NSF Programs for Graduate Students
National Science Foundation (NSF) offers several .
The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) and Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement (DDRI) opportunities are briefly summarized here.
The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost of education allowance of $16,000 to the institution.
Open to: Graduate students who have completed no more than one academic year of full-time graduate study and senior undergraduate students who plan to be enrolled in an accredited United States graduate institution by fall following selection (see detailed requirements for ). Please note: to be eligible, an applicant must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident.
Proposal Due Dates: October annually – deadlines vary by field of study
Support Documents and Information:
- Solicitation:
- (provides detailed instructions and FAQs)
- are offered by the GRFP Operations Center and recordings are posted on their page
- "" presented August 2023
- (assemble and submit your application here)
- (video walk through of each section of the online application)
- Templates:
NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement (DDRI) opportunities
NSF DDRI awards provide funding for doctoral students to improve the quality of dissertation research. These grants provide funds for items not normally available through the student's university and may include costs associated with travel, data collection activities, equipment, subject payments, and materials/supplies.
Open to: Doctoral students at the appropriate stage of their academic career to enable submission of a finalized dissertation proposal, most typically very near, or having advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.
Programs open to DDRI proposals include (ordered by submission deadline):
| January 21, 2025; third Tuesday in January annually | |
| May 15 and December 15 annually | |
| July 15 and January 15 annually | |
| September 15 and February 15 annually | |
| July 20 and January 20 annually | |
| August 3 annually | |
| August 15 and January 15 annually | |
| August 18 and January 18 annually | |
| August 18 and January 18 annually | |
| November 1, 2023 | – The Sociology DDRIG program has transferred from NSF to ASA |
| Full Proposal Accepted Anytime | |
| Full Proposal Accepted Anytime |