The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master’s or doctoral degrees in STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — or in STEM education.
This support includes an annual stipend and a cost-of-education allowance towards tuition and fees.
The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and strength of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. NSF actively encourages the submission of applications from the full spectrum of talent that the US has to offer. NSF Fellows are anticipated to become experts whose work contributed significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering.
MIT is proud to have over 600 students participating in the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).
Fall 2026 Webinars
NSF GRFP Presentation – Current and Incoming Fellows
- Contact grad-fellowships@mit.edu for more information.
NSF GRFP Presentation – Applying Fellows
- TBA
Writing Workshop with the WCC — Merit and Impact: Writing a Compelling NSF-GRFP Statement
Eligibility
Review NSF GRFP Program Solicitation and take the NSF GRFP Eligibility Questionnaire.
Please note the change that students must have completed LESS than one academic year completed in their degree program. This means students who are in their second year of graduate studies (even in combined bachelor’s-master’s programs) are no longer eligible.
When applying for NSF GRFP, please note the major field of study you select must align with the name of your home department at MIT. We have created a chart of all the home departments at MIT and have provided a suggested selection of NSF GRFP major field(s) for each department.
Please review our chart before your starting application.
If you intend to select a major field of study that falls outside of what we suggest, please email grad-fellowships@mit.edu to discuss prior to submitting your NSF GRFP application.
Application process
For more information, please see the NSF GRFP website for submission requirements, formatting, and links to the application modules. Please review the solicitation document as well as their website to make sure you adhere to guidelines and requirements.
Please find the most recent NSF GRFP administrative guide here (released April, 2025).
The fellowship team’s September 2025 Newsflash includes information on this year’s NSF GRFP solicitation, application timeline, resources to prepare your essays, and other things to note.*
This newsflash has the old, un-updated deadlines for application.
Timeline
Times have been moved from 5pm applicants time to 8pm eastern time.
Late July / August – Program solicitation and application available online.
Attention: Reference Letters submissions are due before application deadlines.
Applicants and reference letter writers requiring accessibility accommodation are asked to notify the GRF Operations Center at least three weeks before the relevant deadline to coordinate assistance for submitting the application or reference letter.
Friday, October 16th 8PM EST – Reference Letter Submission Deadline
October – Deadlines vary by major field of study, and are typically in mid to late October. Expand the accordion below for 2026 deadlines.
Application deadlines by major field of study for 2026 application cycle
Applications are due at 8pm Eastern Time
October 19 (Mon):
- Life Sciences
October 20 (Tues):
- Computer and Information Science and Engineering;
- Materials Research;
- Psychology;
- Social Sciences
October 22 (Thur):
- Engineering
October 23 (Fri):
- Chemistry;
- Geosciences;
- Mathematical Sciences;
- Physics and Astronomy
November 15
- Application Withdrawal deadline
April – Awards announced in early April.
May – Fellowship acceptance deadline in early May.
*Review dates on the NSF GRFP website carefully; there are different deadlines for different fields of study.
Funding at MIT
Please find the most recent NSF’s administrative guide here (released April 8, 2025). Five-year fellowship, with three of the years (“On Tenure” status) providing the following:
- $37,000 stipend
- $16,000 cost-of-education (COE) allowance (tuition award)
- Your university supplements all shortfalls for tuition, stipend, health insurance, and mandatory fees.
The student is responsible for securing funding for the remaining two years (“On Reserve” status).
MIT’s fellowships team has created a MIT’s guidelines document to answer fellows’ and applicants’ questions and to layout the various procedures and policies of MIT and NSF.
Updated September 2026.
