204:. This distribution has been suggested to perpetuate inequality in science, as graduate students at less elite academic universities often have a greater need for funding. In addition, elite universities, both graduate and undergraduate level, often have greater resources designed to help students submit successful applications. Awareness of the fellowship, resources to help apply, research opportunities in undergrad, financial freedom to work in a lab in college, and undergraduate support are also important factors considered contributors to an uneven distribution. Between 2019 and 2021, the distribution has favored the so-called "elite" institutions less, with the top ten's share dropping to 26% and the share of the top three dropping to 12%.
25:
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funding is not being drawn the student is on 'reserve', while funding is being drawn the student is 'tenured'. For instance, a recipient might postpone the grant's funding while working as a teaching assistant or research assistant. This is referred to as "reserve". On the third year of reserve, the recipient will automatically forfeit any remaining years of tenure.
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chances of undergraduate applicants who have not yet chosen a graduate program. These improved chances were to encourage more undergrads to apply. However, in 2018 the number of awards received by the top 10 universities was greater than any since 2011, and an even greater number of undergraduates awarded the fellowship came from the top 30 schools.
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program, however once enrolled in a graduate program graduate students are limited to only one application submitted their first or beginning of their second year. Generally applicants cannot have a masters or professional degree when applying, unless returning after two or more years and not enrolled in a graduate program.
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Applications are typically due in late
October, with different deadlines for different scientific fields. Letters of recommendation are typically due in early November. Fellows and students selected for Honorable Mention are usually notified in April of the year following their application. Together,
142:
The
Graduate Research Fellowship was first awarded in 1952, with the goal of encouraging basic scientific research and ensuring comprehensive, competitive research programs for U.S. students. Since 1952, the NSF has funded over 46,500 Graduate Research Fellowships out of over 500,000 applicants. Many
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The competition is open to U.S. citizens and national and permanent residents who are enrolled or intend to be enrolled in full-time research-based graduate programs in an eligible STEM field. Undergraduates seniors and bachelor degree holders may apply before enrolling in a degree granting graduate
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In 2020, the NSF announced it will emphasize the fields of artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and computationally intensive research when awarding fellowships. This received criticism from the science community largely due to concerns that the new focus could further disadvantage
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The grant is administered through the institution the student is attending. The fellowship is five years with three years of funding, and the funding can be postponed for up to two 12-month increments as long as the recipient continues to engage in work leading to the eligible graduate degree. When
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Until 2016 the NSF GRFP allowed any number of applications before starting graduate school, and two applications once enrolled. In 2016 the NSF reduced the number of times an enrolled graduate student could apply to only once during their graduate career. This was announced as a way to improve the
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Each recipient could previously apply for a one-time-only travel award for $ 1,000. This travel award was previously for international research activities or presenting at an international scientific conference. However, in 2010, this opportunity was converted to the Nordic
Research Opportunity,
129:
to approximately 2,000 students pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees in the natural, social, and engineering sciences at US institutions. As of 2024, the fellowship provides an honorarium of $ 16,000 to be placed towards the cost of tuition and fees at the university the fellow
207:
An alternative explanation is that the students awarded the GRFP, who come from many different social and economic backgrounds, naturally gravitate towards the best nationwide institutions for research. The GRFP often vastly increases awardee's academic freedom to choose between labs and
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Between 2015 and 2021, Berkeley (504), MIT (440), and
Cornell (271) were the top universities from which fellows received undergraduate degrees; the top three universities affiliated with graduate students receiving NSF-GRFP awards were Berkeley (758), Stanford (634), and MIT (531).
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In order to apply, the applicant must submit biographical information, undergraduate and graduate transcripts where applicable, three letters of recommendation, and two essays: a personal statement with relevant experience and a research proposal stating future goals.
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The NSF GRFP has struggled with an uneven distribution of the award to a select few graduate schools. In 2019, 31% of the grants were awarded to students of only 10 elite academic universities, with 14% of them awarded to just the top three:
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which is intended to facilitate collaborations between U.S. graduate fellows and scholars at
Finnish, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian research institutions.
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attends; it also awards the student directly with an annual $ 37,000 stipend for three years, leading to an anticipated total award amount of $ 159,000.
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the
Fellows and Honorable Mention students make up about the top 30% of applicants with around 2,000 each.
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507:"Dear Colleague Letter: NSF Graduate Research Fellows Nordic Research Opportunity"
546:"NSF graduate fellowships disproportionately go to students at a few top schools"
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universities, since they are less reliant on departmental funding.
824:"NSF grant changes raise alarm about commitment to basic research"
798:"NSF Defends New Emphases in Graduate Research Fellowship Program"
738:"Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Program Solicitation"
567:"The NSF graduate research fellowship program favors elites again"
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National
Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
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721:
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588:"NSF Graduate Fellowships are a part of the problem"
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488:. Washington, D.C.: National Science Foundation
143:former graduate fellows have gone on to become
125:(NSF-GRFP) is a grant awarded annually by the
724:"Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)"
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761:. Chicago, IL: National Science Foundation
759:"Award Offers and Honorable Mentions List"
740:. Chicago, IL: National Science Foundation
704:. Chicago, IL: National Science Foundation
683:. Chicago, IL: National Science Foundation
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509:. Chicago, IL: National Science Foundation
486:"NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program"
151:. Some well known NSF GRFP alumni include
58:"NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program"
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461:Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
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109:Learn how and when to remove this message
890:1952 establishments in the United States
821:
616:"National Science Foundation GRFP Login"
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895:Education finance in the United States
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45:Please improve this article by adding
283:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
257:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
186:
16:Program for funding graduate students
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18:
13:
702:"2020 GRFP Application Components"
681:"2020 GRFP Application Guidelines"
247:University of California, Berkeley
239:University of California, Berkeley
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822:Viglione, Giuliana (2020-08-06).
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590:. Small Pond Science. April 2015
383:University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
355:University of Washington-Seattle
301:University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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222:Awards by Top Undergrad. Inst.
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722:National Science Foundation.
660:"The price of a GRFP, part 2"
527:National Science Foundation.
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391:University of Texas at Austin
365:University of Texas at Austin
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569:. Massive Sci. 11 April 2018
149:National Academy of Sciences
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900:National Science Foundation
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127:National Science Foundation
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849:10.1038/d41586-020-02272-x
446:under-represented groups.
230:Awards by Top Grad. Inst.
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646:MIT Grad Admissions Blog
642:"You got NSF, now what?"
420:Application requirements
780:"NSF FAQ-Reserve-Leave"
437:Additional information
34:relies excessively on
401:University of Chicago
347:Princeton University
840:2020Natur.584..177V
373:Columbia University
329:Columbia University
311:Stanford University
265:Stanford University
147:and members of the
548:. Science Magazine
337:Cornell University
319:Harvard University
293:Harvard University
275:Cornell University
187:Award distribution
834:(7820): 177–178.
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804:. 2020-08-17
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169:Amy Mainzer
165:Sergey Brin
884:Categories
808:2021-02-02
765:2019-10-10
744:2019-10-10
708:2019-10-10
687:2019-10-10
666:2019-12-04
640:G., Mark.
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573:2019-12-04
552:2019-12-04
513:2019-10-10
492:2013-04-08
472:References
157:Steven Chu
69:newspapers
36:references
858:32764688
450:See also
233:2015-21
225:2015-21
202:Stanford
194:Berkeley
836:Bibcode
625:1 March
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828:Nature
200:, and
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
