"The rebound 'is a significant boost for early-career researchers and the future of US science', says Joshua Weitz, a biologist at the University of Maryland in College Park."
"Brian Stone, acting NSF director, stated that the continuation of the program reflects the Trump administration's 'strong focus on building talent and investing in individual researchers'."
"Concerns arose when the call for the program's 2026 applications went out more than two months late, and eligibility criteria changed, excluding second-year graduate students."
"At least 65 applications were 'returned without review', raising alarms about the type of science that NSF would fund."
The US National Science Foundation awarded a record 2,599 graduate fellowships, a significant increase from last year's low of 1,000. This decision comes amid concerns about the NSF's future and budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration. Changes to eligibility criteria have raised worries about the program's direction, particularly the exclusion of second-year graduate students from applying. However, the record number of awardees has alleviated some concerns, reflecting a commitment to supporting early-career researchers in STEM fields.
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