Students:\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jake Olkin\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jake is a third-year PhD Student in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.csail.mit.edu\/research\/model-based-embedded-and-robotics-systems-group\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Model-based Embedded Robotic Systems <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(MERS) Lab. His proposal on goal-directed adaptive sampling for autonomous exploration was recently chosen to receive the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/nasa-space-technology-graduate-research-opportunities-nstgro\/\">NSTGRO<\/a> 2024 Fellowship.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Harsh Bhundiya<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Harsh is a PhD candidate in the <a href=\"https:\/\/cordero.mit.edu\/\">MIT Aerospace Materials and Structures Lab<\/a>. His research interests lie at the intersection of spacecraft design and structural mechanics. Harsh has been awarded funding from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/nasa-space-technology-graduate-research-opportunities-nstgro\/\">NSTGRO<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/engineering.mit.edu\/students\/graduate-student-fellowships\/mathworks-fellows\/\">MathWorks<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Allegra Farrar <\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Allegra is a PhD student in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.csail.mit.edu\/research\/model-based-embedded-and-robotics-systems-group\">Model-based Embedded Robotic Systems Group<\/a>. <\/span>She completed her SM studying autonomous control optimization and uncertainty quantification to realize crewed spacecraft entry on Mars. Allegra is now channeling those skill to work on real-time modeling and actuation techniques to improve remote sensing satellite ability to target dynamic climate phenomena generating tropical cyclones for her PhD. She has obtained the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nsfgrfp.org\/\">NSF<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gemfellowship.org\/gem-fellowship-program\/\">GEM<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/fellowships\/presidential-graduate-fellowship-program\/\">MIT Presidential<\/a> fellowships<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Amy Phung<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Amy Phung is a PhD student in the <a href=\"https:\/\/mit.whoi.edu\/\">MIT-WHOI Joint Program<\/a>, advised by Richard Camilli. Her research on opti-acoustic perception for underwater manipulation is funded in part by the NASA FINESST research grant, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nsfgrfp.org\/\">NSF Graduate Research Fellowship<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/linkoe.org\/\">Link Foundation Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation Fellowship<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>General Fellowship Advice<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It can be challenging to understand how to approach a fellowship application. Oftentimes, they are approached as graduate school or college applications, but that is not the best strategy. When writing your personal or research statement for a fellowship, you do not necessarily need to tell a heartfelt narrative. Instead, you are trying to sell yourself as a researcher and convince the reader why you are the right student to invest in.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Allegra: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cMany people think there is a time limit for applying for and obtaining fellowships, but fellowships can be more helpful later in your career. At that point, you\u2019ve had time to adjust to your project and have clearer, formulated goals.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Jake: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cAt the end of the day, fellowships aren\u2019t gamified the same way college apps are. The people reading your fellowships are reading it and trying to answer the question, \u2018Can we exchange our goods for your services?\u2019 They are analyzing whether you have the skills and credentials to follow through. You\u2019re not just trying to convince them to give you the money but selling yourself and your project.&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Harsh: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cFellowships are more about recognizing the audience and what they\u2019re looking for. Grad school applications are more about yourself and why you want to attend grad school.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Harsh: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cFocusing on implications and not so much on details of the proposed work.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Getting Started<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Getting started on organizing your ideas and writing a fellowship application can be overwhelming. From conducting a literature review to understanding the context of your research project to understanding how to communicate your technical ideas, there is a lot to balance. However, here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>You can also check out our blog on<a href=\"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/2024\/05\/24\/getting-started-on-your-paper-the-skills-nobody-taught-you\/\"> getting started on your writing<\/a> for even more advice.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Learning to Identify the Broader Implications of Your Work<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Harsh: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cLearning to sell yourself is important. With fellowships, people tend to describe exactly what you do, but it\u2019s more important to describe why and the implications of what you\u2019re proposing to excite the readers.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Allegra: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWhen writing more technical applications, those reading your application don\u2019t want you to have all the answers. If you\u2019re talking about a project, the biggest thing they want to know about your work is why you feel it\u2019s important. They want a sense of what you can bring to the table with your contributions and how the work contributes to a larger audience.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Allegra: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When reading papers to understand your project&#8217;s field, \u201cStart with what you\u2019re interested in first without seeing others\u2019 work, so you don\u2019t copy them. When doing the literature review for your project, knowing which papers are helpful can be overwhelming. To start, only read the paper&#8217;s intro, discussion, and conclusion\/future work sections first. It&#8217;s important to acknowledge that there&#8217;s work in the field, but acknowledge your unique take and build upon that. A literature review doesn\u2019t always have the answers but can help validate your ideas.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Strategies for Research &amp; Writing the Fellowship<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Allegra: \u201c<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The key to writing is to get a messy draft done first. It\u2019s important to write it, put it away, return to it, and read it with fresh eyes. This way, you\u2019re reading it as a reader, not a writer. This will help you to catch things that aren\u2019t clear. It\u2019s also helpful to have someone who\u2019s not in your field read it, and if they understand the technical aspect, then someone in your field will, too. You don\u2019t always need to go into such technical depth, but you must ensure you\u2019re telling a story and using reasoning that makes sense. Those reading your application need to be convinced that you know what you\u2019re talking about and that you\u2019ve done the work for them to invest in you.<\/span><b>\u201d<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Amy: \u201c<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The writing process always starts with figuring out who the funding source is and what they care about. Once you have that, you want to figure out the story you want to tell that satisfies those gaps (research you will do or research you\u2019ve done depending on what they\u2019re looking for) to tailor it to what they\u2019re looking for and find the intersection between these two things.<\/span><b>\u201d<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Amy: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cBe aware that some fellowships read more like grants, so instead of talking about what you\u2019ve done, talk about the research you\u2019re proposing and what you plan to do when appropriate. \u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Amy: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cBe as specific as possible in your application. All organizations will have their own vocab set, and you want to make sure what they mean so that you can write the phrases all over your statement. Sometimes, it\u2019s helpful to use the common vocab and abbreviations within the field to build credibility within your audience.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Amy: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cGet someone else to read your app! This helps determine which parts of your application sound like you\u2019re just bragging and which ones sound interesting. Usually, things come across as sincere or interesting when telling a story about something you worked on instead of just describing its outcome.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Writing Personal Statements<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The personal statement is a crucial part of the fellowship proposal and application. While there are slight differences in language and terms, overall, you should write it carefully to ensure you are utilizing this precious real estate to further convince the readers why you deserve the fellowship. While each fellowship is different, at the end of the day, here is some advice :\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Jake:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u201cWrite it knowing that you are proposing a specific research project and not just to show that you are competent but that you are the researcher for this project\u2026the point is to sell yourself as an effective researcher in the context of the project you\u2019re proposing.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Allegra: \u201c<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Try to give a hook or lead that you\u2019ll refer to throughout the statements and wrap up at the end. Something that gets woven throughout the statement. It depends on what they\u2019re asking you to say, but with the statement of purpose, take it very literally. Make your statements super clear at the end so that you validate all the stuff you\u2019ve said throughout the statement. <\/span><b>\u201d<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Amy: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWhen talking about your experience, you don\u2019t need to talk about everything you\u2019ve ever done in chronological order. Instead, you can assign varying amounts of your piece to talk about most relevant items.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Concluding Message:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Everyone\u2019s fellowship journey will look different depending on their personal research goals. However, the core of the writing process and what should be communicated remains the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you decide to apply for a fellowship, I hope this blog gives you a helpful perspective on organizing your ideas and better communicating your strengths and experiences! Also, realize that these communication and writing skills aren\u2019t only applicable to fellowships. As a whole,\u00a0 \u201cLearning to sell yourself is important. With fellowships, people tend to describe exactly what you do, but it\u2019s more important to describe why and the implication of what you\u2019re proposing because what you propose might not end up\u201d &#8211; Harsh.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One constant concern throughout grad school is funding. You could take many routes to secure funding, but fellowships are a popular option. Fellowships are typically merit-based awards to support a graduate student\u2019s personal, academic, and\/or professional development. They usually contain two parts: a personal statement and a research proposal. The former details your academic and&#8230; <a class=\"view-article\" href=\"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/2024\/10\/24\/applying-to-fellowships-advice-from-grad-students\/\">View Article<\/a>","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":1329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fellowships","category-applications"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1328"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1579,"href":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1328\/revisions\/1579"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitcommlab.mit.edu\/aeroastro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}