NSF MSPRF 2026: $190,000 Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship

NSF MSPRF 2026 at a Glance

The Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships support future researchers in mathematics and statistics by allowing them to pursue postdoctoral research and professional development with a sponsoring scientist and host institution.

NSF currently estimates that approximately 35–45 fellowships will be awarded, subject to the availability of funds.

Research Fellowship and Research Instructorship Options

MSPRF provides two ways to structure the fellowship. Applicants should understand the distinction before preparing the proposal because it affects the distribution of NSF-supported research time.

Research Fellowship

The Research Fellowship option provides two academic years of full-time NSF support. Across the award, support covers 18 academic-year months plus six summer months.

Research Instructorship

The Research Instructorship option normally combines one academic year of full-time support with two academic years of half-time support. The structure is intended to allow the fellow to gain teaching experience while continuing mathematical research.

For the Research Instructorship option, the institution providing the half-time appointment must limit the teaching load to the equivalent of three teaching hours per semester during the academic-year period in which half-time NSF support is received.

MSPRF Funding and Allowances

Under the active NSF 23-603 solicitation, the total MSPRF award is $190,000.

The $50,000 allowance is currently paid as $30,000 in the first fellowship year and $20,000 in the second. It can support eligible research expenses and specified fringe-benefit-related costs such as health insurance, dependent care and moving expenses.

NSF pays the stipend and allowance directly to the fellow rather than treating the host institution as the fellowship applicant.

Who Is Eligible for NSF MSPRF?

MSPRF has specific citizenship, doctoral-degree and prior-NSF-award conditions. Proposals that do not satisfy the eligibility rules are returned without review.

Citizenship or residency

At the time of proposal submission, applicants must be one of the following:

• U.S. citizen;
• U.S. national; or
• legally admitted permanent resident of the United States.

Doctoral-degree timing

The applicant may not have held the doctoral degree for more than two years as of 1 January of the award year.

For the 2026 proposal deadline leading to 2027 awards, applicants should therefore evaluate their doctoral timing against 1 January 2027.

Candidates who have not yet completed the doctorate may submit a proposal, but the doctoral degree must be formally conferred before the postdoctoral appointment begins.

Research field

The proposed research must be in mathematics or statistics. Applications of mathematical and statistical methods to other disciplines may also fit the programme when the proposal remains substantively within the mathematical sciences.

Other NSF restrictions

Applicants generally may not previously have served as PI or co-PI on an NSF award, apart from the exceptions specified in the solicitation for an NSF graduate research fellowship or support for a conference or workshop.

Applicants also may not submit a research plan duplicated in another NSF proposal and may not previously have been offered an MSPRF award.

Host Institution and Sponsoring Scientist

Applicants are responsible for arranging an appropriate postdoctoral research environment and identifying a primary sponsoring scientist before submitting the proposal.

The host should provide suitable expertise and research conditions for the proposed mathematical work. NSF evaluates not only the scientific project but also the likely impact of the sponsoring scientist and host environment on the applicant’s professional development.

A faculty member at the host institution must agree to serve as the sponsoring scientist. NSF expects the fellow and sponsor to collaborate in developing much of the proposal.

Long absences from the host institution are generally inconsistent with the programme’s mentoring model unless approved. Work at a foreign institution may be possible under certain circumstances, but advance approval from both the sponsoring scientist and the cognizant NSF programme officer is required.

Proposal Materials and Required Documents

MSPRF is an NSF fellowship proposal rather than a conventional university job application. Applicants should therefore prepare the documents required by NSF 23-603 and the PAPPG applicable to the 2026 deadline.

Core MSPRF-specific components

• NSF Cover Sheet with an eligible requested start date.
• MSPRF application forms in Research.gov.
• Project Description, maximum five pages.
• NSF-generated fellowship budget.
• Data Management Plan, maximum two pages.
• Three required reference letters; up to four may be submitted.
• Sponsoring Scientist Statement, maximum three pages.
• Plan for a long-term absence, where applicable.
• Other full-proposal sections required under the current NSF PAPPG.

Five-page Project Description

The Project Description should explain the proposed work and its relationship to the applicant’s career development. NSF specifically expects discussion of:

• research background;
• past accomplishments;
• research objectives, methods and significance;
• career-development value of the fellowship;
• the choice of sponsoring scientist and host institution; and
• a separate section labelled Broader Impacts.

Reference letters

Three reference letters are required and up to four may be submitted. One should normally be from the doctoral adviser. The sponsoring scientist cannot serve as a reference writer unless that person is also the doctoral adviser.

How NSF Reviews MSPRF Proposals

MSPRF proposals are evaluated through NSF’s merit-review system using the standard Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria together with additional MSPRF-specific considerations.

Programme-specific review considers the applicant’s ability and research potential, reference letters, the suitability of the sponsoring scientist, the quality of the host environment, the likely scientific value of the proposed research and the potential contribution to NSF’s education and workforce goals.

NSF states that MSPRF proposals are reviewed by a panel of mathematical scientists. Applicants may normally expect notification in late January or early February, while formal fellowship awards are anticipated in April of the year following the proposal deadline.

How to Apply for NSF MSPRF 2026

1. Confirm that you satisfy the citizenship, doctoral-age and NSF-award eligibility rules.
2. Identify an appropriate host institution and sponsoring scientist.
3. Create or update your individual Research.gov account and obtain the Proposed Postdoctoral Fellow role.
4. Start a new full proposal and select the MSPRF solicitation.
5. Prepare the five-page Project Description and all required NSF/PAPPG proposal components.
6. Request three or four reference letters early enough for writers to complete Research.gov submission.
7. Obtain the sponsoring scientist’s three-page statement and upload it in the correct section.
8. Check page limits, formatting, host information and the requested fellowship start date.
9. Personally sign and submit the proposal through Research.gov by 21 October 2026 at 5:00 p.m. submitter’s local time.

MSPRF proposals are submitted by the fellowship candidate. The applicant’s current or proposed institutional Sponsored Projects Office does not submit the fellowship proposal on the applicant’s behalf.

Verified NSF programme, solicitation and Research.gov links are provided in the Official Sources and Application Links section below.

CareerAidHub Applicant Guidance

Check the doctoral-age rule carefully

The eligibility test is tied to 1 January of the award year, not simply the number of months between your PhD date and the October proposal deadline. Applicants close to the eligibility boundary should verify their exact circumstances against NSF 23-603 before investing substantial time in a proposal.

Choose the sponsor for development, not only subject overlap

MSPRF explicitly evaluates how the sponsor and host environment will affect the candidate’s scientific development. The proposal should therefore explain why that research environment is strategically useful for the next stage of the applicant’s career.

Treat Broader Impacts as a substantive section

The Project Description must include a separately labelled Broader Impacts section. It should describe realistic outcomes and activities rather than adding generic statements at the end of the research plan.

Begin Research.gov setup early

This fellowship is submitted by the individual applicant, and account roles, sponsor information and external reference submissions all require coordination. Administrative preparation should begin well before the final week.

Researchers comparing other opportunities can review CareerAidHub’s current postdoctoral fellowships and research funding opportunities.