Academia
Frequently Asked Questions
- The PMF regulations state schools must ensure
that all eligible graduate students are aware of the PMF Program
and know how to apply for nomination. How do we do that?
- How can I learn about the nomination
process?
- Our school holds career fairs, information
sessions, etc. Can someone from the PMF Program Office come speak
about the Program?
- In regards to the PMF Nomination Forms, students
are submitting pre-populated and hand-written forms. Are these
acceptable?
- Who is the Nomination Official?
- How can I ensure a PMF Nomination Form was
submitted and received by the PMF Program Office by the nomination
deadline?
- How can I be kept informed of new developments in
the PMF Program?
- How do I know which of my school's nominated
students are selected as Finalists and ultimately as
Fellows?
- Can colleges and universities post the PMF
application on their job sites?
1.
The PMF regulations state schools must ensure that all eligible
graduate students are aware of the PMF Program and know how to
apply for nomination. How do we do that?
The PMF Program Office provides several resources for
participating academic institutions. General academic guidance can
be found on the Academia webpage, nomination guidance can be
found on the Nomination Overview webpage,
and marketing material can be found on the Resources
webpage.
2. How can
I learn about the nomination process?
Information about the nomination process can be found on
the Nomination Overview webpage. In
addition, the nomination process is explained on the Get Nominated
webpage and in the job opportunity announcement during the
application cycle.
3. Our
school holds career fairs, information sessions, etc. Can someone
from the PMF Program Office come speak about the
Program?
The PMF Program Office receives numerous requests to
speak at career fairs and information sessions throughout the
year. Unfortunately, the PMF Program Office consists of a small
number of staff and does not have the resources to visit graduate
schools throughout the world. A lot of effort is made to provide
various tools for schools to use from this website and an academia
stakeholders' meeting is conducted annually to brief schools about
the Program and upcoming application season.
4. In
regards to the PMF Nomination Forms, students are submitting
pre-populated and hand-written forms. Are these
acceptable?
During the on-line application process, students are
informed they will need to print a PMF Nomination Form (OPM Form
1300) and must have a current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (
www.adobe.com ). The
PMF Nomination Form will appear pre-populated based on the
information collected during the application process. If the form
appears blank or the student encounters technical difficulties,
he/she can access a blank version (customized annually), fill in
the blanks, and submit to their appropriate Nomination Official.
Both versions are acceptable. Hand-written submissions must be in
print, all caps, and legible for the fax software to read the
nomination. All nominations are reviewed before officially
notifying all students of their nomination
status.
If the student uses the "Blank PMF Nomination Form (OPM
Form 1300)", the "Federal Title IV School Code" is used by the U.S.
Department of Education to associate schools accepting financial
aid and serves as the means for identifying accredited
institutions. The codes can be found at the Federal Student Aid
website at https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/schoolSearch?locale=en_EN,
from the school's Financial Aid Office, by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID,
or at any public library. If the student's graduate school is
located outside the United States and he/she cannot find a School
Code, the student is instructed to enter "999999" (six nines). The
PMF Program Office will review all such nominees and contact them
if documentation from a credential evaluation service is required.
(See "Education Completed Outside of the United States" section of
the Become A
PMF\Eligibility for additional information.)
Please emphasize with your students to find their school's
name in the drop-down menu question during the application process.
Our database may not include the exact graduate school, but rather
the name of the primary college/university. This list of schools is
based on the names associated to the school's Federal Title IV
School Code and may not be all inclusive.
5. Who is
the Nomination Official?
The Nomination Official must be the school's Dean,
Chairperson, or Academic Program Director of the student's
accredited degree-granting college or university; more
specifically, of the graduate program. There is no allowance for a
school's Career Services Department (or equivalent) to sign the PMF
Nomination Form; however, many colleges and universities use their
Careers Services Department to coordinate the school's PMF
nomination process.
6. How can
I ensure a PMF Nomination Form was submitted and received by the
PMF Program Office by the nomination deadline?
If nominating a student, it is critical the Nomination Official
submits the PMF Nomination Form as a single fax. If nominating
multiple students, each nomination must be faxed separately.
Nomination Officials are asked to print a fax transmission report
as part of their records and retain the original nomination. During
the application process, students create an on-line account in
"Application Manager." This system allows students to view the
status of their submissions and application. One of the categories
shown for the student's PMF application is "Qualification"; the PMF
Nomination Form serves as that document. NOTE: The category type of
"Qualifications" may change to "Other" after planned systems
upgrades take effect for Application Manager in October 2011. After
the nomination if faxed, the student will see the
"Qualifications" status change to "Awaiting Results -- You will be
notified." The PMF Program Office will verify all nominations
and officially inform all students on whether or not they have been
nominated. Those students not nominated are informed to
consult with their school's Nomination Official. If there was a
technical problem and a Nomination Official did indeed nominate a
student who appears to have not been nominated, the Nomination
Official may contact the PMF Program Office directly and provide
documented proof of said nomination (e.g., the signed nomination
form and fax transmission receipt showing the date and time of
submission). NOTE: This proof of nomination is only required for
those students who receive a notification that they were found
eligible, but not nominated. This notification will inform such
students on the process for submitting proof of nomination and will
have a strict deadline to arrange for such submissions.
7. How can
I be kept informed of new developments in the PMF
Program?
The PMF Program Office maintains a listserv called
"PMFCampus." This listserv is specifically for school staff and
Nomination Officials to voluntarily subscribe for updates to the
Program. Instructions on how to subscribe and unsubscribe can be
found on the Academia\Getting
Info webpage.
8. How do
I know which of my school's nominated students are selected as
Finalists and ultimately as Fellows?
Once students complete the application, nomination, and
assessment process, the PMF Program Office will officially notify
them via email on whether or not they have been selected as
Finalists. Once the notification is sent, a full list of Finalists
for that class will be posted on the PMF website. If and when a
Finalist obtains an appointment as a Fellow, the list will be
updated to reflect the appointment.
9. Can
colleges and universities post the PMF application on their job
sites?
Colleges and universities may post the PMF job
opportunity announcement on their school job site; however, the
official job opportunity announcement will only be
available on USAJOBS ( www.USAJOBS.gov ) annually in the fall and
eligible applicants must follow the job
opportunity announcement instructions on how to
apply. The PMF Program Office only uses USAJOBS for
its job opportunity announcement and may also include a direct
link from the PMF website.
UPDATED: 09-01-2011