Funding Resources
NIMH Biobehavioral Research Awards for Innovative New Scientists
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
- For students pre-graduate school (must be applying to programs) up to first-year PhD student
- Can apply twice, only once once in grad school
- Deadline usually mid-to-late October
Requirements:
- Three letters of recommendation
- 3-page Personal Statement
- 2-page Research Statement
Important:
- Solicitation from NSF page gives you all the information you need solicitation updated every year
- check for correct formatting before submission
- each statement must explicitly have sections with headers “Intellectual Merit” and “Broader Impacts”
Intellectual Merit: The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge, including
- Increase participation in STEM
- Improve STEM education in schools through outreach and mentoring
- Increase public scientific literacy and public engagement with STEM through community outreach
- Increase collaboration among academia, industry, and other types of organizations
- Improve education and educator development – at any level – in STEM
- Improve the well-being of individuals in society
- Develop a globally competitive STEM workforce
- Improve national security
- Increase the economic competitiveness of the U.S.
- Enhance infrastructure for research and education
Broader Impacts: The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes
Recent Revisions as of FY26:
- 2nd year PhD students are no longer eligible to apply
- No clinical or health degree programs are eligible for NSF GRFP consideration (including clinical psychology)