www.nsf.gov

Deadline: early November 2008

Fields of study: Science (including behavioral and social sciences) or engineering

Adviser: Dean Frank Ordiway • ordiway@princeton.edu • Ext. 8-1998

Description:

In order to improve the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States, the National Science Foundation (NSF) plans to award approximately 1,000 new three-year Graduate Fellowships to individuals who have demonstrated ability and special aptitude for advanced training in science or engineering. An additional 150 fellowships will be awarded in the minority Graduate Fellowship program; minority candidates are defined by the NSF as American Indian, Black/African American, Hispanic, Native Alaskan (Eskimo or Aleut), and Native Pacific Islander (Polynesian or Micronesian). The stipend for the current year is set at $30,000 per year, plus $10,500 toward the institution’s tuition and fees.

NSF Graduate Fellowships are awarded for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees in the mathematical, physical, biological, engineering, behavioral and social sciences (fields such as archaeology, anthropology, and international relations are eligible), the history of science, and the philosophy of science. Awards are not made in clinical or business fields, in education, in history or social work, for work leading to medical, dental, law, or public health degrees, or for study in joint science-professional degree programs.

Fellowships will be awarded for periods of three years, the second and third years to be approved by the foundation on certification by the fellowship institution of the student’s satisfactory progress toward an advanced degree in the approved field of study.

Recipients of three-year awards must use the fellowship within a period of five years. This flexibility will enable them to engage in other institutionally approved activities that contribute to their training.

NSF Graduate Fellowships are tenable at any appropriate, accredited nonprofit U.S. institution or nonprofit foreign institution of higher education. Those offered an award will be required to submit to the National Science Foundation appropriate evidence of acceptance for study in graduate degree programs.

For those fellows who have a special need to study or do research full time at a foreign site for at least three continuous months, the foundation will provide, subject to institutional review and approval, a one-time Special International Research Travel Allowance of $1,000 to assist the fellow to travel to and from the foreign site to engage in activities that contribute to the fellow’s advanced degree objectives.

Criteria for Selection:

Candidates must be U.S. citizens or nationals or permanent resident aliens of the U.S. at the time of application. Applicants for the Graduate Fellowship should be college seniors or graduate students who have not completed more than 20 semester hours or 30 quarter hours of graduate study; those applying for the minority Graduate Fellowship may not have completed more than 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of graduate study by the beginning of the fall term when they apply.

Selection is based on all available evidence of ability, including academic records, four letters of recommendation, and GRE scores. Both the general aptitude test and one subject test must be taken no later than December 11. NSF will pay the GRE test fees for applicants who register for the December test provided NSF application is the primary purpose for taking the exam.

Application Procedure:

Applicants are required to submit application materials electronically using the NSF FastLane Graduate Research Fellowship Program process located at https://www.fastlane-beta.nsf.gov/grfp/Login.do. Security is provided to ensure that applications can only be seen by authorized persons. (NOTE: Minority candidates may apply in both programs; only one application needs to be submitted. )

The deadline for submission of application materials will be early November 2008. Check their website after July 1 for the exact due date. Winners are announced in late March.

For Further Information:

The Graduate Research Fellowship Operations Center is responsible for processing applications and responding to requests for information. General inquiries regarding the Graduate Research Fellowship Program [GRFP] should be directed to:

Graduate Research Fellowship Operations Center, telephone: (866) 673-4737 or e-mail: info@nsfgradfellows.org.