NSF CISE Graduate Fellowships (CSGrad4US) Program: June 30, 2022 application deadline

I would like to focus this month’s newsletter on an important program we are very excited about, the new NSF Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Graduate Fellowships (CSGrad4US) program and its upcoming June 30, 2022 application deadline. The aim of this program is to grow the number and diversity of US citizen and permanent resident graduate students pursuing research careers in all areas of computer science, computer engineering, or information science.

Only a small fraction of our domestic undergraduate students in CISE disciplines attend graduate school directly after an undergraduate degree due to the outstanding job opportunities in industry and at other organizations. There are, however, many talented people in non-academic positions who are interested in returning to academia to pursue research-based doctoral degrees. CSGrad4US can give them that opportunity!

Unlike the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) which provides fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at an accredited US based graduate institution, CSGrad4US offers an alternative pathway.  In particular, CSGrad4US targets individuals who have some practical experience following their bachelor’s degree and are now interested in pursuing a research-based doctoral degree. CSGrad4US aims to financially support early-career individuals with the demonstrated potential to be high-achieving CISE researchers and innovators, and to broaden participation among groups underrepresented in CISE disciplines.

TheCSGrad4US Fellowship has a two-phased process comprising (i) part-time mentored preparation, followed by (ii) the fellowship itself, which constitutes three years of support for graduate study. The upcoming June 30, 2022 deadline is for students interested in beginning a research-based doctoral degree in a CISE discipline for matriculation in Fall 2023 or Fall 2024. The applicants must be United States citizens, United States nationals, or permanent residents of the United States by the application deadline.

We need your help in getting the word out. Please reach out to your former students to let them know about CSGrad4US, and encourage them to apply. Can you please commit to forwarding this email to three former students who might be considering doctoral studies? Together we can make real progress towards a thriving and diverse national workforce necessary to ensure the Nation’s leadership in advancing CISE research and innovation.

Best,

Margaret Martonosi

NSF Assistant Director for CISE