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News Release 16-033

NSF awards 2016 Graduate Research Fellowships

Diverse group of awardees includes 1,077 women

William A. Tarpeh working in the lab

William A. Tarpeh, 2015 GRFP awardee, studies ways to make human urine into fertilizers.


March 29, 2016

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has named 2,000 individuals as this year's recipients of awards from the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).

"The Graduate Research Fellowship Program is a vital part of our efforts to foster and promote excellence in U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics by recognizing talent broadly from across the nation," said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, NSF assistant director for Education and Human Resources. "These awards are provided to individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements, and they are investments that will help propel this country's future innovations and economic growth."

Awardees -- chosen from close to 17,000 applicants -- represent a diverse group of scientific disciplines and from all states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. commonwealths and territories. The group is diverse, including 1,077 women, 424 individuals from underrepresented minority groups, 62 persons with disabilities, 35 veterans and 627 senior undergraduates.

The new fellows come from 488 baccalaureate institutions -- 104 more institutions than in 2010, when GRFP began awarding 2,000 fellowships each year.

Former NSF fellows include numerous individuals who have made transformative breakthroughs in science and engineering, have become leaders in their chosen careers and been honored as Nobel Laureates. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals or permanent residents and are selected through the NSF peer review process.

NSF has posted a complete list of those offered this fellowship for 2016, and general information on GRFP is available at the program's website.

About GRFP

Since 1952, NSF has provided fellowships to individuals selected early in their careers based on their demonstrated potential for significant achievements in S&E. GRFP is critical to NSF's overall strategy of developing the globally engaged workforce necessary to ensure the nation's leadership in advancing S&E research and innovation.

A high priority for NSF and GRFP is increasing the diversity of the science and engineering workforce, including geographic distribution, and the participation of women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities and veterans. GRFP offers fellowship awards directly to applicants selected through a national competition.

GRFP provides three years of financial support within a five-year fellowship period ($34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to the graduate institution). That support is for graduate study that leads to a research-based master's or doctoral degree in S&E.

Fellows have opportunities for international research collaborations through the Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) initiative and professional career development with federal internships provided through the Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP). GRFP also supports NSF's Career-Life Balance (CLB) initiative (NSF 13-099).

-NSF-

Media Contacts
 Robert J. Margetta, NSF, (703) 292-2663, email: rmargett@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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