Helpful Tips
If you are writing a reference letter for a GRFP applicant, the following tips may help provide an effective letter.
- A compelling reference letter will help reviewers understand how the applicant stands out from the crowd.
- Discuss the unique qualities of the applicant, including accomplishments or activities that the applicant may be too modest to mention. Ask the applicant for any specific items they would like you to address in your letter.
- Ask applicants to provide information that will help you write a good letter.
- Applicants should be prepared to show you copies of their Personal, Relevant Background, and Future Goals statement, Graduate Research Plan statement, transcripts, and other relevant material (e.g., their list of awards, honors, publications, and presentations from their application, their CV, etc.). Your letter should demonstrate familiarity with the applicant and the information included in the application.
- Be sure that the information in your letter complements other application components.
- Many compelling applications include components that work well together – the information is consistent without being repetitive, and each component offers different information about the applicant as a researcher and a person. Taken as a whole, the entire application package should demonstrate how well the applicant meets the Merit Review Criteria. For example, the information in your reference letter might provide details to support and elaborate upon information the applicant included in the application.
- Details are crucial
- Letters that offer reviewers specific information are much more effective than generic ones. Applicants for the GRFP are evaluated based on NSF’s Merit Review Criteria of Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts, as described in Section VI of the GRF Program Solicitation. Strong reference letters describe how an applicant’s specific projects, contributions, work ethic, teamwork, and other qualities and experiences demonstrate the Merit Review Criteria. It is helpful to compare the relative placement of the applicant among peers (but do not name other students), including GRFP Applicants and Fellowship recipients.
- Discuss your opinion of the applicant’s potential for significant achievements in STEM and academic and intellectual success
- All applicants are expected to have adequate preparation to begin graduate-level study and research by the start of their GRF, so reviewers will appreciate information that speaks to an applicant’s potential to succeed in graduate school. Point out the potential the applicant has demonstrated for significant achievements in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering.
- Keep in mind that the GRFP application is not an NSF grant proposal
- The GRFP seeks to identify individuals with outstanding potential as future STEM research leaders. The most effective reference letters speak to the applicant’s potential for future achievement in graduate school and beyond. Competitive GRFP applicants demonstrate the ability to develop a strong research plan, succeed with their graduate study, and have broader impacts on society.