GRFP Eligibility

The current GRFP Program Solicitation (NSF 12-599) contains the official eligibility guidelines for the 2013 GRFP competition. All applicants are strongly encouraged to read the Program Solicitation to understand the eligibility guidelines.

In this section:

• GRFP Eligibility at a glance
• When should I apply for the GRFP?
• What if I have completed more than twelve months of graduate study?
• What fields of study are eligible for the GRFP?
• People who are always ineligible for the GRFP
• Questions about eligibility

GRFP Eligibility at a Glance

To be eligible for the NSF GRFP, you must:

• be a US citizen, US national, or permanent resident
• be in a research-focused Master's or Ph.D. program in an NSF-supported field
• be enrolled in an eligible program at an accredited United States graduate institution by Fall 2013
• have completed no more than twelve months of full-time graduate study (or the equivalent) as of August 1, 2012
• meet all other eligibility requirements as set forth in the current Program Solicitation

The "no more than twelve months" limit applies to your entire post-baccalaureate career, not just your current program. If you have completed less than twelve months of your Ph.D. but have previously completed a Master's degree, you would not be eligible for the GRFP.

The complete set of GRFP eligibility guidelines is published in the program solicitation. We strongly encourage all applicants to read the program solicitation carefully before applying. The current solicitation (NSF 12-599) contains the official and only eligibility criteria for the GRFP competition.

The following categories are always ineligible for the GRFP:

• Those who were previously awarded a fellowship from the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program and accepted it.
• Those who have declined the offer of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and who did not notify NSF by the published deadline for accepting the Fellowship.
• Those who have earned any graduate or professional degree 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

Back to Top

When should I apply for the GRFP?

Applicants for the 2013 GRFP must have completed no more than 12 months of full-time graduate study or its equivalent as of August 1, 2012. Individuals are typically eligible to apply:

• During the senior year of an undergraduate program
• After completing their undergraduate program but prior to entering graduate school
• During the first year of graduate school
• Prior to completing the Fall term of the second year of a full-time graduate program.

Students in joint BS/MS programs are typically eligible to apply in the fourth year of a four-year joint program, in the fourth or fifth year of a five-year program, and prior to completing any additional graduate study by August 1. Completion of any additional graduate study after the joint program would disqualify an applicant.

Part-time students, or those who have a combination of part- and full-time graduate study are allowed to have completed up to 24 semester credits or 36 quarter credits of  graduate study.

There is no limit of times an applicant can re-apply for the GRFP, as long as they meet the eligibility guidelines. We encourage applicants to apply to the GRFP as early in their graduate career as possible.

Back to Top

What if I have completed more than 12 months of graduate study?

The twelve-month limit applies to the entire graduate career. All post-baccalaureate, graduate level study counts towards this limit, including all Master's and Ph.D. programs, graduate-level coursework completed outside a degree program, and both full-time and part-time study.

If you have completed more than twelve months of graduate study, you may be considered eligible if you have an interruption of at least two consecutive years prior to November 2012, provided you did not previously earn a graduate or professional degree. To be eligible, you must have completed no additional graduate study by August 1, 2012.

Applicants who have already earned any graduate or professional degree are not eligible for the 2013 GRFP.

Back to Top

What fields of study are eligible for the GRFP?

NSF supports a broad range of fields. A list of eligible fields of study can be found in the appendix of the 2012 program solicitation.

The following programs and areas of study are not eligible:

• Practice-oriented, professional degree programs (MBA, MSW, MPH, ED, etc.)
• Joint science-professional programs (MD/PhD, JD/PhD, etc.)
• Business administration or management
• Social work
•  Education (except research-focused STEM education programs)
• History (except for history of science)
• Public health programs
• Medical programs
• Dental programs
• Research with disease-related goals, including the etiology, diagnosis or treatment of physical or mental disease, abnormality or malfunction.

Back to Top

People Who Are Always Ineligible for the GRFP

Anyone who is not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident alien is ineligible. Foreign nationals who are in the U.S. on a student visa are not eligible.

If you received and accepted a GRFP award, you cannot apply for a second GRFP award.

If you declined a GRFP award and did not notify NSF by the published deadline for accepting the fellowship, you cannot apply for another GRFP award.

If you received a graduate or professional degree in any field, you are not eligible for the GRFP. The only exception is for applicants who completed a joint baccalaureate-master’s program and no additional graduate study.

If you are in a joint science-professional degree program (such as an MD/Ph.D. or JD/Ph.D.), you are ineligible for the GRFP, even if you are proposing to use the GRFP only for the Ph.D. part of your program.

Back to Top

Questions About Eligibility

The official GRFP eligibility guidelines are published in the program solicitation. Applicants are strongly encouraged to read them carefully.

Please call the GRF Operations Center at (866) 673-4737 or e-mail info@nsfgrfp.org if you have questions about the eligibility guidelines.

Back to Top

Fellow Carol Reiley (front) from the Johns Hopkins University explores a method to automatically assess surgical skill through developing a “language of surgery” based on raw motions recorded by a da Vinci surgical system.  Photo credits: Michael Ciesielski and Michael Anft.

Additional Questions?

GRF Operation Center Helpdesk:

(866) 673-4737

info@nsfgrfp.org

Fastlane Technical Support:

(800) 673-6188

fastlane@nsf.gov

Information for current NSF Fellows:

grfp@nsf.gov