Frequently Asked Questions for Applicants

The program is administered for NASA by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). ORAU provides innovative scientific and technical solutions to advance national priorities in science, education, security and health. Through specialized teams of experts, unique laboratory capabilities and access to a consortium of more than 100 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to advance national priorities and serve the public interest.

NASA Postdoctoral Research Fellows work closely with NASA scientists on their own research programs. By contrast, the NASA Postdoctoral Management Program (NPMP) is designed to provide valuable experience in the management of scientific programs. NPMP Fellows generally work with NASA program scientists at NASA Headquarters on a wide range of programmatic activities involving various aspects in the management of a research and analysis program, analyzing the progress made toward the Division’s scientific research objectives, and participating in future mission feasibility studies. NASA Postdoctoral Management Program Fellowships are open to applicants who have completed at least one year of a research fellowship.

You may apply for an award before you complete your Ph.D., but you must complete all requirements for a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctorate degree and provide proof of that qualification before beginning the fellowship.

NPP applicant may submit only ONE application for ONE research opportunity per application cycle.

An applicant does not choose whether to apply as a Postdoctoral or Senior Fellow, it is determined by when they have earned their PhD. A Postdoctoral Fellow has held the doctoral degree for less than five years at the time of application. A Senior Fellow has held the doctoral degree for five or more years at the time of application.

A fellowship term of appointment is 12 months. NPP appointments may continue for two additional years, contingent on available funding and the continued relevance of the research to NASA’s goals and missions. NPP appointments are limited to three years. Year 3 must be funded by the advisor and approved by the Center.

NPP Fellowships are awarded competitively. Each application is reviewed by NASA and by at least three external experts. High-ranking applications may then be recommended for award by NASA. Each NASA Center makes award selections based on NASA’s needs, available funding, and the application review results of the pool of candidates. The NPP Center representative communicates the award decisions to ORAU. ORAU notifies the applicant of the Center’s decisions.

An applicant who has been selected by NASA for an NPP award will be notified by email, with a formal offer from ORAU. The offer package consists of an offer letter and terms of appointment. Typically, notifications are made two to three months after an application deadline.

Applications placed in pending status remain eligible for an NPP award for one year from the application deadline.

Applications are submitted electronically through Zintellect, the applicant portal website. An applicant creates an account in Zintellect, then enters contact information, educational, work, and research background, and names and email addresses of references. Transcript document(s) are also uploaded by the applicant. Through their portal account, the applicant can search for and select a research opportunity and will use this account to upload their research proposal and submit their completed application. Applications can be altered up to the current cycle deadline.

The official translation must be signed by a professional translator, or the translation needs to be issued by the university. Both the official English translation and the original foreign language document need to be submitted together.

Information about the application process and eligibility requirements is available on the Application page. Potential applicants can send questions to the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP). A list of ORAU contacts is also available on the Contact page.