Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (STEM Ed PRF)

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

• NSF STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowships proposals may be submitted by individuals (Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship); or by single institutions or a collaboration of institutions (Institutional Cohort Postdoctoral Fellowship). Proposals may be submitted only by the following entities.

  Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship proposers must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship proposals are submitted directly by the fellowship proposer to NSF. Each fellowship proposer must affiliate with a sponsoring STEM education researcher and host institution (with whom the sponsor is affiliated) at the time of proposal submission. Appropriate host institutions include:

  Individual fellowship proposers are encouraged to propose host institutions that differ from the institution that awarded their doctorate to broaden their professional networks and experiences. Proposers who are women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and/or other members of groups underrepresented in STEM education research, or who have attended community colleges or Minority-Serving Institutions (Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native -Serving Institutions, Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions, Asian American and Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions, and Hispanic-Serving Institutions) are especially encouraged to apply.

  Proposals that fail to meet the above eligibility requirements will be returned without review.

  By signing and submitting the proposal, the fellowship proposer is certifying that the proposer meets the eligibility criteria specified in this program solicitation. Willful provision of false information in this request and its supporting documents or in reports required under an ensuing award is a criminal offense (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001).

  Institutional Cohort Postdoctoral Fellowship proposers (single and collaborative) must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  Proposals for Institutional Cohort Postdoctoral Fellowships from or including partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and institutions located within EPSCoR jurisdictions are encouraged.

  • Be a U.S. citizen, national, or legally admitted permanent resident alien of the United States as of the proposal deadline,
  • Hold a doctoral degree in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM), STEM Education, Education, or a related discipline earned no more than 24 months before the proposal deadline or will earn such a degree within 10 months after the proposal deadline,
  • Must not hold a tenure-track position, and
  • Must not have submitted the same fellowship proposal concurrently to another NSF program or to a similar program in another Federal agency.
  • Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) Two-and-four-year IHEs (including community colleges), accredited in, and having a campus located in the U.S., acting on behalf of their faculty members.
  • Non-profit, Non-academic organizations - Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and other similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.
  • Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) Two-and-four-year IHEs (including community colleges), accredited in, and having a campus located in the U.S., acting on behalf of their faculty members.
  • Non-profit, Non-academic organizations - Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and other similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.

Who May Serve as PI:

For Individual Postdoctoral Fellowships, proposers must have earned a doctoral degree in STEM, STEM Education, Education, or a related discipline no more than 24 months prior to the proposal deadline or will earn such a degree within 10 months after the application deadline and must not hold a tenure-track position. If an award is recommended, the Fellowship proposal will be transferred to the proposed host institution where the Postdoctoral Fellow will be named as the PI.

For Institutional Cohort Postdoctoral Fellowships, PIs must hold full-time positions at the lead institution as associate or full professors (or their equivalent), in STEM, STEM Education, Education, or a related discipline with a research emphasis in STEM education. Full-time academic or research faculty members from partner (secondary) institutions or those who hold senior positions at non-profit, non-academic organizations, such as museums and similar organizations in the United States associated with STEM education and/or STEM education research activities, may be named as co-PIs.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1

Each institution may be named in only one Institutional Cohort Postdoctoral Fellowship proposal per competition, in either a single institutional or collaborative institutional proposal. There are no restrictions on the number of Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship proposers that an organization may host.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1

Proposers for Individual Postdoctoral Fellowships may submit only one STEM Ed PRF proposal per competition. Likewise, for Institutional Cohort Postdoctoral Fellowship proposals, PIs are limited to one per competition.