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Making the match. graduate school and fellowships. Scott Olesen 2nd year BE student BE Writing Fellow NSF Graduate Research Fellow 8 of 11 successful graduate applications 2 of 6 funded fellowships Jen Wilson 4th year BE student BE Writing Fellow NSF Graduate Research Fellow
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Making the match graduate school and fellowships
Scott Olesen • 2nd year BE student • BE Writing Fellow • NSF Graduate Research Fellow • 8 of 11 successful graduate applications • 2 of 6 funded fellowships • Jen Wilson • 4th year BE student • BE Writing Fellow • NSF Graduate Research Fellow • 4 of 7 successful graduate applications • 2 of 4 funded fellowships
Experience, Meaning, and Match:The Pyramid strategy Match: make their choice easy Meaning: tell them so what? Experience: show, don’t tell
Reading for the Pyramid: Skills for each Pyramid layer The Pyramid & the NSF: Previous and proposed research Correspondence: Staying professional & getting connected Match Meaning Experience
1. Reading for the Pyramid Skills for each layer
Experience: Show, don’t tell I served as a TA for three years, and I learned how manage groups of students and provide one-on-one instruction. I applied for and was hired as a TA for six semester courses. In lab courses, I provided one-on-one instruction for about 20 students. During this project, my mind was opened to the possibility of using different programming languages together to create code that is faster to run and easier to understand and modify. During this project, I collaborated with other group members to develop a user-friendly Python wrapper for a 10,000-line Fortran library.
Experience: Show your results I developed a procedure for producing and analyzing samples, which included selecting a diblock, developing purification apparatus, finding a way to produce clean sample substrates, establishing a procedure that could anneal the samples without damaging them, and finally imaging the samples. Aside from the experimental work, I also designed and coded algorithms for data processing using Mathematica and ImageJ. After a full year of work, I had established the experimental procedure, taken the preliminary data, and identified some later avenues of research. In recognition of the quality of my thesis, I was awarded my BA with Highest Honors in Physics.
Experience: Show your results I developed a procedure for producing and analyzing samples, which included selecting a diblock, developing purification apparatus, finding a way to produce clean sample substrates, establishing a procedure that could anneal the samples without damaging them, and finally imaging the samples. Aside from the experimental work, I also designed and coded algorithms for data processing using Mathematica and ImageJ. After a full year of work, I had established the experimental procedure, taken the preliminary data, and identified some later avenues of research. In recognition of the quality of my thesis, I was awarded my BA with Highest Honorsin Physics.
Experience: Strong, direct language makes your role clear Motivated by my interests in computational and systems biology, I developed a project that aides researchers in the drug discovery process. Because researchers invest significant time and resources screening and testing compounds before beginning the FDA drug approval process, I created an analytical tool to expedite this process. The tool uses a PLSR model to predict the angiogenic potential of a compound based on an experimentally derived signature. I identified a set of biomarkers that would constitute a compound’s angiogenic signature and then quantified this signature using RT-PCR on mRNA harvested from HMVEC’s. My computational tool will save time and resources by more efficiently screening compounds in early stage drug discovery trials.
Meaning: Tell them so what? • During my undergraduate career, I have developed my leadership skills. • First year, I was vice-president. • Second year, I founded a new organization. • Third year, I partnered my organization with other ones. • Fourth year, I led a collaboration between 10 student groups. • I look forward to new challenges as a graduate student.
Meaning: Tell them so what? • During my undergraduate career, I have developed my leadership skills. • First year, I was vice-president. • Second year, I founded a new organization. • Third year, I partnered my organization with other ones. • Fourth year, I led a collaboration between 10 student groups. • I look forward to new challenges as a graduate student.
Match: Make their choice easy From the NSF GRFP website: In considering applications, reviewers are instructed to address the two Merit Review Criteria as approved by the National Science Board - Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts […] Broader impacts: NSF values the advancement of scientific knowledge and activities that contribute to 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; […]
Meaning & Match: connect your background to their program In order to be fully capable of tackling problems at the nanoscale, I still need to take coursework and learn research skills in biology, chemistry, and engineering. I only have minimal training in these three areas, so the amount of coursework I would need to do as a Biological Engineering student is sizeable. I find this exciting rather than burdensome, however, since the obstacle standing between me and the research in which I desperately want to be involved is this training. Once I have gained this formal background, I will be fully capable of joining the leading research at the bio-nano interface that is happening at MIT. I am enthralled by the possibilities of the work currently being done by Professors Belcher and Hamad-Schifferli. Using genetically- engineered viruses as templates for nanofabrication is just the first step in what I believe will be an enormous explosion of possibilities for bio-nano-templates; and figuring out exactly how nanoparticles and proteins interact is the first step into a new generation of bio-nano-transducers. I would happily work night and day to make up deficiencies in my education for the chance to work on such tremendously exciting research.
Meaning & Match: connect your background to their program In order to be fully capable of tackling problems at the nanoscale, I still need to take coursework and learn research skills in biology, chemistry, and engineering. I only have minimal training in these three areas, so the amount of coursework I would need to do as a Biological Engineering student is sizeable. I find this exciting rather than burdensome, however, since the obstacle standing between me and the research in which I desperately want to be involved is this training. Once I have gained this formal background, I will be fully capable of joining the leading research at the bio-nano interface that is happening at MIT. I am enthralled by the possibilities of the work currently being done by Professors Belcher and Hamad-Schifferli. Using genetically- engineered viruses as templates for nanofabrication is just the first step in what I believe will be an enormous explosion of possibilities for bio-nano-templates; and figuring out exactly how nanoparticles and proteins interact is the first step into a new generation of bio-nano-transducers. I would happily work night and day to make up deficiencies in my education for the chance to work on such tremendously exciting research.
Meaning & Match: Tell them what your application means In future work, I am especially interested in continuing to use my computational and systems biology skills to investigate signaling abnormalities in cancer. While studying relevant biomarkers in angiogenesis I became interested in signaling kinetics associated with matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and how activity of these enzymes leads to pathologies in cancer. I want to understand the signaling dysfunction leading to tumor proliferation and invasion by applying computational methods. I met with Dr. Lauffenburger in November to discuss the Biological Engineering Department at MIT and believe it is a strong match given my research interests. I am proposing to work specifically with Drs. Lauffenburger, Griffith and Imperiali because of their expertise in computational modeling, tissue engineering and chemistry. This group is particularly attractive to me and I know I would thrive under their apprenticeship.
Exercise: Reading for the Pyramid • Read the provided document • Identify 1 each of: • Experience: Show, don’t tell • Meaning: Tell so what • Match: Making the choice easy • Identify 1 place where Experience, Meaning, or Match could be improved
2. The Pyramid & the NSF previous and proposed research
Previous research: the Pyramid guides the structure Early undergraduate research […] Late undergraduate research […] Early graduate research By the time I graduated, I had the skills and maturity necessary to work on projects that would require me to set and pursue my own research goals without direct supervision. I have since worked on two projects at major research universities. In both cases I have been responsible for establishing working relationships with the other members of the groups in order to learn their methodology, fix problems, and develop new research ideas. […] After replicating some initial experiments, I noticed a problem with the logic of some of the statistical distributions used to fit the experimental data. […] […] By the time I start my PhD, I will be prepared to propose, execute, and report on creative, collaborative research.
Proposed research: The Pyramid guides the structure Executive summary Thin films of diblock copolymers can form nanoscale stripe systems useful for producing ordered systems at the nanoscale, such as nanowires for next-generation computer components. A computational model of diblocks is necessary for a proper intellectual understanding of the system and for effective use of diblocks as a template for nanowires. I propose a research project to develop such a model. […] Introduction […] Research plan […] Long term goals […] Because self-assembling systems are so visually appealing, they will also provide a demonstration of the beauty and wonder that can be found in science. I also hope that having experiment and theory so closely linked in a single lab could help draw undergraduates who are comfortable working with computers and running simulations into picking up a pipette. Conversely, students comfortable working with experiments could be talked into dreaming up a new experiment and writing the code to simulate it. Scientists and students have endless creative potential that needs only a little inspiration to be unleashed.
3. Correspondence making connections & staying professional
Correspondence: not just in person • Email contact with faculty • It’s okay to reach out while applying • “Thank you” notes, before and after visiting • Remember administrators
Dear Dr. White, I’m writing to you as a 4th year undergraduate at the University of Virginia who has recently received an invitation to MIT BE’s interview weekend. I was curious about your lab and as such, requested to speak with you while I’m in town. I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me ahead of time? Roughly, what is the division between computational and experimental techniques in your lab? Does your group emphasize one over the other? I noticed that your group has characterized a lot of signaling pathways and their dysregulation in various types of cancers. What is the long term goal of developing these signaling maps? Will you continue to investigate specific signals – such as EGFR? Or will you try to integrate various signaling maps to understand one particular type of cancer? Thank you for your time and I look forward to meeting you in March, Best, Jen Wilson
November 16, 2009 Dear Dr. Lauffenburger, I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this morning. I’m also glad to hear there they might be a project for me! I had discovered MMPs this summer as part of my research project and that’s really where the idea started. I’ll plan to follow up with some of the other investigators that you mentioned. Attached you will find a little bit more information about me as well as my specific research interests and why I was interested in working in your lab. I’d be happy to provide any other information or answer any questions. Thank you again for your time and I look forward to applying. Best, Jennifer Wilson jwilson@email.virginia.edu (703) 969-3318
Methods for Success: catching the details • Respond within 24 hours • The first communication is always formal “Dear Dr. White” not “Hey! Forest, sup?” • Keep emails and “thank you” notes specific and tailored • Make yourself memorable, but also remember them
Tips & Tricks: • Visit the BE Writing Lab! • Get organized, deadlines matter and there is a lot of paper work to keep track of • Talk to graduate students and faculty; ask a lot of questions and figure out what others have done before you • Read examples in the handout
