NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
U.S. National Science Foundation
Opens laterRenews each year
$37,000 a year stipend plus $16,000 a year toward tuition, for three years, for STEM research master's and PhD students
- How much
- $37,000/yr stipend + $16,000/yr cost-of-education allowance to the school, for 3 years
- Who qualifies
- Must have completed less than one academic year in a graduate degree program: undergrad seniors, bachelor's holders not enrolled in grad school, joint BS/MS students, or first-year grad students. Not eligible: practice-oriented professional degrees (MD, JD, MBA, MPH, etc.) or joint science-professional programs (MD/PhD), anyone who already has a master's/doctoral degree, prior acceptors.
- For undergrads, grad students
- For STEM fields supported by NSF (research-based master's or doctoral programs) students
- U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident
- When to apply
- Opens later Annual, mid-to-late October by field (2027 competition: Life Sciences Oct 19; CISE, Materials Research, Psychology, Social Sciences Oct 20; Engineering Oct 22; Chemistry, Geosciences, Math, Physics & Astronomy Oct 23, 2026; references due Oct 16)
- How to apply
- Apply through the NSF GRFP Module by your field's deadline (8:00 p.m
- ET)
- Reference letters are due Oct 16, 2026
- What you'll need
- essay + recommendation + transcript
- Last checked
- October 19, 2026, against the official page (nsf.gov), page 2 and page 3
The details
Five-year fellowship with three years of support. Each funded year includes a $37,000 stipend and a $16,000 Cost of Education allowance paid to the school, which covers all tuition and mandatory fees ($53,000 a year in total). Portable (you can transfer after the first year). No service requirement afterward. About 1,500 awards, pending available funds. One application per competition.
More federal and national aid
- QuestBridge National College Matchfull four-year scholarship to a partner college (worth $360,000+; tuition, room/board, no loans)
- Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Programup to $55,000/yr for up to 4 years (last-dollar after institutional aid)
- Davidson Fellows Scholarship$100,000, $50,000, or $25,000 (one-time)
- Burger King Scholars Program$1,000 to $60,000 (most general-track awards $1,000 or $5,000; up to three $60,000 James W. McLamore WHOPPER Scholarships)
- Amazon Future Engineer Scholarshipup to $40,000 for a computer science degree (unmet need up to $10,000 per year, for four years) + paid summer internship at Amazon
Keep looking
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