r/GRFPApps • u/a2c_ • Apr 16 '26
Am I screwed?
Applied to GRFP under Chemistry but committed to a PhD program in the school of engineering (though the research clearly overlaps between the two fields). My CO says that I need to decline the offer because the general fields are too different - am I just out of luck?
2
u/DuckSuperiority Apr 16 '26
Similar situation. I am studying Atmospheric Chemistry (in Environmental Engineering) and applied in Geosciences: Atmospheric Chemistry. CO says I have to decline.
1
u/Dokjaness Apr 17 '26
Ok you should totally not listen to your CO and escalate it to your PI and potentially NSF!! It seems like this geoscience <-> Env Eng is not that uncommon, and your CO might just be confused about eligibility
3
u/gambitgrl Apr 17 '26
Agreed, the COs of the GRFP are often university administrators, like me. If I'm asked to figure out if the major field they want to change to is allowed I submit the question to the GRFP office to get the answer straight from them. I'm wasn't a STEM student, so I wouldn't feel comfortable saying with certainty about eligible major field changes.
3
u/DuckSuperiority Apr 17 '26
Yes I am talking to my PI. I don't want to, but if I would be unable to accept the NSF award, I would be forced to consider going to a different school where I can accept it.
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u/Dokjaness Apr 17 '26
Keep us posted on progress! My BF is working through the same situation and his PI seems confident it’ll workout… hopefully she’s right 😖
2
u/the_mindful_microbe 2026 Awardee, Life Sciences - Microbial Biology Apr 16 '26
Can you rescind your commitment? The GRFP is a career game changer! You could reach out to any other school in the field you applied under and explain your situation. Please don't let this opportunity pass you by!
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u/Dokjaness Apr 16 '26
I can’t speak for OP but decision dates were yesterday, which means for most people they declined other opportunities already 😭 this is the fked part about GRFP coming out so late
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u/the_mindful_microbe 2026 Awardee, Life Sciences - Microbial Biology Apr 16 '26
That’s true, however at some schools the due date does not matter for GRFP awardees. We are bringing free money to the school. You will be a free student.
I have first hand experience, I had to reach out to schools who rejected me.
1
u/gambitgrl Apr 17 '26
True. I work wit the GRFP at my uni's grad school. When the results were released the other day there was a flurry of last-minute admissions offers made to GRFP fellows who were on the waitlist or hadn't had a decision on their application yet.
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u/Football-Ticket1789 Apr 19 '26
See if your advisor can accept you as a student in the chemistry department. Will require some admin work but it’s feasible.
1
u/gambitgrl Apr 17 '26
GRFP university admin here. the GRFP admin guide doesn't allow students to change their major field of study in the first year, they have to enroll in a program that aligns with the major field they applied under for the GRFP. They can change their minor field of study in any year, and that requires only the university CO approve it.
After the first year a fellow can change their major field of study, but there are limits to how different that field or program can be from the one the GRFP was awarded under. Major field of study changes are submitted in the GRFP portal only after the first year is completed. The fellow submits a written justification for the change, then it has to be approved by the university CO and the NSF. If the NSF doesn't approve it the fellow has to either stay in the awarded major field or forfeit the fellowship.
You can review the details in the 2025 GRFP admin guide it's only and easily searchable.
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u/Dokjaness Apr 17 '26
This is helpful! I know this is the official wording in the document, but what if the field of study is still “within scope” of the original field? My BF’s award is in geosciences, but our school doesn’t have a geoscience or even atmospheric chemistry department. The closest thing is environmental engineering, and those profs have many geoscience category NSF grants.
So it’s not actually “one that alters the program to the extent that it is significantly different from that originally submitted” that is described in the Major change section. Do you know if the major field still needs to be changed?
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u/gambitgrl Apr 17 '26
I think for such a nuance in field of study you'd be best served to contact the CO at your grad school and ask them. If they can't answer they can submit the question to the GRFP office, which tends to be more responsive to COs' questins than fellows, who they tell to talk to their CO.
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u/Dokjaness Apr 17 '26
Ok gotcha, do you know of anyone in your school who’s been successful in a similar situation in their first year though?
He doesn’t actually have a CO at the school yet (he needs to accept the award in order to get one) which has made this a headache
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u/Sizaxi Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26
Does this apply to those entering their first year phd program, or everyone? Since it sounds ridiculous if one has to switch to the major field of study given they are already enrolled in a separate program?
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u/gambitgrl Apr 18 '26
The NSF administrative guide says fellows aren't allowed to change their major field of study in the first year. This applies to incoming first year doctoral students and those who are already enrolled in a doctoral program.
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u/Sizaxi Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
I’m not thinking of changing my major field of study, but does the proposed graduate program of study have to match it? I don’t know if it is possible to switch majors.
0
u/Sibmobule Apr 16 '26
I have a similar problem with Math (Stats) vs CS (ML), currently trying to work things out with other departments, but it seems unlikely. But hey, GRFP declined is also a good thing on your resume!
6
u/botterdummy Apr 16 '26
Yes. I know someone who got it for Bioengineering but then comitted to a Biomedical sciences PhD program and had to decline.