A lot of other NSF GRFP fellows have posted their application advice online, so I figured I would do the same, although I don't know how much I have to add compared to what past winners have said 😅

For undergrads and first- or second-year grad students wanting to apply, the NSF GRFP is a fellowship open to US citizens and permanent residents that provides $37,000 of funding for 3 years of your PhD (as of 2025). In College Station, this is a pretty significant pay raise, but possibly more importantly, the GRFP looks incredible on your CV and shows that you have the ability to fund yourself as an early career scientist. Some proposals are awarded an Honorable Mention which does not come with funding, but is still a very impressive achievement. However, even if you do not win the fellowship, the process of crafting your NSF GRFP application will prepare you for the many future proposals you will inevitably write if you plan to pursue a career in academia.

More information can be found here, and I recommend reading through this page thoroughly since guidelines can significantly change from year to year (especially right now). The full application consists of a 2-page research proposal and 3-page personal statement, BOTH of which need to include an Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts section. You will also need three letters of recommendation, and it is best to ask for these as early as possible, but I would say to ask at least 1-2 months out from the GRFP deadline so that your references have time to craft a good letter and talk with you about what to include.

Here are some web pages with fantastic advice on crafting your GRFP application from past winners:

Taylor Hutchison  -  How to approach the application process + email your letter writers

Alex Lang  -  Great advice for structuring your essays + a huge archive of past winning proposals

Natasha Latouf  -  Includes a good recommended timeline + helpful details if you win the GRFP

ASTRO VAULT  -  If you are a TAMU astro grad, past students have uploaded their applications here

I personally applied twice for the GRFP, once as a senior undergrad and once as a second-year grad student. Unless your CV is REALLY impressive as a first-year grad, I would agree with past winners that it's better to wait until your second year to apply when you have more accomplishments under your belt.  UPDATE:  Unfortunately, due to funding cuts and NSF rule changes, you can only apply for the GRFP once as a graduate student, during your first year.

Here are my application materials for the 2024 cycle:

Most of the guidance I could think to give is already covered by the GRFP applicants listed above, but if I had to distill the advice that was most helpful for me, I would say:

• There's no such thing as overselling yourself; you have to be willing to hype yourself up and justify why you deserve this award (because you absolutely do!)

• Your personal statement shouldn't just be a sob story, but reviewers do like to see that you're able to overcome adversity.

• Don't be afraid to lean into unique traits that make you stand out, even if they seem weird. I talked a lot about my experience as a musician and how it shaped my perspectives on research and astronomy education. Many successful applications have an "it factor" that's hard to describe, but if you can lock on to a strong passion you have, you'll be more likely to achieve it. 

• I cannot stress enough how helpful it was for me to meet with my advisor several months in advance to formulate an impactful research project that could be described succinctly in 2 pages. 

Reviewers love to hear that your project is low risk, low cost, and has a high chance of success.

You also need to confidently assure the reviewers that you already have (or can easily acquire) the resources and skills to complete your proposed research project. 

When I applied in 2023, my biggest critique was that I claimed to be able to get lab data easily without actually addressing how I would do so. The second time around, when proposing an observing-heavy project, I made it clear that I have access to a large telescope that I've been trained to operate, and that I've learned the skills to analyze that data and draw conclusions. 

• (New for 2025) My applicaton included many words that are now considered "DEI speak" ('advocatle', 'accessibilitly', 'barrierls', 'inclusivle', 'marginalized', etc.). Unforuntaely, due to the current political climate,  I would avoid such words in your proposal until this administration ends. It sucks to have to tiptoe around these kinds of issues, especially if you're someone who is affected by the current anti-DEI restrictions, but it's the best way to maximize your odds of receiving funding right now.

The important thing to remember is that you don't have to stop embodying the principles of inclusivitly, diversitly, equitly, and accessibilitly. You can use different language but let your actions speak for your character. We're all pretty frustrated with how things are going right now, but changing how you sell your research does not mean changing your morals and ideals 😉

In  addition, here are some extra tips for GRFP winners (and TAMU fellows in general):

• IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER FELLOWSHIP with a smaller stipend and you win the GRFP, you can reach out to the TAMU financial aid office and request to defer that fellowship for 3 years so that you can maximize the amount of funding you receive.

• PAYING ESTIMATED TAXES is required, since taxes are NOT automatically deducted from your fellowship. You'll need to set aside some of your income each month to pay taxes manually through the IRS website for each quarter of the year to avoid late penalties. You can choose to hire a tax professional to figure out the details for you, but I typically just do the math myself.

As an example, let's say you are funded by the GRFP for the full 2025 tax year, and have no other sources of income. The standard deduction is $15,000, so you will have a taxable income of $37,000 - $15,000 = $22,000. 

According to the 2025 tax brackets, you'll owe 10% on the first $11,925, and 12% on the remaining $10,075, for a total of 0.10(11925) + 0.12(10075) = $2,402 (rounded to the nearest dollar).

So each quarter, you should aim to pay about $600 in estimated taxes (i.e. set aside $200 per month). You can always pay more than this amount if you want a buffer in case you forget (I typically try to pay 2 quarters worth of taxes up front if I can afford it). As long as you pay 90% of your estimated tax by each quarterly due date, and then the remainder by April 15, you should avoid any late fees or penalties!

• OTHER FINANCIAL TIPS

Using a free tool like H&R Block or TurboTax is a great way to double check your math and avoid over- or underpaying taxes. I'd highly recommend trying this out before reaching out to a tax professional if you're nervous about your taxes.

State income taxes differ by state, but in Texas, there is no additional tax on top of the federal tax. 

Grad students are typically exempt from FICA taxes, so you won't need to worry about that either.

NSF GRFP fellows are usually not eligible for the Lifetime Learning Credit, unfortunately. You also won't be able to apply for the Texas Space Grant Consortium fellowship, to my knowledge. The additional funding makes up for these losses though.

Whether you win or not, the GRFP application process is a huge achievement that will prepare you for a more successful academic career. If you're working on your application right now, I wish you the best of luck, and try to internalize the enthusiasm you put into your application so that you can carry it with you for the rest of your PhD :)