Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

The National Science Foundation (NSF), through its Directorate for Geosciences and Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS), administers the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (AGS-PRF) program. This initiative supports highly qualified early-career scientists in pursuing independent postdoctoral research in disciplines under the AGS umbrella. NSF, an independent U.S. federal agency, is tasked with promoting the progress of science by funding research and education across the science and engineering spectrum. The AGS-PRF represents part of this mission by investing in the development of emerging researchers and helping establish them as future leaders in atmospheric and geospace sciences. The AGS-PRF program supports fellows for up to 24 months with total fellowship support of $100,000 in year one and $102,000 in year two. Each year, up to ten fellowships are awarded, contingent on the availability of funds. The funding includes a stipend—$70,000 in the first year and $72,000 in the second—as well as a $30,000 annual allowance. This allowance may be used for research-related expenses, professional development, health insurance, relocation costs, and other fellowship-related costs. Fellows are expected to devote full-time efforts to their fellowship activities, which can include a combination of field, lab, and computational studies. All fellowships are awarded to individuals, not institutions, and are administered by the fellows themselves. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or lawful permanent residents. Eligibility also requires that applicants either be current graduate students, have held a Ph.D. for no more than two years, or have less than 18 months of full-time employment if more than two years have passed since their degree was conferred. Research proposals must align with specific AGS programs: Atmospheric Chemistry, Climate and Large-Scale Dynamics, Paleoclimate, Physical and Dynamic Meteorology, Aeronomy, Magnetospheric Physics, Solar Terrestrial Research, and Space Weather Research. Projects incorporating artificial intelligence are considered a priority within this fellowship cycle. The application process requires applicants to submit proposals directly through Research.gov or Grants.gov. Each applicant must secure a host institution and one or more scientific mentors. If the host institution is the same as the applicant’s Ph.D.-granting or current institution, specific additional conditions must be met, including the appointment of a secondary mentor from a different institution or department. Applicants must also provide a letter of collaboration from the host institution, including a mentoring plan and confirmation of adequate facilities and support. All applications must comply with NSF’s Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). There is no fixed deadline, as proposals are accepted at any time. However, successful applicants must begin their fellowship within six months of notification. NSF typically requires 3–6 months to complete the review process. Applications must include a detailed project description, data management plan, and a budget justification. Fellows are required to submit an interim report 90 days after beginning, an annual project report, and a final report. Reviews are based on NSF's two merit review criteria—Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts—along with additional program-specific considerations such as the candidate’s qualifications and the benefits to both the researcher and the field. For questions related to the program, applicants can contact Chia-Lin Huang at chihuang@nsf.gov or (703) 292-7544, or Sylvia Edgerton at sedgerto@nsf.gov or (703) 292-8522. Further application guidance is available via the NSF program webpage. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review all eligibility rules and consult with program officers if clarification is needed prior to proposal submission.

Proposals must adhere strictly to page limits, include required section headers such as “Broader Impacts,” and be submitted by individuals, not institutions.