NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

About

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) provides three-year graduate research fellowships in science, mathematics and engineering, including Women in Engineering and Computer and Information Science awards. Fellowships are awarded for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees in the mathematical, physical, biological, behavioral and social sciences; engineering; the history of science and the philosophy of science; and for research-based Ph.D. degrees in science education.

The NSF highly encourages minority students to apply. Fellowships are intended for individuals in the early stages of their graduate study at any appropriate, accredited, non-profit U.S. institution or appropriate international institution of higher education offering advanced degrees in science, mathematics, or engineering is considered eligible.

Writing for the GRFP

Students seeking assistance preparing proposals should reach out to gsasgradresearch@georgetown.edu.

Special Sessions: Open-Writing with Individual Assistance from Writing Center Tutors
The Writing Center offers appointments with tutors who are grant-writing specialists (designated in the tutor’s bio which pops up when you schedule an appointment); you can also sign up for any other open slot, since all tutors should be prepared to help with both your personal statement and your research statement. Follow the below link to setup an account and schedule an appointment: http://writingcenter.georgetown.edu/.

Award

• Three (3) years of stipend, currently $37,000 per year, disbursed over a five-year period while student is on “active” tenure.
• $16,000 cost-of-education allowance to the home institution per year of “active” tenure.
• Opportunities for international research through GROW and federal internships through GRIP
• Supercomputing resources through XSEDE

Student Eligibility

• U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents at the time of application submission.
• Undergraduate seniors and bachelor’s-degree holders may apply before enrolling in a degree-granting graduate program (non-degree graduate coursework allowed); there are no restrictions on the number of times they can apply before enrolling in a graduate degree-granting program.
• First-year graduate student in their first graduate degree program with less than one academic year completed in the degree program (according to institution’s academic calendar). Graduate students who have completed more than one academic year of study in a graduate degree program are not eligible.
• Joint bachelor’s-master’s degree students must have completed three (3) years of undergraduate study. For the GRFP, they are considered “graduate students” and therefore limited to one application as a graduate student.
• Not be a current NSF employee.

Eligible Fields of Study

• Chemistry
• Computer & Information Science & Engineering
• Engineering
• Geosciences
• Life Sciences
• Materials Research
• Mathematical Sciences
• Physics & Astronomy
• Psychology – except clinical or counseling
• Social Sciences
• STEM Education & Learning Research
• Other: see full list of fields in the Appendix of the 2026 program solicitation

Ineligible Fields of Study

• M.D./Ph.D., J.D./Ph.D. and other joint professional degree-science programs
• Medical, dental, law, and public health programs
• MBA, MPH, MSW, J.D., M.D., DDS, and other practice-oriented professional degree programs
• Clinical study of any kind, including Clinical Psychology (Psy.D or Ph.D.), and patient-centered research or research with disease-related goals. Eligible exceptions:
  • Bioengineering research with diagnosis or treatment specific goals which apply engineering principles to problems in biology and medicine;
  • Bioengineering research to aid persons with disabilities
• Other ineligible fields of study in Section IV. of the 2026 program solicitation  

Application Information

• Official NSF 2026 program solicitation  
• Research.gov: Application and Help Desk
• NSFGRF Operations Center website for guidance

Application Materials & Evaluation

The Research.gov application consists of the following:

• Personal, Relevant Background, and Future Goals Statement (3-page maximum)*
• Graduate Research Statement (2-page maximum)*
• Undergraduate and Graduate (if applicable) Transcripts
• Three (3) Letters of Reference (uploaded separately to research.gov by selected referees). Early consultation with letter writers is strongly advised.

*Applications, and specifically the two statements, will be evaluated according to the NSF’s stated “Broader Impacts” and “Intellectual Merit” criteria under Section IV.A. of the 2026 program solicitation . Familiarity with these criteria is strongly encouraged.

Deadlines

The application must be submitted in Research.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time, as determined by applicant’s mailing address.

Application Deadlines:

• November 10, 2025: Life Sciences
• November 12, 2025: Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Materials Research; Psychology; Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences; STEM Education and Learning
• November 13, 2025: Engineering
• November 14, 2025: Chemistry; Geosciences; Mathematical Sciences; Physics and Astronomy

Applicant Resources

Resources Provided or Endorsed by the NSF

• NSFGRFP.org, the application processing center, is a great resource for applicants and referees
• Video: Applying to the NSF GRFP – NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

“Breaking News” & Other Live Guidance on Social Media

• NSF GRFP on Facebook
• NSF GRFP on LinkedIn
• NSF GRFP on X/Twitter

​Questions?

Please contact Maria Snyder (Maria.Snyder@georgetown.edu), Georgetown’s NSF GRF Coordinating Official.

Current Fellows