1) NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in STEM fields.
When do I Apply? Typically, students apply in the senior year of undergraduate and/or in their first year of graduate school. Full proposal deadline Oct. 19-22, 2020 (according to discipline).
What do I Receive? Successful applicants receive three years of support for their graduate education and their research. $34,000 annual stipend & $12,000 educational allowance (paid direct to institution).
Who is Eligible?
- U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents
- Early-career: undergrad & graduate students
- Pursuing research-based master’s and/or doctoral degrees (no professional degrees)
- Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) or STEM Education
- Full-time enrollment in graduate degree program at accredited, non-profit US institution of higher education
- NO foreign institutions
NSF actively encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, veterans, and undergraduate seniors to apply.
Where Can I Learn More? A video presentation on details of the program, and the application process, is available and may be downloaded in PDF format
- NSF GRF Homepage: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6201&org=NSF
- NSF GRF FAQ: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20114/nsf20114.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click
- WVU’s ASPIRE Office – Contact Eric.Myers@mail.wvu.edu (will aid you with application components)
2) The 2021 Goldwater Scholarship is a scholarship for sophomores/juniors interested in a career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering who who exhibit a strong commitment to a career in research. Students who intend to pursue a doctoral degree and who show the potential for a significant future contribution in their field of study are encouraged to apply. In April 2021, the Foundation will award scholarships to students who will be college sophomores or juniors during the 2020-2021 academic year.
The scholarship award covers eligible expenses (tuition, fees, books, room and board) up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. Junior scholarship recipients can expect to receive a maximum of two years of support. Senior scholarship recipients are eligible for a maximum of one year of support.
Each nominee’s field of study and career objectives, as well as commitment and potential to make a significant contribution to the field, will be considered during the selection process. To be eligible for a Goldwater Scholarship you must gain the WVU nomination and be:
- A full-time sophomore or junior at the time of the application with plans to pursue an advanced degree in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering
- Have research experience
- In the upper fourth of your graduating class with a GPA of at least a 3.0
- A U.S. citizen or a permanent resident
* Note: Students interested in pursuing careers in medicine or veterinary medicine are eligible for a Goldwater Scholarship if research is a central part of the student's career goals.
To apply for one of the FOUR West Virginia University nomination spots, go to https://goldwater.scholarsapply.org/ and complete a "Pre-Application." If we determine you are eligible to apply, we will release the full online application to you. A committee will then select four applications to be submitted by West Virginia University to the national review committee. The university’s deadline for applications is November 4, 2020. (If nominated, the national application is due Jan. 29, 2021.)
Please contact Eric Myers in the ASPIRE Office at Eric.Myers@mail.wvu.edu with questions.
