Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (MPS-Ascend)

The duration of support for a Fellowship award is for between 12 and 36 months.

The Fellowship amount of $100,000 per year for up to three years consists of two separate payments:

1. A monthly stipend of $5,833 (up to $70,000 annually) for full-time support is paid directly to the Fellow as an electronic funds transfer into a personal account at a financial institution.

2. A total allowance of $30,000 annually is paid to the Fellow in the same manner for:

a) expenses directly related to the conduct of the research, above and beyond what is normally provided by the host institution, such as some materials and supplies, subscription fees and recovery costs for databases, travel, and publication expenses and/or

b) support of fringe benefits, including health insurance provided through either a group plan offered by the host organization or an individual plan secured by the Fellow, dental and/or vision insurance, disability insurance, retirement, dependent care, and moving expenses.

Proposers must self-certify that they are eligible to receive the Fellowship. An individual (also referred to as a Fellow or proposer) is eligible to submit a proposal to the MPS-Ascend Postdoctoral Research Fellowship program if all the following criteria are met:

• Must be a U.S. citizen (or national) or legally admitted permanent resident of the United States (i.e., have a “green card”) at the time the proposal is submitted;
• Presents research, professional development, and broadening participation plans that fall within the purview of one of the Divisions (Astronomical Sciences, Chemistry, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences, or Physics) within the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences;
• May not have previously been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator of an NSF award (other than a graduate research fellowship or an award in support of a conference or workshop);
• May not submit a research plan duplicated in another NSF proposal currently under consideration;
• Must have completed all the requirements for a doctoral degree before the postdoctoral appointment start date;
• It is anticipated that the research will be conducted at an institution other than the Fellowship candidate’s doctoral-granting or current postdoctoral fellowship institution. However, if the Fellowship candidate chooses to remain at their current institution, the Project Description should include a strong justification of how this choice benefits their research and career development.