Fellowship
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ELIGIBILITY:
I am a legal permanent resident, can I apply?
No, only U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for the Hydro Research Fellowships.
Do you need proof of U.S. citizenship?
Yes. Proof of U.S. citizenship will be required upon a formal offer.
I am a foreign student studying in the U.S. under a student visa (F1-visa). Am I eligible to apply?
No. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
I am a part-time student. Am I eligible?
You must be enrolled as a full-time student at the time of application or anticipate that you will be a full-time student by Fall 2010, whether you are an undergraduate senior or a first or second year graduate student. You must also plan to be enrolled as a full-time graduate student studying toward your Master’s or Ph.D. at a U.S. university or college (by the Fall quarter/semester 2010) to be eligible to receive the fellowship.
I completed my undergraduate degree in the spring of 2009 and I’m now doing research at a DOE national laboratory. I’m applying to Ph.D. programs to start in the fall of 2010. Am I eligible?
Yes. You must be a full-time student at the time of applying, or expect to be a full-time student by Fall 2010 to be eligible to apply. You may be eligible to apply in the future as a first or second year Ph.D. student and we encourage you to apply at that time.
How many semester credits are considered full-time?
The number of semester credits a student must be enrolled to be determined by the student’s academic institution. Typically, this is 12 credits for undergraduate studies or 9 credits for graduate studies. However, this will vary with university. The Hydro Fellowship Program will use what the academic institution determines as full-time.
I am a third year graduate student. Am I eligible?
Yes, as long as you will be a full-time student at the time the fellowship will begin.
I’m applying to the NSF graduate fellowship, am I still eligible to apply for the Hydro Fellowship Program?
You are still eligible to apply to the Hydro Fellowship Program. You must disclose on your Hydro Fellowship Program application the other federal graduate fellowship programs that you are applying to. If you are selected for both the Hydro Fellowship Program and another Federal fellowship, you can accept only one. The Hydro Research Fellowship cannot be accepted concurrently with another Federal fellowship.
I currently have another graduate fellowship. Does this make me ineligible for the Hydro Fellowship Program?
The Hydro fellowship is considered to be full-time support. If you currently have another federal graduate fellowship that provides tuition and living stipend support, you are not eligible for the Hydro Fellowship Program. If you have any form of support from your institution or an organization that will be in effect when the Hydro Fellowship will begin, you must disclose this information and state what you will do with the support.
I have a master’s degree in another field. Does this make me ineligible?
The previous master’s degree in another field does not affect your eligibility. However, you are not eligible for the Hydro Fellowship Program if you are pursuing another Master’s degree. You are eligible if you plan to be enrolled in a qualified Ph.D. program by the Fall of the 2010-2011 academic year.
I took time off from school to work. Am I eligible?
To be eligible you must be a full-time student in a qualified graduate program by the Fall of 2010.
Is there a minimum GPA or GRE required to be considered for the fellowship?
No. The personal statement and research plan, program of study, reference letters, transcripts, GPA and GRE are important parts of application process of this competitive fellowship and are all taken into consideration when reviewed.
I’m currently a senior undergraduate planning to graduate this spring, but I transferred to my current university a year ago. Do I use my current GPA from this university or should I add in the GPA from my previous school?
You should use your current undergraduate GPA from the university you currently attend, which should include your Spring 2009 grades, and separately report your GPA from your previous school. These GPAs should be reflected on your official transcript.
I am a first year Ph.D. student but I have completed a Master’s degree from a different university, am I eligible or am I considered a third year graduate student?
As a first year Ph.D. student, you are eligible to apply.
I’m in my 4th year of graduate school but the 2nd year of my Ph.D. program at the same university that I did my Master’s degree. Am I still eligible for this program?
Yes, you are eligible.
I’m currently a third year Master’s student writing up my thesis; I plan to start a Ph.D. program in the fall of 2010. Am I eligible?
Yes, you are eligible.
My department requires all graduate students to perform teaching to qualify for a doctoral degree. Am I eligible?
Yes. You have the option to defer the fellowship for one year after the first year of the fellowship to fulfill your teaching requirement. This deferral must be arranged and approved in advance with the Foundation and you must maintain full-time enrollment status. You must demonstrate that the degree and research work funded by the fellowship will be completed in the time frames covered by the Fellowship Program.
QUALIFIED GRADUATE PROGRAM:
I am not sure if my field of study is eligible. How do I find out?
The goal of the Hydro Research Fellowship Program is to encourage outstanding students to pursue graduate study and research in areas related to hydropower. Please review the Hydro Research Foundation’s research program areas for more information.
I am a senior undergraduate just beginning to apply to graduate programs. If I don’t know what graduate program I will be attending in the Fall, am I still eligible to apply?
Yes, but you must be accepted into a qualified graduate program and be enrolled in the program starting in the Fall quarter/semester 2010. In addition, your future advisor must write a letter of support. If you are selected for the fellowship, you will be required to verify your acceptance to a qualified graduate program by May 15, 2010 before you receive a formal offer.
APPLICATION INFORMATION:
Do you need an official transcript from my college/university?
Upon acceptance into the program, official transcripts will need to be submitted.
Where do I have my official transcripts sent?
This information will be provided to you when the offer letter is sent to you.
Do you need a copy of my undergraduate and graduate transcripts?
You must submit a copy of the official transcripts from all universities/colleges listed on your application. You must also include on your application a list of the courses you are currently enrolled in for the Fall quarter/semester and your anticipated courses for the rest of the academic year.
I attend graduate school at the institution that awarded my undergraduate degree. Do you need 2 transcripts, or can I submit one that includes all coursework at that university on it?
You may submit one transcript, as long as it includes all undergraduate and graduate work.
Do I have to wait until I submit my application before I ask folks to send in a letter of recommendation?
No. As soon as you begin your application, you should go to the references section and complete the information to request letters of recommendation. All of your letters of reference must be received by the application deadline of April 9th, 2010.
I am a senior undergraduate and have not chosen a graduate advisor yet so I don’t know what my dissertation research will be? How should I complete the Proposed Plan of Research?
If you are not currently enrolled in a graduate program and have not determined your thesis/dissertation research topic, contact future advisor(s) in your area of interest and discuss the research areas that she/he may want you to pursue.
Can I use reference letters that were already written for other programs or fellowships?
It is preferred that you have new letters written that address the information requested on the reference request form for The Hydro Research Foundation.
Can I submit more than 2 reference letters?
Only two references that are entered into the application will be reviewed; supplemental reference letters will not be reviewed. Additional reference writers are allowed in the event that a reference writer is delayed in provided a response and the applicant needs to select an alternate.
My reference would rather not submit his reference online. Is there another option?
All recommendation letters must be submitted to the online application system. Information from another letter can be copied and pasted into the online application.
How will I know if my reference received my request for a recommendation letter?
Applicants will be notified of their application status upon receipt of information.
My reference has questions about the reference process and/or the Program. Where should I direct him/her?
References may contact the program director at info@hydrofoundation.org
ONLINE APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
When is the application deadline?
Your complete application must be submitted online by April 9th, 2010. This includes completion of all applications fields, transcriptions, and letters of recommendations.
How can I confirm that my electronically submitted application was received?
Applicants will be notified of their application status via email.
Can I send supplemental materials such as publications or research results, with my application?
Supplemental materials are accepted, but on a limited basis. Applicants may submit cover pages, abstracts, and publications. Additional information will not be reviewed.
When will I be notified if I did or did not receive a fellowship?
You will be notified whether or not you have been selected for the fellowship by mid-May 2010.
When does the Hydro Research Fellowship start?
The fellowship start date is June-September , 2010. It is renewable for up to two years for Masters and three years for Doctoral students that remain in good academic standing and enrolled full time in a qualified graduate program.