National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Welcome to the Graduate School’s website for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Winning an NSF GRFP fellowship is a major milestone in your academic career. The Graduate School, in coordination with the Division of Research (Research Foundation) and your academic department, serves as the institutional administrative hub for your fellowship.

Below, you will find detailed information on how your fellowship funds are managed, stipend schedules, tuition and health insurance coverage, and how to access your professional development funds. The Graduate School reviews the rules on award administration annually to ensure that we are accurately following the terms and conditions of the NSF GRFP program.

Table of Contents

Understanding Fellowship Status

The NSF GRFP allows 5 years total to utilize 3 years of funding support. In years where you are funded you are considered “on tenure” and in interim years where you do not use NSF GRFP funding you are considered to be “on reserve.”

You must declare your status annually in the official NSF GRFP Portal:

  • TENURE:  You receive the NSF stipend, full tuition/fee waiver, health insurance coverage, and the fellow Research Allowance.
  • RESERVE:  You pause your NSF stipend to utilize other funding sources (e.g., departmental fellowship, TA, or RPA). You remain an active fellow in good standing so long as you maintain full-time enrollment in your graduate program.

Award Components

During your tenure years, your award consists of two main components managed centrally by the Graduate School:

Component

NSF Standard Amount

Campus Administration Process

Fellow Stipend

$37,000 per 12-month tenure year

Paid directly to you in equal bi-weekly installments via direct deposit. Fellows are appointed to a fellowship line through the Research Foundation of SUNY.
Appointments extend from September 1st to August 31st annually. For information about payroll schedules, HR forms, etc. please see the Division of Research HR Website.

Cost of Education (COE) Allowance

$16,000 per tenure year (paid to institution)

Institutional funding used to provide full coverage of your tuition, mandatory fees, and health insurance, as well as a research allowance that is determined annually. Fellows in their final year of tenure will have access to COE funding until August 31 of that final year. See below for more information.

Cost of Education

Tuition, Fees & Health Insurance

The Graduate School manages GRFP appointments through the Research Foundation, and coordinates payment of all tuition, mandatory fees, and health insurance billing behind the scenes.

What is Covered During Tenure Years

  • Full Tuition & Mandatory Student Fees: The Graduate School provides 100% coverage of tuition and mandatory university fees. Even if these costs exceed the NSF $16,000 COE baseline, the University absorbs the difference—guaranteeing zero out-of-pocket tuition/fee costs.
  • Health Insurance: Students may choose to have health insurance coverage at the time of their annual appointment to the GRFP. If students elect into health insurance coverage, these fees are paid directly by the university using COE funds. Some fellows may already have health insurance through other means (family coverage, etc) and may decline the health insurance available through the fellowship appointment.

Research Allowance

Each fellow on tenure will receive a research allowance to support professional development and research-related expenses. At the beginning of each academic year GRFP fellows and their faculty advisors will receive notification of the allowance amount available.

This funding will be administered through a dedicated central account. Because the cost of education goes up annually, the fellow allowance is adjusted annually based on the availability of funding.

Typical Expenses

  • Conference Travel: Airfare, lodging, registration fees, and meals for academic conferences where you are presenting or participating.
  • Research Equipment & Supplies: Books, lab and field research equipment.
  • Publication expenses: Page charges for academic journal submissions.
  • Computing Equipment*: Laptops or specialized hardware required for your dissertation research.

*Computing hardware over $500 purchased with university-administered funds remains property of the university during your tenure. If fellows wish to keep computer equipment after their GRFP tenure expires, the purchase must follow particular purchasing processes and be made prior to the start of the academic year. Please see the Graduate School contact for more information (see below).

For a full list of items that are allowable or prohibited, please reach out to your department contact.

How to Request Reimbursement or Direct Purchasing

  • To administer the research allowance, the Graduate School establishes an account with the home department of each fellow.  Fellows can therefore work directly with their departmental administrative staff and faculty advisor to spend their allowance.
  • Expenditures will follow the New York State procurement procedures.  Requests over $2,500 must be made using a purchase order.
  • Faculty Advisors are responsible for oversight of the spending on this award and should approve purchases using a model agreed upon between the advisor, the student, and department staff. If a faculty advisor is unavailable the Department Chair or Graduate Director may issue approval.
  • Once a faculty member approves the requested purchase, the appropriate staff member from their program’s department may make purchases to be charged to the account # provided. 
  • If purchases exceed the allowed annual amount, the Graduate School may request a department account to cover the cost of the overage.

Tax Information

  • Fellowship stipends are generally considered taxable income for federal and state income tax purposes.
  • Because GRFP stipends are fellowship grants rather than wages for service (W-2 income), the Research Foundation does not withhold taxes from your stipend checks.
  • Fellows are strongly advised to make estimated quarterly tax payments to the IRS and state tax authorities. The Graduate School and Coordinating Official are legally prohibited from providing official tax advice. Please consult a certified CPA or tax professional for information about your particular situation.

Fellow Responsibilities and Annual Deadlines

To maintain your fellowship in good standing with both NSF and the University, you must complete the following annual requirements:

  1. NSF Portal Tenure Declaration (April 15 – May 1): Log into the NSF GRFP Module and formally declare your status (Tenure or Reserve) for the upcoming academic year.
  2. Annual Activity Report (May 15): Submit your annual progress report through the NSF Portal. Your Faculty Advisor must log in and approve this report.

Onboarding Checklist for New Awardees

If you have recently accepted the NSF GRFP and selected Binghamton University  as your host institution:

  • Step 1 - Declare NSF Status: Accept your award and select Binghamton University in the official NSF GRFP Module.
  • Step 2 - Notify the Graduate School: Email your official NSF Award Letter to the NSF Coordinating Official (graduate@binghamton.edu).
  • Step 3 - Complete fellowship appointment paperwork with the Research Foundation: The Graduate School will share required paperwork with you ahead of the appointment period. Please complete it promptly.
  • Step 4 - Register for Classes: Maintain full-time student status.
  • Step 5 - Attend GRFP Orientation: Join the Graduate School’s annual NSF GRFP Welcome & Administrative Briefing held in August. Here, you will be given the opportunity to review the Institutional Mentorship Plan, learn more about accessing COE funds that have been redistributed to fellows, and get all of your questions answered.

Contacts and Support

The Graduate School GRFP Administrative Team is here to help you navigate your fellowship from matriculation through graduation.

NSF Coordinating Official (CO)
Terrence Deak, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
Primary Contact for: Tenure declarations, NSF portal questions, deferrals, and institutional certifications.
Email: tdeak@binghamton.edu

Graduate School Contact:
Yongabi Ngoh, Assistant Director of Finance and Operations
Primary Contact for: fellowship appointment, tuition and fee billing questions.
Email: yngoh@binghamton.edu

Departmental Staff Support
Primary Contact for: Processing of research-related expenses, travel expenses, and other allowable professional development expenses.