To be eligible for the NSF GRFP, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
• Intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in a research-based graduate degree program in an eligible Field of Study in STEM or STEM education (See Appendix and Section IV.3 for eligible Fields of Study)
• Have never previously accepted a GRFP award
• If previously offered a GRFP award, have declined by the deadline
• Have never previously applied to GRFP while enrolled in a graduate degree program
• Have never earned a doctoral or terminal degree in any field
• Have never earned a master's or professional degree (see joint bachelor's-master's degree information below) in any field, unless (i) returning to graduate study after an interruption of two (2) or more consecutive years immediately preceding the deadline, and; (ii) are not enrolled in a graduate degree program at the application deadline
• Not be a current NSF employee

Number of Times Individuals May Apply

• Undergraduate seniors and bachelor's degree holders who have never enrolled in a graduate degree program have no restrictions on the number of times they can apply before enrolling in a degree-granting graduate program.
• Graduate students enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program are limited to only one application to the GRFP, submitted in the first year or beginning of the second year of their degree program.
• Individuals applying while enrolled in a joint bachelor's-master's degree program are considered graduate students who: i) must have completed three (3) years in the joint program, and; ii) are limited to one application to GRFP; they will not be eligible to apply again as doctoral students.
• Individuals holding joint bachelor's-master's degrees, currently enrolled as first-year doctoral students, who have not previously applied as graduate students and enrolled in the doctoral program the semester following award of the joint degree, may only apply in the first year of the doctoral program.
• Individuals holding joint bachelor's-master's degrees who did not progress directly to a doctoral program the semester following award of the joint degree must apply as returning graduate students (see below).
• Applications withdrawn by November 15 of the application year do not count toward the one-time graduate application limit. Applications withdrawn after November 15 count toward this one-time limit.
• Applications not reviewed by NSF do not count toward the one-time graduate application limit.
• There is a limited opportunity for returning graduate students to apply for a graduate research fellowship. Individuals who have (i) completed more than one academic year in a degree-granting program, (ii) earned a previous master's degree of any kind (including bachelor's-master's degree), or (iii) earned a professional degree are eligible only if:
  • they have had a continuous interruption in graduate study of at least two consecutive years immediately prior to the application deadline; and
  • are not enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program at the application deadline.