NSF Announces Changes in Graduate Fellowship Program Application
July 29, 2005
The NSF has announced that deadline dates for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) have changed and that more documentation (three reference letters) is now required than in the past. The following "Dear Colleague" letter outlines the changes:
Dear Colleagues,
Please forward the following information to senior undergraduates and beginning graduate students in your department.
An updated NSF program solicitation is now available:
Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
Please see
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf05601
for details.
Deadlines (for graduate study in Mathematics or Statistics):
* Applications due November 03, 2005.
* Official Academic Transcript(s) (Required) due November 03, 2005.
* Reference Letters (Three Required) due December 31, 2005.
* GRE Subject and General Test Scores (Optional) due December 31, 2005.
Synopsis of Program:
The National Science Foundation aims to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States and to reinforce its diversity by offering approximately 1,000 graduate fellowships in this competition. The Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master's or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are at the early stages of their graduate study. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) invests in graduate education for a cadre of diverse individuals who demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation.
Notable changes from the previous program solicitation:
(1) Application deadlines have changed.
(2) Eligibility Information has been updated and reformatted.
(3) Three Reference Letters are now required rather than one.
(4) The table of NSF Supported Fields of Study has been updated. Applicants are required to enter text for proposed fields that are not listed in the table.
(5) Application preparation and submission instructions have changed. The text instructions for essays are revised in the Fastlane Application Module, and applicants are required to use a twelve-point font and comply with the page limitations for each section. The essays must be written using the standard 8.5" x 11'" page size.
(6) The new Educational Testing Service address was added for applicants to mail the request for payment of the GRE subject test fee and the GRE subject test registration form.
(7) The Undergraduate GPA Form is no longer required.
