NSF Returns Fellowship Applications With Minimal Reasoning

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.

Grant Witness, an organization established to document disruptions in federal funding, has compiled at least 45 examples of returned applications. And STAT noted that the hundreds of replies to social media posts about the befuddling occurrence suggest that the number of students affected is likely far higher.

An NSF spokesperson didn’t say how many applications were returned without review but said in a statement that program officers screen all applications to see if they are eligible.

“An application may be deemed ineligible for several reasons, including failure to meet proposal preparation requirements or eligibility requirements related to degree status, field of study, degree program, or proposed research,” the spokesperson said. “This determination is final and indicates that the application will not be considered further.”

During the first year of the Trump administration, NSF has lost about 500 employees, dropping the overall head count from nearly 1,700 to 1,200. But it is unclear whether the staffing shortage has anything to do with these abnormal application reviews. 

Up to 2,000 students can become NSF graduate research fellows each year. Awardees then receive a $37,000 annual stipend for three years to conduct their research.