NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) celebrated its 60th year on Dec. 5, 2012.

GRFP is the country's oldest fellowship program directly supporting graduate students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. In operation almost as long as NSF itself, the program makes an investment in students with demonstrated potential for significant achievements in science and engineering. Fellows receive an annual stipend, can take advantage of opportunities for international research and professional development, and have the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S. institution of graduate education they choose.

On Dec. 5, 2012, NSF recognized the accomplishments of current and past GRFs at a special celebration, and speakers discussed the impact of the support they received as a GRF on their later work. U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu was a featured speaker. Former NSF Director Subra Suresh made a major announcement regarding a new effort to increase opportunities for fellows to undertake research collaborations beyond U.S. borders. And, the event included the awarding of prizes to student winners of a video contest that challenged active GRFs to show how their research could help shape the future.

The event was webcast live. An archive of the webcast is available for viewing. For more information, see the NSF news release.

As part of the GRFP 60th anniversary celebration, special profiles of 60 Graduate Research Fellows were published. You can find them at http://www.nsfgrfp.org/general_resources/60th_anniversary, along with other 60th anniversary information.

Top image: Graduate student Tony Tang helps develop an artificial pancreas at the Georgia Tech/Emory Center for the Engineering of Living Tissues.
Credit: Gary Meek, Georgia Institute of Technology

Bottom image: NSF fellows are knowledge experts who contribute significantly to research, teaching and innovations in science and engineering.
Credit: Mark Whitmore