MU rising seniors and first-year graduate students in NSF-supported fields:
Now is the time to consider attending spring 2026 GRF@MU events and workshops! Learn how to develop and demonstrate intellectual merit (potential to advance knowledge) and broader impacts in your upcoming NSF GRFP application!
| Date/Time | GRF@MU Event | Description | Register |
| Feb. 26, 2026, 4:30–5:30 p.m. | Early-bird information session (online) | Register for the GRF Early-bird Information Session. Attend this session to get a jump-start on your GRF preparation. We’ll cover all the basics: eligibility, selection criteria, application components, award benefits, and Mizzou’s advising support. Learning early what the application requires will help you make the most of your spring semester, giving you a leg up on the competition. | Email fellowships@missouri.edu for a recording |
| April 10, 2026, 3–4 p.m. | Information session (online) | Register for the GRF information session. Come ready to learn and ask questions about the 2026 NSF GRF application. Mizzou’s GRF coaching team will talk about award eligibility, selection criteria, application components, and award benefits. We’ll also give an overview of our advising support programming, lasting through spring, summer, and fall. | Register on MU Engage |
| April 13, 2026, 4:30–5:30 p.m. | GRF and Fulbright faculty and student panel (in-person) | Register for the GRF and Fulbright panel discussion. These two fellowships are the most popular among Mizzou’s graduate students and undergraduate seniors. Come learn why — and how each can open up career opportunities for you — from current Mizzou students and faculty who have experienced the awards. | Register on MU Engage |
| April 23, 2026 | Student panel discussion (hybrid) | Register for the GRF student panel discussion. Attend this event to learn more about the GRF award and application experience from current Mizzou undergraduate and graduate students who have applied for and/or received the award. | Register on MU Engage |
| April 27 & 28, 2026 | GRF Warm-up Application workshop (in-person) | Register for the GRF Warm-up. This new in-person workshop is a hands-on opportunity to organize your GRF work before leaving Columbia for the summer. Start your essays using the NSF’s (very hard to find) preferred templates. Start your comprehensive CV using our time-tested, space-efficient formatting. Get a sneak peek at the summer bootcamp and meet members of the GRF coaching team. | Register on MS Forms |
| June | Summer Bootcamp Writing Workshop (Online) | Get started early on your GRFP application with support from MU’s GRF Coaching Team. This four-week virtual workshop series will give you a strong start in developing your GRF application. The program guides students in writing the first draft of their NSF GRF applications with support from the MU GRF coaching team, a partnership of Global & National Fellowships, the Office of Undergraduate Research, and the Graduate School. Participants will also learn helpful strategies for developing their NSF GRF application in consultation with their faculty research advisor(s). | Register on MS Forms |
| Early September | GRF Sprint Information Session (Online) | Learn about MU’s 2026 GRFP Sprint! This is a two-week, in-person, intensive workshop that will help you draft or polish your application essays for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. | Register in August |
| Mid-September | GRF Sprint Writing Workshop (In Person) | Register to attend the 2026 GRFP Sprint! Working with the MU GRF coaches from Global & National Fellowships, the Office of Undergraduate Research, and the Graduate School, students will go from blank pages to full application drafts in two weeks. The in-person workshops are held weekday evenings. The overlap between a GRF application and a graduate school application is significant. Think of the Sprint as a prep course for anyone applying to graduate school in an NSF field. The GRFP Sprint includes access to an asynchronous Canvas course. | Register in August |
| Mid-October | GRF Countdown Drop-in application support | Register to attend the 2026 GRF Countdown. Students who have worked with the GRF coaching team will be invited to attend the GRF Countdown, where they can receive final application support and review before the national submission deadline. | Register in October |
About
The National Science Foundation aims to ensure the vitality of research and innovation in the United States by offering approximately 2,000 graduate fellowships in biological science, technology, engineering, mathematics, physical science, earth science and social science. The Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support (up to $159,000) for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are at the early stages of their graduate study.
Eligibility
Applicants must be United States citizens or permanent residents near the beginning of their graduate studies. Applicants may apply in their senior year of undergraduate studies or in their first or second year of graduate school. GRFP-supported fields of study include Chemistry, Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering, Engineering, Geosciences, Life Sciences, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Psychology, Social Sciences, STEM Education and Learning Research.
For detailed eligibility information, check the NSF GRFP website and consult with our office.
What They Are Looking For
Demonstrating potential for significant research contributions looks different for each applicant given the many fields and sub-fields of study NSF GRF recipients pursue. NSF GRFP recipients show their capacity for research excellence and meeting the grant selection criteria through:
- Collecting a variety of undergraduate research experiences and discussing how each of those experiences has provided transferable skills that qualify them for graduate study.
- Consulting with a mentor (or mentors) to develop sound methods and methodology for investigating a research question or hypothesis.
- Communicating how they have improved the public’s understanding of science, or possibly directly benefited society in some way through their research.
- Articulating how they plan to advance knowledge within and beyond their academic discipline in graduate study and throughout their careers.
Application and Selection Timeline
February: Attend GRF information sessions hosted by Mizzou GRF coaching team (Global and National Fellowships, Office of Undergraduate Research and the Graduate School)
April: Attend the panel discussions and GRF Warmup; register for the GRF summer bootcamp
June: Attend summer bootcamp and create first drafts of your application
July onward: Revise your application materials
Late July: Application opens
Mid-September: Attend the GRF Sprint daily workshops to push your application one level higher
Early October: Reference Letters are due before the application deadlines
Late October: Application closes (deadlines vary by academic discipline)
Late March/early April: Awards announced
Early May: Fellows accept or decline awards