NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, or GRFP, sits under the National Science Foundation, the U.S. federal science agency established in 1950. It is the oldest graduate fellowship of its kind in the United States, dating to 1952, and it supports full-time research-based master's and doctoral study in STEM fields, including STEM education. The fellowship provides a $37,000 annual stipend and a $16,000 cost-of-education allowance for three years of support within a five-year fellowship period. One application is allowed per annual competition, and eligible applicants are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. For the 2026 to 2027 academic year, NSF awarded 2,500 fellowships, with deadlines varying by field of study in the early-to-mid November window. GRFP rewards applicants who can show real research promise before graduate school has fully begun. Strong submissions usually read as a coherent trajectory rather than a loose collection of interests, and the competition is tight enough that early preparation matters. Because the deadlines are discipline-specific, applicants need to organize materials around the field schedule rather than around a single universal cutoff.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.