How to Apply

The 2013 GRFP application is now available at www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp/. 

For general reference, screenshots of the 2013 application are available here.

Eligibility Information:

Applicants for the 2013 GRFP are generally allowed to have completed no more than 12 months of full-time graduate study or its equivalent by August 1, 2012.

This typically includes applicants who:

• Will earn their baccalaureate degree in Spring or Summer 2013 and plan to start grad school in Fall 2013
• Finished their baccalaureate degree with no additional graduate-level study after your undergraduate program, and plan to start grad school in Fall 2013
• Started their graduate program in the Fall 2012 term
• Started their graduate program in the Winter/Spring 2012 term
• Started their graduate program in the Fall 2011 term and have not earned a graduate or professional degree
• Have been enrolled in part-time graduate study, or a combination of part- and full-time study, and completed no more than 24 semester credits or 36 quarter credits as of August 1, 2012
• Are in the fourth year of a four-year joint baccalaureate-Master’s program or the fourth or fifth year of a five-year joint baccalaureate-Master’s program
• Have completed a joint baccalaureate-Master’s program, but no additional graduate-level study as of August 1, 2012

Please note that the limit of allowed graduate study applies to the entire graduate career, not only the current program.

The following categories are not eligible for the 2013 GRFP:

• Those who will not be enrolled in an eligible graduate program at an accredited US institution by Fall 2013
• Those who are not US citizens, US nationals or permanent residents by the application deadline
• Those who already accepted a GRFP award, or who declined a GRFP award after the deadline for accepting/declining an award
• Those who have earned a graduate or professional degree in any field as of August 1, 2012(except applicants who have completed a joint BS/MS program and have not completed any further graduate study outside the joint program)
• Current NSF employees

If you completed more than 12 months of graduate study, you would not be eligible for the 2013 GRFP unless you have an interruption of at least two consecutive years prior to November 2012, have not previously earned a graduate or professional degree, and have completed no additional graduate study since the interruption.

Please see Section IV of the current Program Solicitation for full details regarding eligibility.

In This Section

• Application Materials
• Review Criteria
• Eligibility Guide
• Choosing a Primary Field
• Creating a FastLane Account