NSF Returning Fellowship Applications With Little Explanation
Fellowship proposals have been returned prior to review, as the agency says the research outlined fails to meet eligibility requirements.
"The National Science Foundation has started returning applications for its Graduate Research Fellowship Program to the students who submitted them without review, STAT News and Eos reported.
Each year about 12,000 graduate and undergraduate students apply to the respected research pipeline program. But it remains unclear how many applications have been returned before they could be reviewed for scientific merit. NSF told at least one applicant that their proposal included research that made them ineligible for the program, with no further explanation, STAT reported. But students and lab leaders say the research should’ve been eligible."
For the full article, visit: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/02/13/nsf-returns-fellowship-applications-minimal-reasoning