DeadlineFourth Tuesday in September, Annually Thereafter
Award amountFellowship Stipend
Last checkedJun 25, 2026
Deadline
How to Apply for Fellowship Applicants
Provides instructions for applying to the Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) program via Research.gov, including eligibility, document preparation, and submission steps.
Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or U.S. permanent resident.; Research plan must fall within NSF BIO purview.; Must earn a doctoral degree prior to fellowship start.; Must select sponsoring scientists/institutions for research broadening.; Not submitted same research to another NSF postdoctoral program.; Not worked in a doctoral-degree-requiring position for >15 months.
Requirements
Submit proposals according to funding opportunity and PAPPG.; Use specific fonts (Arial, Courier New, Palatino Linotype, Times New Roman, Computer Modern).; Margins must be at least 1 inch.; Paper size no larger than standard letter.; Single-column format strongly encouraged.; Use grammar and spelling checkers.
Application materials
Cover Sheet; References Cited; Budget Justification (not required; upload text stating 'not applicable'); Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources (not required; upload text stating 'not applicable'); Personnel Documents (Biographical Sketch, Current and Pending Support, COA, Synergistic Activities for applicant and sponsors); Data Management and Sharing Plan
How to apply
Register on Research.gov at least 30 days prior to deadline.; Submit proposal at least three days prior to deadline.; Create Research.gov account and add 'Proposed Postdoctoral Fellow' role.; Select 'Prepare and Submit Proposals' and associate with 'Proposed Postdoctoral Fellow'.; Select funding opportunity number, 'Div of Biological Infrastructure (DBI)', and 'Biology Postdoctoral Research'.; Prepare Cover Sheet, enter requested start date and host institution info.
Important dates
Set calendar date to create Research.gov account at least 30 days prior to NSF deadline.; Plan for submission at least three days prior to NSF deadline.; Confirm address and initiate changes through Research.gov at least 21 days prior to deadline.; Requested start date: 1st or 15th of month between June 1 of following year and Sept 1 of year after that.
Documents
Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG); PRFB program solicitation
Contact
PRFB Program Contact; NSF Help Desk
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