NASA Postdoctoral Program (Fully Funded Fellowship)

Applications are now open for the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP), a funded fellowship that lets researchers with a doctoral degree carry out research at NASA centers across the United States. The program covers astrophysics, Earth science, aeronautics, biology and astrobiology, cosmochemistry, heliophysics, planetary science and technology development. Fellows receive a stipend starting at $70,000 per year, a $10,000 yearly travel allowance, health insurance support and relocation assistance for appointments of up to three years.

The program is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents and eligible international researchers who qualify for a J1 visa. The deadlines usually fall on March 1, July 1 and November 1, so the next round is typically November 1. The official NPP pages do not mention any application fee, but please confirm this on the official portal before you apply. You can check out BS, MS, PhD and postdoc positions here.

Key Details:

Scholarship name: NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP)
Degree level: Postdoctoral and Senior Fellowships
Host country: United States
Host locations: NASA Centers, NASA Headquarters or NASA affiliated research institutes
Funding type: Fully Funded
Application deadlines: March 1, July 1 and November 1
Application fee: None

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What This Scholarship Offers:

As an NPP Fellow, you receive funding, support and research experience at NASA. Here is what you get:

Up to three years of support:
Postdoctoral Fellows start at $70,000 per year, with extra supplements for high cost of living areas and certain specialties.
NASA pays about 85% of the premium if you buy a plan through ORAU.
You receive $10,000 every year for conferences, field work and training, and unused funds carry over.
Your moving costs to the host center may be reimbursed.
You work with leading NASA scientists and use NASA facilities and data.
You build a strong research record and professional network for roles at NASA and in academia.

Also Check: Mellon Fellowship of Scholars at Stanford University (2027-2028)

Eligibility Criteria:

You must complete all requirements for a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree before your fellowship begins. You must also meet one of these conditions:

You are a U.S. citizen.
You are a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).
You are a foreign national eligible for an Exchange Visitor J1 visa.
You are an applicant for LPR, asylee or refugee status in the U.S. with a valid EAD card and a pending I485 or I589 form.

Fellowship Type:

Postdoctoral Fellowship: For applicants who have held a doctoral degree for less than five years
Senior Fellowship: For applicants who have held a doctoral degree for five or more years
Management Program: For applicants who have completed at least one year of a research fellowship

Also Check: Harvard LEAD Fellowship 2027–2028

Other Important Conditions:

International applicants do not need a J1 visa at the time of application, but must obtain it before the appointment starts. If you are not eligible for a J1 visa, you should not apply.
You must not have held an NPP appointment in the last five years.
You must relocate to the host NASA Center or institute for the whole appointment.
Some opportunities are limited to U.S. citizens, so read each opportunity description carefully.
Some NASA Centers require a security or visitation clearance.
You may submit only one application for one research opportunity per cycle.

Also Check: Princeton PLAS Short Term Visiting Fellowships, USA (2027-2028)

Documents Required:

Research proposal as a PDF file (maximum 15 pages)
Three letters of recommendation
Official doctoral transcripts (required for Postdoctoral Fellow applicants only)
Contact information, citizenship details and demographic information
Employment history, publications, education and research experience details

Proposal Format

Maximum 15 pages, including figures and citations
Double spaced
12 point font
One inch margins
A proposal that does not follow these rules may be returned without review

Letters of Recommendation

You need three letters, and all must be received by the application deadline.
Postdoctoral Fellow applicants must include one letter from their thesis advisor.
The NASA advisor for your chosen opportunity cannot write a letter for you, even if they were your thesis advisor.

Transcript Rules

The transcript must come from the registrar’s office and show official markings, the institution name, your name, and either recent coursework and grades or your graduation date and degree.
Records downloaded from internal university systems are not accepted.
Remove personal information such as national ID number, date of birth, place of birth, parents’ names and student ID numbers from every page.
Upload a PDF of 10MB or less, with no password.
Transcripts must be in English or come with an official English translation.
If your university cannot issue a complete transcript, you can submit a signed statement on university letterhead confirming your enrollment in or completion of the doctoral program.

Selection Process:

Center Review

The NASA advisor checks whether your proposal fits NASA’s mission, is realistic and innovative, and can be completed in the proposed time.

External Review

Three independent external reviewers evaluate your full application. The scoring works as follows:

Scientific merit of proposed research: 40%
References: 20%
Academic and research record: 20%
Laboratory or Center review: 20%

Applicants usually need an overall score of 75 out of 100 or higher to be eligible. The final decision belongs to the NASA selection organization.

Special Priority

For the NASA Astrobiology Program, priority goes to interdisciplinary proposals that take your research beyond its current focus, and to proposals involving collaboration with other Astrobiology Research Coordination Network teams.