Broader impacts-another horse

More words of wisdom.
The Project Description also must contain, as a separate section within the narrative, a section labeled "Broader Impacts." This section should provide a discussion of the broader impacts of the proposed activities. Broader impacts may be accomplished through the research itself, through the activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to the project. NSF values the advancement of scientific knowledge and activities that contribute to the achievement of societally relevant outcomes. Such outcomes include, but are not limited to: full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); improved STEM education and educator development at any level; increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology; improved well-being of individuals in society; development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce; increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others; improved national security; increased economic competitiveness of the US; and enhanced infrastructure for research and education.

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Intellectual merit. From the horse's mouth

I am not sure why you would listen to a horse ( That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed.) but here is the NSF explanation of Intellectual Merit. The Project Description must contain, as a separate section within the narrative, a section labeled "Intellectual Merit." The Project Description should provide a clear statement of the work to be undertaken and must include the objectives for the period of the proposed work and expected significance; the relationship of this work to the present state of knowledge in the field, as well as to work in progress by the PI under other support. The Project Description should outline the general plan of work, including the broad design of activities to be undertaken, and, where appropriate, provide a clear description of experimental methods and procedures. Proposers should address what they want to do, why they want to do it, how they plan to do it, how they will know if they succeed, and what benefits could accrue ...

Selecting a reference(s).

The selection of a reference(s) to stand up for you in your application is a challenging prospect. You want someone that knows you (well) but also someone with some gravitas. That isn't an easy thing to determine, but title and reputation count especially to reviewers who will mostly be faculty at other colleges and universities. The temptation is to pick someone you know will say something nice but they might be relatively inexperienced in writing letters or not have a well-known reputation. On the other hand you could go after a Nobel Laureate but it might be someone who doesn't really know you. Most important is the confidence you have in this person and their willingness to get the job done. To paraphrase Wayne Gretzky, you miss 100% of the references that don't get submitted. Make sure you get started early and have your references lined up in advance. Don't play games and ask for the letters to be done one month in advance of the dea...

Citations in the personal and research statement

The NSF has rules about citations that apply to their normal grants. For GRFP the rules are different, or in fact there are none other than to cite as your field typically does. The specific response from NSF when asked is: Thank you for your e-mail regarding the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). The 2019 GRFP Program Solicitation ( https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18573/nsf18573.htm ) contains application preparation instructions in Section V. The solicitation does not specify any particular standard for references and footnotes, beyond stating that they may be in 10-point Times New Roman font. Applicants may use their own discretion with regard to style and formatting of their citations, as long as they adhere to the guidelines regarding font size. Please e-mail us at info@nsfgrfp.org or call us at (866) 673-4737 (toll-free from the US and Canada) or (202) 331-3542 (from international loca...

NSF GRFP

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