National Science Foundation – Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Fellowship details

Apply Now
Application Status
application status icon
Open
Deadline
10/11/2024
Amount
3 years of support
Citizenship Requirements
U.S. Citizen
Contact

Overview

The National Science Foundation (NSF) offers fellowships to students in the early stages of pursuing a research based Master’s or Ph.D. degree. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) affords our nation’s research leaders of tomorrow exceptional funding with three years of graduate support worth thousands of dollars.

Eligible UCI graduate students who apply for the NSF GRFP may be eligible for a $500 award. Learn more about our incentive program here.

Award Information

Fellowship funding will be for a maximum of three years of financial support (in 12-month allocations starting fall of the award year) usable over a five-year fellowship period. The anticipated announcement date for the Fellowship awards is early April each year.

The Fellowship is portable and can be transferred to a different institution of higher education if a Fellow chooses to transfer to another institution after completion of the first Fellowship year. While the Fellowship is offered to the individual, the Fellowship funds are awarded to the institution at which a Fellow is enrolled and is considered the official NSF awardee institution. The awardee institution receives up to a $53,000 award per Fellow who uses the support in a fellowship year. The awardee institution is responsible for disbursement of fellowship funds to the Fellow. The Graduate Research Fellowship stipend is $37,000 for a 12-month tenure period, prorated in whole month increments of $3,083. The Cost of Education allowance provides payment in lieu of tuition and mandatory fees to the institution of $16,000 per year of fellowship support.

The NSF accords Honorable Mention to meritorious applicants who do not receive Fellowship offers. This is considered a significant national academic achievement.

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

Reference letters are due Friday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET); 4:00 p.m. Central Time; 3:00 p.m. Mountain Time; 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time; 12:00 noon Hawaii Time; or time corresponding to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time in all other time zones. Reference letters must be submitted through the NSF Reference Letter System in (https://www.research.gov/grfp/Login.do).

Eligibility Criteria

  • Applicants should carefully and thoroughly review the Detailed Eligibility Requirements in Section IV for full information.

    Eligibility to apply and receive support from this program is restricted to individuals who meet the following criteria at the time of application and acceptance if offered a fellowship:  

    • Must, at the time of submission, be a U.S. citizen, national, or a permanent resident (“green-card” holder)
    • Must intend to enroll or be enrolled in an eligible research-based master’s or doctoral degree program in an eligible field of study in STEM, including STEM education (See Appendix and Section IV.3 for eligible Fields of Study);
    • Never have previously accepted a Graduate Research Fellowship;
    • Have declined any previously offered Graduate Research Fellowship by the declination deadline (if applicable);
    • Have completed less than one academic year in a graduate degree program (according to the institution’s academic calendar; non-degree coursework must be clearly identified in the transcript and does not count toward this limit).

     

    This means individuals in the following statuses at the time of application are eligible:

    • Undergraduate in the final (senior) year of a bachelor’s degree program
    • Bachelor’s degree-holder with NO enrollment in a graduate degree program (non-degree graduate coursework allowed)
    • Individual enrolled in a joint bachelor’s-master’s degree program with at least three undergraduate years completed
    • 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)
      • Individuals enrolled in joint bachelor’s-master’s degree programs are considered graduate students. For GRFP, joint bachelor’s-master’s degrees are defined as degrees concurrently pursued and awarded.
      • Not be a current NSF employee.

    Applications that do not meet eligibility requirements will be returned without review as being ineligible for a fellowship.

    By signing and submitting the application, the applicant certifies meeting the eligibility criteria specified in this program solicitation.  Willful provision of false information in this request and its supporting documents or in reports required under an ensuing award is a criminal offense (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001).

     

    Number of Times an Individual May Apply

    • Undergraduate seniors in bachelor’s degree programs and bachelor’s degree holders with no prior enrollment in a graduate degree program have no restrictions on the number of times they can apply before enrolling in a graduate degree-granting program.
    • Individuals enrolled in joint bachelor’s-master’s degree programs are considered graduate students and can apply only once.
    • Individuals enrolled in graduate degree programs can apply only once, in the first year of their first graduate program.

     

    Limit on Number of Applications per Applicant: 1

    An eligible applicant may submit only one application per annual competition.

     

    Additional Eligibility Info:

    Eligibility is based on the applicant’s status at the application deadline, and at the time of acceptance if offered a Fellowship.

    Field of Study, Degree Programs, and Proposed Research (complete list of eligible Major Fields of Study and their subfields listed in the appendix on this page)
    Fellowships are awarded for graduate study leading to eligible research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in the science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) fields listed below:

    1. Chemistry
    2. Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering
    3. Engineering
    4. Geosciences
    5. Life Sciences
    6. Materials Research
    7. Mathematical Sciences
    8. Physics & Astronomy
    9. Psychology
    10. Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
    11. STEM Education and Learning Research

    A complete list of eligible Major Fields of Study and their associated subfields, which include the high-priority research areas, is available in the Appendix. If awarded, Fellows must enroll in a graduate degree program that most closely corresponds with the proposed graduate program of study and research plan proposed in their application.

    Only the subfields listed under the Major Fields of Study are eligible for NSF GRFP. No other subfields are eligible.  Applicants are advised to consult a faculty member, academic advisor, mentor, or other knowledgeable source for guidance on preparation of their research plans, selection of Major Field of Study, and identification of subfields to ensure they are consistent with those included in the Appendix.

    Only eligible research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in STEM, including STEM education, are eligible for NSF GRFP support. Professional degree programs and graduate programs that are primarily course-based with no thesis requirement are ineligible for NSF GRFP support.  No clinical or health degree programs are eligible for NSF GRFP consideration. In FY2026, Clinical Psychology graduate degree programs are not eligible for NSF GRFP.

    Within eligible fields of study, there are ineligible areas of study and ineligible areas of proposed research. See below for ineligible areas of study and proposed research. Applications determined to be ineligible will not be reviewed.

Application Process

NSF GRFP Proposals are evaluated on two merit review criteria: Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts.

Intellectual Merit

  • Ability to plan and conduct research
  • Excellence when working both independently and on a team
  • Aptitude in interpreting and communicating research findings

Broader Impacts – Activities and projects that:

  • Integrate research and education
  • Communicate your methodology and findings to a diverse audience
  • Encourage diversity and enable full participation
  • Enhance global scientific and technical understanding
  • Benefit society

Contact

For more information about the NSF GRFP and resources available for UCI applicants, please contact:

Kayleigh Anderson-Natale
Director of Postdoc and Professional Development
949-824-5196

Resources At UC Irvine

Graduate Division and GPSRC Resources:

Looking for help getting started? Check out our NSF GRFP Fellowship Mentor consultation program! The Graduate and Postdoctoral Scholars Resource Center (GPSRC) offers fellowship mentorship support to graduate students applying to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). All Fellowship Mentors have received NSF-GRFP awards and/or a honorable mention, and are trained to mentor you through the process of creating your own stellar application in a supportive environment.

Summer 2025 NSF GRFP Workshops
  • NSF GRFP Information Session: The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship is an excellent opportunity to get your research funded. Join us to discuss this excellent opportunity open to domestic first and second year STEM students who do not have a master’s degree.
  • NSF GRFP: Writing your Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement: Applying for the NSF GRFP? Join us to discuss the Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement and learn some strategies for writing an effective statement.
  • NSF GRFP: Writing your Research Plan: Applying for the NSF GRFP? Join us to go over the basics for composing an effective Research Plan.

The GPSRC is located at 3100 Gateway Student Center (The entire 3rd floor). The main stairs that take you to the third floor are at the back of the building, facing Aldrich Park. The elevator is next to the SOAR office. Click here for a map and directions from Ring Road.

Resources and Links

 

Back to top