FAQs for Sagan Fellowship Applicants
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For questions not answered below, please email saganfellowship@ipac.caltech.edu
Q: May I submit four letters of reference rather than the required three?
A: You can submit 4 letters of reference, but the selection committee is only required to read 3. Note that if you are submitting two host institutions, you need an endorsement letter from each institution, and these do not count toward your 3 (or 4) reference letters.
Q: Do the fellowships support research related only to exoplanets, or are more general planetary-science projects allowed? In particular, is research related to asteroid shapes, spin states, and trajectories suitable for the fellowship?
A: The fellowships only support exoplanet-related research. General solar system projects, however worthy, fall outside the scope of the program.
Q: Does the 3-page limit for the description of the research program include references?
A: Yes. Please note however that if you are submitting a first and second choice host institution, you may increase the length of your research proposal to 4 pages (including figures, tables, and references).
Q
: If submitting two choices of institutions, thus getting a 4th page for the proposal, is the proposed project expected to be the same for both institutions? Then the extra page would be for justifying why the second choice of institution also fits? Or can/should the applicant propose two projects, one that fits each institution?
A: There is nothing that says that you can't have one proposal for each institution, however, you run the risk of not explaining either proposal well enough in space allotted. We suggest that you highlight one project in full that you wish to be selected for. The second institution will only be considered if there is a conflict with a higher ranked fellow for the first choice institution.
Q: Can I change my application after it has been submitted?
A: If you have changes to make to your application after it has been submitted, please email the new PDF files to: saganfellowship@caltech.edu and we will insert the new files into your application. Note that these changes can only be completed before the application deadline. No changes will be accepted after the application deadline.
Q: Can alternate host institutions be named in the Sagan Fellowship application?
A: Yes. Beginning with the 2012 call, applicants can propose up to two prospective Host Institutions, in order of preference. As part of the application procedure, an endorsement letter from each proposed Host Institution is required.
Q: Can one of the reference letters from the potential science advisor?
A: Yes.
Q: I am currently at postdoc at an eligible institution. Can I propose to remain at my current institution?
A: Yes.
Q: Is a faculty member allowed to sponsor two Sagan applications?
A: Yes. The same advisor may sponsor two or more applicants, as long as everyone involved understands that only one fellow per institution can be awarded each year.
Q: Is there a maximum file size for the application files?
A: Yes, they should be no larger than 20 Mb.
Q: Do I have to be physically located at my host institution for the duration of the Sagan Fellowship?
A: The funding for your fellowship is routed through your host institution, so as long as an institution endorses you as an applicant, stating that they are willing to support you as a fellow, then you technically qualify. That being said, the selection committee wants to ensure that you are supported intellectually, in addition to financially, so in your application make sure to explain your plans to keep in contact with your advisor during the tenure of your fellowship.
Q: When are the decisions made?
A: Typically the first round of offers is made by mid-January.
last updated October 28, 2011