EARLY CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS OF NATIONAL-SCIENCE-FOUNDATION (NSF) GRADUATE APPLICANTS - LOOKING FOR PYGMALION AND GALATEA EFFECTS ON NSF WINNERS

National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowships are awarded to approximately half of a homogeneous group of applicants in a procedure that approximates random assignment to the conditions of either fello wship or honorable mention. This natural experiment permits assessment of the effect on early career accomplishments of being named an NSF f ellow. The authors found a consistent effect for PhD completion-overal l, fellows were 7% more likely to complete the PhD than were nonawarde es-but found no reliable fellowship effect on achieving faculty status , achieving top faculty status, or submitting or receiving an NSF or a National Institutes of Health research grant. The authors conclude th at the positive expectancies associated with this prestigious fellowsh ip have only a small influence (Pygmalion or Galatea effect) in gradua te school and no effect thereafter.