Graduate Fellowships for Outstanding Research Promise

in Science and Mathematics

Guidelines and Policies for Awarding of Funds

The College of Science and Mathematics, in conjunction with the Office of the Provost, has established the Graduate Fellowships for Outstanding Research Promise in Science and Mathematics. Four fellowships of $5000 will be awarded each year. These fellowships are given to enhance the research experience of graduate students who show outstanding promise for creative and productive careers in research.

Eligibility for application

The Graduate Fellowships are prestigious and highly competitive, so applicants should give serious thought and effort in developing their application materials. To be eligible to receive the fellowship, graduate students must:

  1. Have established classified status in a Master’s program in the College of Science and Mathematics before thestart of the award at the beginning of the fall semester.
  2. Have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in the major.
  3. Have a FAFSA on file at CSUN and be eligible for Financial Aid.

Deadline for submission

Applicants must submit all of the required application materials by 12 N on Monday, 11 April 2011. Late and incomplete applications will not be accepted.

CONDITIONS OF THE AWARDING OF THE FELLOWSHIP

  1. Conditional awardees who have not achieved classified status by start of fall semester of the year of the award will NOT be eligible to receive the award.
  2. Awardees must be officially enrolled as a student of California State University, Northridge during each semester of the academic year in which funds are allocated and must be registered (FAFSA on file) and eligible for Financial Aid.
  3. Awards will be divided into two disbursements of $2500 each, one for fall semester and one for spring semester. To receive the spring disbursement, the student must maintain a GPA of 3.50 in the major and submit a 1-page progress report (~1000 words), co-signed by the research advisor, to the Associate Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics no later than 6 January 2012.
  4. In accepting the fellowship, the awardees agree to present an oral report of their results at a special symposium to be organized by the Dean’s Office toward the end of the second semester of the award, in late April or early May. Oral presentations will be ~15 minutes in length and will include a short question and answer period.
  5. Awards are for one academic year only and are not renewable.

HOW TO APPLY

  1. Application forms are available at
  2. Applicants must submit the original plus five copies (six sets) of the application/proposal.
  3. Applications that are late, incomplete, or not typed will not be accepted for review.

required content of Application

Your application must consist of the following (in this order):

  1. Application Form (with all information completed). The application form must be signed by the applicant, the faculty advisor of the research project, and the department chair.
  1. Research proposal. The narrative (sections a–f) can be no more than five, double-spaced (except literature cited) and typewritten pages, using no smaller than Times New Roman12-point font or Arial 11-point font and at least 2.5-cm margins. Tables or figures, if included, should be embedded in the text (i.e., five-page limit still applies). The selection panel consists of scientists and mathematicians from diverse fields. Thus, your proposal must be understandable to a general scientist/mathematician who is not an expert in your field. Define specialized terms. The proposal must include, in this order, clear and concise statements of:
  1. Research question(s)/hypothesesof the proposed research. Include relevant previous research that defines the need for an investigation of this question. Applicants are advised to include only the most relevant previous work and to focus on the work that they propose to do (sections b, c, and d).
  2. Goals of the proposed research. State the objective(s)/specific aims of the project. Emphasize how the proposed work is new or different, and an essential next step of current knowledge.
  3. Methods used to achieve the research goals. Describe the methods/procedures that will be used and the resources/facilities (e.g., computer software and/or analytical equipment) needed to accomplish the work.
  4. Potential significance of the proposed research. As appropriate to the nature of the proposed research, describe how the work will contribute to advances in the specific discipline, the broader scientific community, human society, and/or the environment.
  5. Expected impact of the proposed research on career plans. Describe how involvement in this research will advance the attainment of the applicant’s career goals.
  6. Timeline for completion of the research. Show the projected completion dates of the major components of the proposed research. Applicants can format this section as a table, if they wish.
  7. References cited. Include only the references that were cited within the proposal. Use a consistent citation format that is common in your discipline. This section can be single-spacedbut must fall within the five-page limit.
  1. Curriculum Vitae. Limited to a maximum of two pages (not including the required unofficial transcript) and should include all information in this order:
  1. Undergraduate Education
  2. Degree, year, and major of undergraduate degree(s).
  3. GPA data: (a) overall GPA from the granting institution of the undergraduate degree, (b) cumulative GPA of all undergraduate coursework if different from the overall GPA, and (c) the total number of units (indicate semester or quarter) and GPA of the upper-division coursework in the major.
  4. List the courses from the undergraduate career that are most relevant to preparation for undertaking the proposed research. Include the grade received and a one-sentence summary of what/how it contributed to the applicant’s preparation.

  1. Graduate Education
  2. Degree, expected completion (month/year), and major of degree pursued at CSUN.
  3. If the applicant has transferred previous graduate coursework from another institution for credit in the CSUN Master’s program, list the institution(s), dates of attendance (months/years), courses transferred, and grades received.
  4. Attach a copy of the unofficial transcript of all graduate coursework taken at CSUN.
  5. Previous Research Experience, if any (faculty-mentored undergraduate research, internship, etc.). Give the project title, a 1- or 2-sentence summary of work, name and title of mentor, and dates of work (years).
  6. Employment Experience. Give the title of applicant’s position, employer, and date (years).
  7. Honors and Awards.
  8. Volunteer Service and Other Activities.
  9. Professional Presentations.
  10. Publications.
  1. Two letters of Recommendation. Applicants must provide two letters of recommendation that address the research qualities and abilities of the applicants. To assist the recommenders with their letters, please give them a copy of the research proposal and CV. One letter must be from the CSUN faculty member who will be supervising the research. The other letter can be from another CSUN faculty member, a faculty mentor from another institution, or a professional scientist or mathematician who can address the applicant’s promise in research. The recommenders can download the recommendation guidelines from:

CHECKLIST

All items must be included or the application will not be accepted for review.

Application Form, with all signatures.

Research proposal, no more than five typewritten, correctly formatted pages.

Research question(s)/hypothesesof the proposed research.

Goal(s) of the proposed research.

Methodsused to achieve the research goal(s).

Potential significance of the proposed research.

Expected impact of the proposed research on career plans.

Timeline for completion of the research.

References cited.

Curriculum Vitae (two page maximum), with all requested information, and a copy of the unofficial transcript of the applicant’s graduate coursework at CSUN.

Names of the two people who have agreed to write recommendation letters.