(https://www.research.gov/grfp/Login.do) to submit the application. Confirmation of acceptance in a graduate degree program in STEM or STEM
education is required at the time of Fellowship acceptance, no later than the deadline indicated in the fellowship offer letter, of the year the
Fellowship is accepted. Prospective Fellows must enroll in a non-profit university, college, or institution of higher education accredited in, and
having a campus located in, the United States, its territories or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that offers advanced degrees in
STEM and STEM education no later than fall of the year the Fellowship is accepted. All Fellows from the date of Fellowship Start through
Completion or Termination of the Fellowship must be enrolled in a graduate degree-granting institution of higher education accredited in, and
having a campus located in, the United States its territories or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Applicant Eligibility:
See the Detailed Eligibility Requirements in Section IV for full information. Eligibility is based on the applicant's
status at the application deadline.
Applicants must self-certify that they are eligible to receive the Fellowship. To be eligible, an applicant
must meet all of the following eligibility criteria at the application deadline:
Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
Intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in a research-based Master's or doctoral degree program in an
eligible Field of Study in STEM or STEM education (See Appendix and Section IV.3 for eligible Fields of
Study)
Have completed no more than one academic year (according to institution's academic calendar) while
enrolled in a graduate degree program
Never previously accepted a Graduate Research Fellowship
Declined any previously offered Graduate Research Fellowship by the acceptance deadline
Never previously applied to GRFP while enrolled in a graduate degree program
Never earned a doctoral or terminal degree in any field
Individuals holding joint Bachelor's-Master's degrees who did not progress directly to a doctoral program
the semester following award of the joint degree must apply as returning graduate students (see below)
Individuals with prior graduate enrollment who have: (i) completed more than one academic year in any
graduate degree-granting program, (ii) earned a previous master's degree of any kind (including
Bachelor's-Master's degree), or (iii) earned a professional degree must meet the following requirements:
not enrolled in a graduate degree program at application deadline
two or more consecutive years past graduate degree enrollment or completion at the
application deadline
Not be a current NSF employee
Number of Times An Individual May Apply
Undergraduate seniors and Bachelor's degree holders who have never enrolled in a graduate degree
program have no restrictions on the number of times they can apply before enrolling in a degree-
granting graduate program.
Currently enrolled graduate students who have completed no more than one academic year (according
to institution's academic calendar) while enrolled in a graduate degree program can apply only once.
Non-degree coursework does not count toward the one academic year limit.
Individuals applying while enrolled in a joint Bachelor's-Master's degree program are considered graduate
students who: i) must have completed three (3) years in the joint program, and; ii) are limited to one
application to GRFP; they will not be eligible to apply again as doctoral students. For GRFP, joint
Bachelor's-Master's degrees are defined as degrees concurrently pursued and awarded.
Individuals holding joint Bachelor's-Master's degrees, currently enrolled as first-year doctoral students,
who (i) have not previously applied as graduate students and (ii) enrolled in the doctoral program the
semester following award of the joint degree, may only apply in the first year of the doctoral program.
Applications withdrawn by November 15 of the application year do not count toward the one-time
graduate application limit. Applications withdrawn after November 15 count toward this one-time
limit.
Applications not reviewed by NSF do not count toward the one-time graduate application limit.
Limit on Number of Applications per Applicant: 1
An eligible applicant may submit only one application per annual competition.
Application Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Application Preparation Instructions
This document has been archived and replaced by NSF 24-591.