Physics GRE Discussion Forums

I'm thinking of switching research topics (as a 1st year grad student) from biophysics to hard condensed matter systems.

Unfortunately, proposal was all about a collaboration between my current advisor and a biologist to do biomedical engineering stuff -- I'm not sure how this will sit with the NSF.

Any thoughts or experience with such things?

No experience personally with changing topic, but when I went to a fellowship info session chaired by NSF reviewers and past award recipients, it was clear that your research essay topic is not binding. This makes sense as most applicants are seniors in undergrad. They are looking to see that you understand research and can identify and think through a problem well enough to write a clear proposal. I don't think you will have any trouble changing your research topic.

Yeah, that's what I've heard too. But you are still required to write a blurb explaining your decision to switch tenure, and I don't know how seriously they take that blurb.

I'll be talking to our NSF coordinator at some point next week - will post what i gather from him.

Hi, vroomfondel! I'm in the same situation now.. Could you please tell what was the result of yours? Was it easy as you'd expected or there were some complications? Hillhurst Sunnyside

vroomfondel's last post was a year and a half ago. i think it is safe to assume that the result was that he was murdered. I would not try to change topics if i were you.