NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

For current Fellows: The NSF GRFP grant number is: DGE-2139841

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program GRFP provides three years of support (over a five-year period) to students in STEM fields. Applicants apply for this award independently. They are not required to notify Yale or go through any internal application process. However, in addition to any support offered by their adviser or department, applicants are encouraged to contact the Graduate Writing Lab for help with the essays.

Eligibility:

• Limited to students in their first or second year of graduate school (all years of graduate study, not just the current graduate program, are considered). 
• No student with a master’s degree is eligible to apply, so students who decide to apply in their second year of graduate school need to make sure they do not receive a Yale master’s degree en route after their first year of study. 
• Students may only apply once (in either their first or second year) once they start graduate school.
• Students who received a joint BA/MA or BS/MS as an undergraduate are eligible to apply in the first year of graduate school only if they moved directly from the combined program to their current graduate program, and only if they did not previously apply as an undergraduate. 

In preparing an application for the GRFP, applicants are asked to remember that this is an award that focuses on the promise of the applicant to do transformative work in the future, to diversify the STEM workforce, and to promote STEM education. The project proposed by the applicant is a critical piece of the application, but no less important are the qualities and experiences of the applicant that speak to these outcomes. Applicants are not required to carry out the project proposed in the application, but should propose a project that could reasonably be done in their lab and with the adviser that they have chosen to work with.

All applicants are urged to carefully review the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact criteria that are used by the NSF to evaluate all NSF grant applications, and to review GRFP guidelines specifically to see how these criteria are applied to GRFP applications.

For Current NSF Fellows

Teaching

The NSF permits students who are funded as GRFP Fellows to complete any required work, including teaching assignments. The NSF is concerned, though, about students being required to do additional teaching beyond their academic requirement. To ensure that we do not violate NSF rules, any GRFP Fellow who wishes to do additional teaching beyond that which is academically required by the program must submit a petition, approved by both their adviser and DGS, explaining why they wish to teach, how this experience will benefit their academic or professional development, and why they must teach while on NSF support, rather than waiting until the award ends or using a Reserve year. You can submit this request by completing our online form.

Research and Travel Award

Students who become Tenured GRFP Fellows in Fall 2024 or later will receive a one-time, $4,000 NSF Research and Travel account. This account, which will remain active while you are registered in GSAS and funds remain, will allow you to request reimbursement for expenses related to research equipment and travel, conference travel and attendance, and other educational expenses that may be approved by the department or program. Your department or program will manage this account, and students are urged to consult with their department or program business office before making purchases for which you expect to be reimbursed. Expenses incurred without following university policies or department guidelines may not be reimbursed.