Information-NSF 16-050 - Dear Colleague
Letter: Change in Eligibility to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
(GRFP); March 10, 2016
March
7, 2016
Dear
Colleague:
With
this Dear Colleague Letter, NSF is providing advance notice of a change in the
eligibility of prospective applicants to the Graduate Research Fellowship
Program (GRFP) to allow the community to plan accordingly. Effective as of the
2017 competition (Fall 2016 deadlines), NSF will limit
graduate students to only one application to the GRFP, submitted either in the
first year or in the second year of graduate school.1 No change
is made to the eligibility of undergraduates, of bachelor's degree holders
without any graduate study, or of individuals who have had an interruption in
graduate study of at least two consecutive years.2 GRFP
continues to identify and to inspire the diverse scientists and engineers of
the future, and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented
minority groups, persons with disabilities, and veterans to apply. This change
in eligibility should result in more individuals applying as undergraduate
students who have not yet made the commitment to go to graduate school. This is
a more diverse population than admitted graduate students.
NSF's
strong commitment to supporting graduate students through this program since
1952 has resulted in awarding close to 57,000 graduate fellowships to U.S.
individuals pursuing graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) and in STEM education. Through its Graduate Research
Fellowship awards, NSF hopes to encourage outstanding individuals from across
all groups to attend graduate school.
Please
see NSF 16-051, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), for more information.
Joan
Ferrini-Mundy
Assistant Director
Education and Human Resources Directorate
*****************************************
Proposal
Development Office
504
M.I. King Library
859-257-2861
http://www.research.uky.edu/pdo