Important information about NSF’s implementation of the revised 2 CFR

NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website. These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

NSF 101: EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP)

Have you heard of the new NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP)? EGFP supports institutions in EPSCoR jurisdictions by providing funding for graduate fellowships for new or continuing EGFP-eligible Fellows. Institutions that receive EGFP awards will fund EGFP Fellows via stipend and cost of education allowance.

Each year funding limitations prevent the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) from offering awards to competitive applicants who are then given the distinction of GRFP Honorable Mention (GRFP HM). EGFP seeks to provide an additional opportunity for these highly qualified applicants to receive funding for graduate school while simultaneously supporting graduate education in EPSCoR Jurisdictions. EGFP is supported by each NSF Directorate and the NSF Office of Integrative Activities (OIA). Read the solicitation for details on specific topical areas.

All institutions in EPSCoR jurisdictions that support graduate education may be eligible to participate in the program. 

The process for Fellows and Institutions looks like: 

  1. By Oct 2, 2024
    1. PI Institutions in EPSCoR Jurisdictions submit proposals to NSF for the number of eligible EGFP Fellows they seek to support in specific academic programs via Grants.gov or Research.gov by 5pm local time
  2. Early Spring 2025
    1. NSF announces EGFP Awardee institutions, and these institutions register in ETAP as EGFP-designated institutions
    2. Potential EGFP Fellows register in ETAP and apply to EGFP designated institutions in ETAP
  3. Spring-Summer 2025
    1. EGFP Institutions accept/verify potential Fellows for EGFP-designated programs in ETAP
    2. Potential EGFP Fellows accept EGFP Institution offers in ETAP
  4. Fall 2025 and Forward
    1. EGFP Fellows start and/or continue graduate study at the EGFP designated institution whose offer they accepted in ETAP

EGFP specifics for potential PI institutions: 

  • Institutions may have additional academic program-eligibility, admission requirements 
  • Potential EGFP-eligible Fellows need not have current institution affiliation 
  • EGFP welcomes proposals that include multiple academic programs and those that exclusively focus on one academic program 
  • EGFP welcomes proposals that do not include cross program or interdisciplinary themes and those with cross program or interdisciplinary themes and proposals with both
     

EGFP Steps for PI Institutions

Step 1: Submit Proposal

  1. Meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the program solicitation (NSF 24-588) which includes being in an EPSCoR jurisdiction
  2. Proposals due via Research.gov or Grants.gov by Oct 2nd, 2024, 5pm local

Step 2: Register Once Funded

  1. Funded institutions, register in ETAP https://etap.nsf.gov/ 
  2. Feel free to contact EGFP (egfp@nsf.gov) with questions associated with declines
  3. EGFP Institutions will be listed in ETAP early Spring 2025

Step 3: Accept Applicants

  1. Admit students to funded programs through ETAP
  2. Institutions only receive $37,000 for stipends and $16,000 for tuition and fees yearly for 3 funded years (Fellows have 5 years to utilize the funding) 

EGFP specifics for potential EGFP Fellows:

  • Meet Fellow requirements in the solicitation, including GRFP HM designation 
  • Fellows can be new to or current students at an EGFP-designated institution
  • Fellows must meet intuitional degree program requirements 
  • Fellowships are not transferable to non-funded programs or other institutions 

EGFP Steps for Potential Fellows

Step 1: Check Eligibility - Now through Spring 2025

  • Meet Fellow requirements in the solicitation (NSF 24-588), including GRFP HM designation in 2022, 2023, 2024, or 2025 
  • Eligibility is not related to current graduate program acceptance, nor enrollment in a graduate degree program, nor years of graduate study nor previously chosen field of study nor current year factor into eligibility

Step 2: Register in ETAP - Spring 2025

  • Register in NSF Education & Training Application (etap.nsf.gov) 
  • Become familiar with EGFP institutions and their available resources 
  • EGFP institution attendance is not required preregistration
  • EGFP Institutions will be listed in ETAP early Spring 2025

Step 3: Apply to Institutions - Spring 2025

  • Apply to EGFP institutions through ETAP 
  • Applicants must be accepted via ETAP by an EGFP institution and designated program to become a Fellow 
  • Fellows receive $37,000 for stipend and $16,000 yearly for tuition and fees (3 funded years and 5 years to utilize the funding)

 

Read the solicitation (NSF 24-588) carefully. It is a comprehensive list of instructions that will lay out exactly what you need to do to have a successful application. If you have a question about the application process or the program itself, please email egfp@nsf.gov. If you have ETAP specific questions contact: the NSF ETAP Help Desk, 1-800-232-8024, help@nsfetap.org. 

Note that it is very important to review the program solicitation for full requirements for program eligibility and detailed guidelines.

For additional details visit: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/nsf-epscor-graduate-fellowship-program-egfp.

For a list of NSF EPSCoR Jurisdictions visit: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/epscor.

Join the NSF EPSCoR mailing list here. 

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