Resources
FYI Chats: How-to guides from the GEMS team
Resources on preparing for and navigating the graduate school experience.
Select a topic to learn more >>>
Exploring geoscience career pathways
Getting undergraduate research experience
Finding summer opportunities
Applying for NSF-REUs
Taking a gap year
Deciding if you should go to graduate school
Planning the grad school application timeline
Finding graduate programs & advisors
Applying for the NSF GRFP
Finding and applying for grants
Writing CVs, resumes, & cover letters
Writing graduate school essays
Asking for letters of recommendation
Learning about prospective labs & PIs
Understanding graduate school finances
Preparing for graduate school interviews
Selecting a lab/program - Part I: Academic
Selecting a lab/program - Part II: Personal
Example Application Materials
Examples of the statements required for graduate programs and fellowships.
Mentorship Matters
Information on equity-minded mentoring.
Mentoring Tools
Learn more about how to be a mentor.
Funding Opportunities
A searchable spreadsheet of scholarships, fellowships, and research grant opportunities.
Additional resources for applying to graduate programs:
Listservs and crowd-sourced graduate school positions
Watch for potential graduate school position openings, funding opportunities, job postings, and other resources on these Listservs
NSF GRFP 2024 GEMS Workshop Materials
This document contains materials used for our 2024 NSF-GRFP workshop, with updated solicitation and application links for 2025.
The FUTUREROCKDOC blog
Check out super helpful blog posts on the THE NSF GRFP - ADVICE FROM A PANEL OF AWARDEES, QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK A POTENTIAL GRADUATE SCHOOL ADVISER, and CONTACTING PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE SCHOOL ADVISORS
NEW! Resources from the GEMS community
How to apply for grad school in geology
An overview on the application process by Callan Bentley