The following is a special contribution to this blog by Tracy Kimbrel, National Science Foundation (NSF) Program Director for Computing and Communication Foundations. 

The NSF-wide Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.

GRFP is the country’s oldest national fellowship program directly supporting graduate students in STEM fields. The hallmark features of the program are: 1) the award of fellowships to individuals on the basis of merit and potential, and 2) the freedom and flexibility provided to Fellows to define their own research and choose the accredited U.S. graduate institution that they will attend.

GRFP makes approximately 2000 new fellowship awards each year. Participation by the computing research community has been relatively low in recent years. Fewer than 100 of these awards currently go to students doing research in areas supported by the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE).

I encourage the CISE community to inform its eligible students about this program and to urge them to apply. US citizens and permanent residents who are planning to enter graduate school in an NSF-supported discipline next fall, or in the first two years of such a graduate program, or who are returning to graduate school after being out for two or more years, are eligible. Applications for CISE fields are due October 27. The applicant information page and the solicitation contain the necessary details.

GRFP also needs qualified reviewers. Review panels are conducted by videoconference—no travel required! Please see the panelist information page and consider volunteering.