Funding

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

The (NSF GRFP) is one of the most prestigious fellowships for graduate students. Fellows receive a three-year annual $37,000 stipend plus $16,000 Cost of Education allowance provided to the institution of higher education (IHE) in lieu of all tuition and mandatory fees for each Fellow using the support in a Fellowship year. While the Fellowship is offered to the individual, the Fellowship funds are awarded to the IHE at which a Fellow is enrolled, and the IHE is responsible for disbursement of the stipend to the Fellow. The Fellowship is portable and can be transferred to a different IHE. Fellows can transfer to another institution after completion of the first Fellowship year.

The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, engineering, and social science. Students with a strong academic background and demonstrated excellence and leadership in research are encouraged to apply.

Estimated number of awards
1500 - NSF will support new Graduate Research Fellowships under this program solicitation pending availability of funds.

Upcoming due dates - Full Proposal

October 19, 2026 - Deadline date
Life Sciences

October 20, 2026 - Deadline date
Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Materials Research; Psychology; Social Sciences

October 22, 2026 - Deadline date
Engineering

October 23, 2026 - Deadline date
Chemistry; Geosciences; Mathematical Sciences; Physics and Astronomy

Application Deadline(s): received by 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) for all applications on each deadline date.

 Eligibility

  • Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident.
  • Applicants must be an undergraduate senior, a college graduate preparing to enter graduate school, or a 1st-year graduate student.
  • Individuals who have earned a master's or professional degree in any field are ineligible.

Please review the  and confirm your eligibility using the .

 Eligible Fields

  • Chemistry
  • Computer and Information Science and Engineering
  • Engineering
  • Geosciences
  • Life Sciences
  • Materials Research
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Physics and Astronomy
  • Psychology (except clinical/counseling)
  • Social Sciences
  • STEM Education and Learning Research

NOTE: Individuals seeking a professional degree or joint professional degree-science program (MD-PhD) or are conducting clinical research are not eligible. Please consider applying for NIH fellowships instead.

See full list of eligible fields in the .

Application Materials

  • Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement (3 pages)
  • Graduate Research Statement (2 pages)
  • Transcripts
  • Three letters of reference

Application Deadline: Typically mid-October

Please read the program solicitation published each year on the NSF GRFP website .

Timeline
  • PLAN (April - May): Learn about the GRF, attend information sessions, work through NSF-GRF guidance sheets, apply to work with a GRF Advisor
  • CREATE (June - August): Solidify research question, conduct literature review, complete drafts of the personal statement and research plan
  • REFINE & APPLY (September - October): Obtain feedback, refine and revise essays, request references, and submit your application.

NSF GRF Application Advising at USF

The Office of National Scholarship and the Office of Graduate Studies have partnered to support student applications for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Information Sessions

An information session will be held every year in April/May. This session will provide a high-level overview of the NSF GRF, including eligibility and review criteria, as well as discuss strategies for crafting a competitive application. If you intend to apply, your attendance at this information session is recommended.

2023 NSF GRFP Recipients

A photo of Isabella Trawitzki Ritchie

Isabella Trawitzki Ritchie, Marine Sciences, iritchie@usf.edu

Bio

I am a second-year Ph.D. student in the Breitbart Lab, where my research broadly encompasses marine microbial discovery and ecology. I am currently involved in two main projects; one involves investigating the ecology and host-virus interactions of a newly discovered virus, Turtlegrass Virus X (TVX), found right here in Tampa Bay. The other concerns the ciliate responsible for the 2022 mass mortality of Diadema antillarum urchins in the Caribbean, as I was a part of the team who discovered that this pathogen was the causative agent. As I pursue my PhD, I hope to continue studying host-microbe interactions in a marine environment to better understand these relationships and how they are affected by our changing world.

A photo of Samuel Hirst

Samuel Hirst, College of Arts and Sciences, Biology, hirsts@usf.edu

Bio

Sam is pursuing his Ph.D. in Integrative Biology at USF Tampa and works with Dr. Mark Margres. His research interests include using next generation sequencing technology to investigate evolutionary patterns at multiple scales. For his dissertation research, he uses a combination of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics to investigate genetic diversity and venom evolution of snakes found throughout the Baja California region and on islands in the Gulf of California.

Prior to joining the Margres lab, he received his B.S. in Genetics, Genomics, and Biotechnology from Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) where he studied the application of eDNA to assess the effects of large-scale ecological events on aquatic biodiversity.

Contacts

Dr. Tracy Costello
Assistant Dean, Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Success
tcostello111@usf.edu

Dr. Sayandeb Basu
Director, Office of National Scholars
sayandeb@honors.usf.edu