For GRFP letter writers and the students who ask them
NSF GRFP Letter of Recommendation Template
An outline for a two-page GRFP letter of recommendation that covers both NSF review criteria, with NSF's rules quoted and a brag sheet for students.
The letter, part by part
How to write a GRFP letter of recommendation
NSF asks each letter to cover both review criteria, how you know the student, and their academic potential, prior research and proposed research. The template fits that into two pages in six parts. The rules quoted below come from NSF 26-5263, the solicitation for the 2026–27 cycle. That cycle has closed (letters were due October 16, 2026), so check NSF's next solicitation before you write for a later one.
| Part | What to write | What NSF asks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. How you know the student | A short paragraph: your title, department and institution, how long you have known the student, in what role and how often you worked together. Close it with your recommendation in one sentence. | "How long you have known the applicant and in what capacity," including any "research advisor role." |
| 2. How they compare | Two to four sentences. Name a group you know well and where the student stands in it, with a number if you can, and give your reason. | "It is helpful to compare the relative placement of the applicant among peers (but do not name other students, including NSF GRFP applicants and fellowship recipients)." |
| 3. Intellectual Merit | The longest part, about half to two thirds of a page. One or two moments you saw: the problem, what the student did on their own, how, and what came of it. | Reviewers weigh the ability to "Plan and conduct research," "Work independently," "Take initiative" and "Persist and overcome challenges," among other factors. |
| 4. Broader Impacts | About a quarter of a page on mentoring, teaching, outreach or service: who the student reached, how many, for how long, and their role. Say what you saw yourself. | Factors include the likelihood that the student's activities will "Increase participation in STEM" or "Improve STEM education in schools through outreach and mentoring." |
| 5. Proposed research and potential | About a paragraph: your view of the research plan, whether the student can carry it out, and where you expect them to go in graduate school and beyond. | Statements on the "proposed research" and on potential for "contributing to a globally-engaged United States science and engineering workforce." Research supervisors also "comment on the originality of their research statement" and on their own role, if any. |
| 6. Close and signature | Two or three sentences restating your recommendation, with an offer to answer questions. Then your signature, on letterhead if you have it. | "SIGNED by the reference writer, including the name, professional title, department, and institution," on "Institutional or professional letterhead, if available." |
Quoted from NSF 26-5263 and NSF's page for reference writers1, checked October 29, 2026. The page budgets are the template's suggestion: NSF's only length rule is two pages. If NSF's pages change, follow NSF.
How it works
What makes a GRFP recommendation letter strong?
Reviewers can only weigh what you show them, so trade adjectives for moments you saw. NSF's page for reference writers1 says letters with specific information are "much more effective than generic ones." In many compelling applications, it adds, the parts are "consistent without being repetitive," so back up the student's statements with detail only you can give. And write about the person, not the project: NSF reminds writers that the application "is not an NSF grant proposal."
Your adjectives matter too: in a 2007 study, Toni Schmader and colleagues analyzed 886 recommendation letters2 for chemistry and biochemistry faculty jobs. The letters were mostly alike, but writers used fewer standout words, such as "outstanding" and "exceptional," for women than for men with similar qualifications. Letters with more standout words also had more words about ability and fewer about effort, such as "hardworking." So describe ability, not only effort, and give every student the strongest words you honestly can, each backed by something you saw.
Students can make a specific letter easy to write: NSF's page for writers1 says they should be ready to share their statements, transcripts and CV. This template's one-page brag sheet lines up their evidence with NSF's factors. They can send it with a letter request email and track each writer on the GRFP checklist. If you're the writer, paste it into the box at the top and click Edit with AI: River drafts the outline from it and leaves every judgment to you.
How it works
From brag sheet to signed letter
Download it or open it in River
Download the outline and the brag sheet as Word files, or click Edit with AI to open both in River.
Paste the brag sheet
Optional. Paste the student's brag sheet or CV before you click, and River drafts the outline from their facts, marking every line it wrote.
Add your judgment
Fill the comparison and opinion slots yourself, check each fact against what you saw, and rewrite every marked line in your voice.
Sign and upload
Save a signed PDF on letterhead, two pages at most, and upload it through the link in NSF's email before the letter deadline.
Dear Members of the Review Panel:
[Student] has worked in my soil ecology lab since June 2025, about 15 hours a week.
[Of the [number] undergraduates I have supervised in [years], [Student] is [your placement]. Name no other student.]
[Student] built a soil moisture sensor network across 12 field plots and wrote the code that cleans its data. [What this showed you about their independence.]
[Student] trained two first-year students in field methods. [What you saw of them as a mentor.]
[Signature] · [Name, title, department, institution]
What you'll get
A two-page outline for writers, NSF's letter rules and a brag sheet for students
- A two-page letter outline, part by part, covering both NSF criteria
- NSF's 2026–27 letter rules quoted, from letterhead to the upload deadline
- A brag sheet the student fills in and sends to each writer
Before and after
The student's brag sheet in. A letter outline out.
Maya Ortiz. In Dr. Lee's soil ecology lab since June 2025, about 15 hours a week. Built a soil moisture sensor network across 12 plots and wrote the data cleaning code. Poster at our campus research symposium, April 2026. Trained two first-year students in field methods. PhD plan: how drought changes soil microbes.
1. How I know her: Maya Ortiz has worked in my soil ecology lab since June 2025, about 15 hours a week. 2. How she compares: [Of the [number] students I have supervised, [Student] is [your placement].] 3. Intellectual Merit: Maya built a soil moisture sensor network across 12 field plots and wrote the code that cleans its data. She presented the work at our campus research symposium in April 2026. [What this showed you about her independence.] 4. Broader Impacts: Maya trained two first-year students in field methods. [What you saw of her as a mentor.]
Every drafted line carries a comment to rewrite it in your voice. Comparisons and judgments stay in brackets for the writer.
What lands in your doc
What's inside the letter template
- NSF's letter rules, quoted
Letterhead, signature, two pages, Times New Roman at 11 points and single spacing, word for word. - Six parts, with page budgets
How you know the student, how they compare, both criteria, the proposed research and the close. - Slots for the writer's judgment
Comparisons and opinions stay in brackets, beside NSF's rule against naming other students. - A before-you-upload checklist
Eight checks, from blank pages in the PDF to the email that carries the upload link. - Brag Sheet for Your Letter Writers
One page per writer: the project, shared work, three moments, goals, and both criteria in NSF's words. - How NSF's email arrives
The sender's address, the 10-minute sign-in code, and what to do when the invitation doesn't show up.
Questions GRFP applicants ask
Common questions
What should a GRFP letter of recommendation include?
A GRFP letter addresses both review criteria, Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts, and says how long and in what role you have known the student. NSF 26-5263 also asks for comments on their academic potential, prior research, proposed research and potential to contribute to the U.S. science and engineering workforce. Research supervisors add how original the research statement is and their role, if any.
How long is a GRFP letter of recommendation?
Two pages at most, as a PDF. NSF 26-5263 calls for a signed letter on letterhead if available, in Times New Roman at 11 points or larger, single-spaced on 8.5 by 11 inch pages. NSF's page for reference writers1 adds 1-inch margins and a file that isn't password protected, and its writer FAQ4 says the system rejects longer letters.
When are GRFP letters due?
For the 2026–27 cycle, letters were due Friday, October 16, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, three days before the first application deadline. That cycle has closed, and NSF expects results by early April 2027. NSF sets new dates in each solicitation (this cycle's was posted August 25, 2026), so update the template's dates from the next one. The GRFP deadlines guide lists every 2026–27 date.
How do I submit a GRFP letter of recommendation?
Through the link in NSF's invitation, an email from Rgov-No-Reply@nsf.gov that arrives once the student lists you, one per student. You need no NSF account, just a one-time code. NSF's submission guide5 says choosing your PDF submits it at once, though you can delete and re-upload until the deadline. NSF takes no letters by email or mail.
Can a student write their own GRFP letter?
No, the letter should be the writer's own. NSF requires it to be signed by the reference writer and uploaded through the writer's own invitation, and only the writer can judge how you compare with your peers. If a writer asks you for a draft, offer a brag sheet of facts they can check instead, and leave every comparison and judgment to them.
Is this GRFP letter of recommendation template free?
Yes. Download the letter outline and the brag sheet as two Word documents, with no account or signup. Edit with AI opens the same two documents in River, which is free to start. There you can edit them or ask River to change them. Paid plans add more AI use and access to the most advanced models.
What does Edit with AI do?
It opens the outline and the brag sheet in your own River workspace. Paste the student's brag sheet, CV or notes into the box at the top first, and River drafts the outline's parts from those facts. It comments on every line it wrote, leaves rankings and judgments in brackets, and never invents results or quotes. With nothing pasted, River changes neither document.
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