UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded its signature Graduate Research Fellowships to 13 Penn State graduate students for the 2026-27 academic year. These scholars join the 45 prior recipients of the prestigious fellowship who currently are also pursuing a graduate degree at Penn State.
The NSF program at Penn State is managed by the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School. NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) aims to strengthen and maintain the quality of the scientific and engineering workforce in the U.S., supporting outstanding graduate students pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in STEM fields.
The 2026-27 Penn State NSF GRFP recipients are:
- Natalie Byrd, doctoral student in psychology
- Olivia DiPrinzio, doctoral student in geosciences and climate science
- Courtney Elmore, doctoral student in anthropology
- Ksenia Kirsanova, master’s student in aerospace engineering
- Cole Kratz, doctoral student in mathematics
- Jacquelyn Molloseau, doctoral student in ecology
- Ian Reed Philippi, doctoral student in materials science and engineering
- Madison Ann Ramsey, doctoral student in materials science and engineering
- Michael Robison, master’s student in materials science and engineering
- Sara Sawford, doctoral student in physics
- Kendall Sippy, doctoral student in astronomy and astrophysics
- Emily Snyder, doctoral student in biology
- Grace Tulinsky, doctoral student in geography
According to the NSF website, the NSF GRFP “has a long history of selecting recipients who achieve high levels of success in their future academic and professional careers.” The fellowship often paves a path for recipients to contribute to scientific endeavors.
Fellowship awardees receive:
- A $37,000 annual stipend (for three years)
- A $16,000 annual cost-of-education allowance paid to their institution as tuition fees
- Special access to professional development opportunities and the NSF GRFP community
In addition, the Fox Graduate School provides each student with a $2,000 scholarship for each year they declare tenure — $1,000 for the fall semester and $1,000 for the spring semester.
NSF awards more than 2,500 new fellowships each year nationwide. NSF-supported fields of study include chemistry, computer and information science and engineering, engineering, geosciences, life sciences, materials research, mathematical sciences, physics and astronomy, psychology, social sciences, and STEM education and learning research.
To learn more about NSF GRFP, contact the Fox Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards Administration at fellowships@foxgradschool.psu.edu.