NSF GRFP: Craft a Competitive Proposal for 2026
September 14, 2026
The Graduate School is hosting a series of sessions in September to help students craft effective proposals for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP), the applications for which are due in October. Graduate applicants must be first-year graduate students in their first graduate degree program with less than one academic year completed in the degree program.
A virtual overview session will be held on September 16, 12 – 1 p.m., to provide students applying this year with general information about the GRFP program and information on how to create a competitive proposal. A panel of successful GRFP fellows will provide helpful tips and answer questions. (View the recording.)
For more hands-on assistance, two in-person peer review sessions will be held in 100 Mann Library on September 28 from 12 – 2 p.m. and September 29 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Sign up for a 20-minute appointment at one of these sessions to have your NSF GRF materials peer reviewed by successful GRFP fellows. Sign up with your name and email address in a yellow-colored space in any empty space with an available peer reviewer.
Students who sign up for a time slot should plan to provide their peer reviewer with a draft of their application materials via email no less than 24 hours before their peer review appointment. In your email to your reviewer, please make sure you introduce yourself and let them know the time slot you are signed up for. We do not anticipate the peer reviewers having time to do an in-depth review of your materials before your appointment, as this is what the appointment is meant for. However, their ability to do an initial read of your materials before your appointment will help make your time with them more productive.
Graduate students interested in additional review are invited to workshop their proposals in one-on-one consultations with Graduate Writing Service tutors. Students are also invited to browse the GRFP proposal library via the External Fellowship Portal, hosted by the Graduate School, to read past successful proposals while crafting their own. Please note: You must be logged in with your Cornell NetID to access the essays.
2026 GRFP deadlines (all materials due by 8 p.m. ET):
- Chemistry, Geosciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physics, and Astronomy: October 23, 2026
- All reference letters: October 16, 2026
- Life Sciences: October 19, 2026
- Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Materials Research, Psychology, and Social Sciences: October 20, 2026
- Engineering: October 22, 2026