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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> gradfunding-request@list.arizona.edu <gradfunding-request@list.arizona.edu>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Hawthorne Smith, Shelley Lynn - (shellh)<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, March 02, 2021 1:55 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> gradfunding@list.arizona.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> How Helping Others Helped My Fellowship Applications<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Forte;color:#C00000"><img width="314" height="60" style="width:3.2708in;height:.625in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D70F6C.4538E480"></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">Hello Graduate Students,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">This month, PhD candidate, Greg Chism writes about how help from others led him to fellowship success, and how, in turn, his success encouraged him to help others.
Read about the challenges he encountered along the way and his tips for overcoming them.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">Shelley
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">Hi!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">My name is Greg Chism, and I am a fourth year PhD candidate in the Entomology and Insect Science graduate interdisciplinary program. My research concerns how ant nest
shapes influence how the ants behave. Just as buildings influence human behavior, the built shapes that ants create affects theirs. My research uses an interdisciplinary approach; my graduate committee reflects the fields of animal behavior and human architecture.
My hope is to begin building a bridge between these fields towards a cohesive exchange of knowledge. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><img width="358" height="239" style="width:3.7291in;height:2.4895in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D70F6C.4538E480"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">Greg Chism, PhD candidate in the
<span style="color:black">Entomology and Insect Science graduate interdisciplinary program</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">My fellowship success story actually began with a lack of success in 2016 when I applied for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (<a href="https://www.nsfgrfp.org/">NSF
GRFP</a>). I had applied with a prospective graduate school advisor just before an extensive field season in South Africa where we studied the behavior of social spiders. I applied for the NSF GRFP with the idea of researching how metabolism influences the
behavior of these spiders; however, my application was ultimately unsuccessful. I was devastated, but, after analyzing the feedback I received, I knew there was still hope. One of the two main review criteria used for NSF is broader impacts. The reviews clearly
showed that my broader impacts were weak, meaning NSF was not convinced I would help the surrounding community in the manner I proposed. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">I successfully reapplied for the NSF GRFP in 2018, where I proposed the bridge between animal behavior and human architecture mentioned above. I chose to wait until
the second year of my Ph.D. progress to better prepare a compelling application. Luckily, I had help from the University of Arizona Office of Fellowships and Community Engagement (OFCE)
<a href="https://grad.arizona.edu/ofce/summer-fellowship-application-development-program">
Fellowship Application Development Program</a> both the Summer and Fall of 2018. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">My scientific writing wasn't exactly stellar. When<span style="color:black"> I submitted</span> an application to
<span style="color:black">present at a</span> workshop that required a condensed manuscript, I used
<span style="color:black">a hastily put together piece of my writing</span> that led to<span style="color:black">
</span>my Ph.D. advisor being asked<span style="color:black"> by a colleague whether English was my second language (both my parents are native English speakers). You can imagine my desire to improve. I used my past application as a template, and from there,
with the help of my OFCE Graduate Editor, I developed a strong application that was completely in my more refined voice. The OFCE GRFP Development Program gave me the stability and confidence I needed to complete a coherent, confident, and ultimately successful
GRFP application that met the expectations of the NSF. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">Writing any fellowship application can be daunting. For me, having a diverse group of people who read and edited my application, while also not suppressing my voice,
was key. I also benefited from previous awardees who shared their successful applications. Examples of previous applications can make a daunting task manageable, especially with a support system.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">After being awarded the NSF GRFP, I became a Graduate Editor for the
<a href="https://grad.arizona.edu/ofce/summer-fellowship-application-development-program">
OFCE Fellowship Application Development Program</a>, which allowed me to be a part of the support system of over
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">fifty<span style="color:black"> applicants. I have deeply enjoyed giving feedback on applications and mentoring applicants. This ability to support other applicants was just as rewarding to me
as receiving the NSF GRFP.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">In helping other applicants, I have learned a lot about writing and fellowships. Improving your writing skills and learning how to write a fellowship application are
extremely important, regardless of whether you are successful in getting the funding. If you start early and utilize all of the resources at your disposal at UArizona, then you will survive the application process unscathed!
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">-------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Shelley Hawthorne Smith, PhD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Assistant Professor, University of Arizona Graduate College<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Office of Fellowships and Community Engagement
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Graduate Center - 1600 E 1st St, Room 12C<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><a href="mailto:shellh@email.arizona.edu">shellh@email.arizona.edu</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"><a href="https://grad.arizona.edu/ofce/">https://grad.arizona.edu/ofce/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Map to office: <a href="https://goo.gl/pEZsP9">
https://goo.gl/pEZsP9</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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