diff --git a/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/actions.ts b/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/actions.ts
index 253de1e..6b03e1a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/actions.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/actions.ts
@@ -66,3 +66,10 @@ export const updateSearchQuery = action(
   'updateSearchQuery',
   (searchQuery: string) => ({searchQuery})
 )
+
+export const setNotifications = action(
+  'setNotifications',
+  (notifications: {id: number; title: string; message: string }[]) => ({
+    notifications,
+  })
+)
diff --git a/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/mutators.ts b/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/mutators.ts
index 2ec5483..fd98e50 100644
--- a/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/mutators.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/mutators.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ import {
   updateFilter,
   updateStartDateFilter, updateEndDateFilter,
   updateSearchQuery,
-  updateYearFilter
+  updateYearFilter,
+  setNotifications
 } from './actions';
 import { getAppStore } from './store';
 
@@ -80,3 +81,8 @@ mutator(updateYearFilter, (actionMessage) => {
   const store = getAppStore();
   store.yearFilter = actionMessage.yearFilter;
 })
+
+mutator(setNotifications, (actionMessage) => {
+  const store = getAppStore();
+  store.notifications = actionMessage.notifications;
+})
diff --git a/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/store.ts b/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/store.ts
index 205ed5c..9b0ce34 100644
--- a/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/store.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/external/bcanSatchel/store.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ export interface AppState {
   startDateFilter: Date | null;
   endDateFilter: Date | null;
   searchQuery: string;
-  yearFilter:number[] | [];
+  yearFilter:number[] | null;
+  notifications: { id: number; title: string; message: string; }[];
 }
 
 // Define initial state
@@ -26,7 +27,8 @@ const initialState: AppState = {
   startDateFilter: null,
   endDateFilter: null,
   searchQuery: '',
-  yearFilter: []
+  yearFilter: null,
+  notifications: []
 };
 
 const store = createStore<AppState>('appStore', initialState);
diff --git a/frontend/src/main-page/dashboard/Dashboard.tsx b/frontend/src/main-page/dashboard/Dashboard.tsx
index 86f5092..e754827 100644
--- a/frontend/src/main-page/dashboard/Dashboard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/main-page/dashboard/Dashboard.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const Dashboard = observer(() => {
 
   const uniqueYears = Array.from(
     new Set(
-      yearFilter?.length > 0
+      yearFilter && yearFilter?.length > 0
         ? yearFilter
         : allGrants.map((g) => new Date(g.application_deadline).getFullYear())
     )
diff --git a/frontend/src/main-page/header/Bell.tsx b/frontend/src/main-page/header/Bell.tsx
index 8253c61..1aeb811 100644
--- a/frontend/src/main-page/header/Bell.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/main-page/header/Bell.tsx
@@ -1,15 +1,20 @@
 import { FontAwesomeIcon } from "@fortawesome/react-fontawesome";
 import { faBell } from "@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons";
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
-import { api } from "../../api";
+//import { api } from "../../api"; //todo: swap out dummy data with real api fetch when backend is ready
+import NotificationPopup from "../notifications/NotificationPopup";
+import { setNotifications as setNotificationsAction } from "../../external/bcanSatchel/actions";
+import { getAppStore } from "../../external/bcanSatchel/store";
+
 
 // get current user id
 // const currUserID = sessionStorage.getItem('userId');
-const currUserID = "bcanuser33";
+// const currUserID = "bcanuser33";
 
 const BellButton = () => {
   // stores notifications for the current user
-  const [notifications, setNotifications] = useState<any[]>([]);
+  const store = getAppStore();
+  const notifications = store.notifications ?? [];
 
   // determines whether bell has been clicked
   const [isClicked, setClicked] = useState(false);
@@ -21,55 +26,45 @@ const BellButton = () => {
 
   // function that handles when button is clicked and fetches notifications
   const handleClick = async () => {
-    const response = await api(
-      `/notifications/user/${currUserID}`,
-      {
-        method: "GET",
-      }
-    );
-    console.log(response);
-    const currNotifications = await response.json();
-    setNotifications(currNotifications);
+    //temporary dummy data for now
+    const dummyNotifications = [
+      {id: 1, title: "Grant Deadline", message: "Grant A deadline approaching in 3 days"},
+      {id: 2, title: "Grant Deadline", message: "Grant B deadline tomorrow!"}, 
+      {id: 3, title: "Grant Deadline", message: "Grant C deadline passed yesterday!"},
+      {id: 4, title: "Grant Deadline", message: "Grant D deadline tomorrow!"}
+    ];
+    //previous api logic (for later)
+    //const response = await api(
+      //`/notifications/user/${currUserID}`,
+      //{
+        //method: "GET",
+      //}
+    //);
+    //console.log(response);
+    //const currNotifications = await response.json();
+    setNotificationsAction(dummyNotifications);
     setClicked(!isClicked);
     return notifications;
   };
 
+  const handleClose = () => setClicked(false);
+
   return (
-    <>
+    <div className="bell-container">
       <button
         className={`bell-button ${isClicked ? "hovered" : ""}`}
         onClick={handleClick}
       >
         <FontAwesomeIcon icon={faBell} style={{ color: "black" }} />
       </button>
+
       {isClicked && (
-        <div className="notification-modal">
-          <div className="notification-modal-content">
-            <h4>
-              {currUserID ? `Notifications for ${currUserID}` : "Notifications"}
-            </h4>
-            {notifications.length > 0 ? (
-              <ul>
-                {notifications.map((notification, index) => (
-                  <li key={index} className="notification-item">
-                    {notification.message} <br />
-                    <small>Alert Time: {notification.alertTime}</small>
-                  </li>
-                ))}
-              </ul>
-            ) : (
-              <p>No new notifications</p>
-            )}
-            <button
-              onClick={() => setClicked(false)}
-              className="notification-close-button"
-            >
-              Close
-            </button>
-          </div>
-        </div>
+        <NotificationPopup
+        notifications={notifications}
+        onClose={handleClose}
+        />
       )}
-    </>
+    </div>
   );
 };
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/main-page/notifications/GrantNotification.tsx b/frontend/src/main-page/notifications/GrantNotification.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef59f2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/main-page/notifications/GrantNotification.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { FontAwesomeIcon } from "@fortawesome/react-fontawesome";
+import { faBell } from "@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons";
+import { FaTrash } from "react-icons/fa";
+
+interface GrantNotificationProps {
+    title: string;
+    message: string;
+}
+
+const GrantNotification: React.FC<GrantNotificationProps> = ({ title, message }) => {
+    return (
+        <div className="grant-notification" role="listitem">
+            <div className="bell-notif">
+                <FontAwesomeIcon icon={faBell} style={{ color: "gray"}} />
+            </div>
+            <div className="notification-text">
+                <div className="notification-title">{title}</div>
+                <div className="notification-message">{message}</div>
+            </div>
+            <FaTrash
+                className="notification-trash-icon"
+                title="Delete notification"
+            />
+            </div>
+    );
+};
+
+export default GrantNotification;
diff --git a/frontend/src/main-page/notifications/NotificationPopup.tsx b/frontend/src/main-page/notifications/NotificationPopup.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26f2be5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/main-page/notifications/NotificationPopup.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import { createPortal } from 'react-dom';
+import GrantNotification from "./GrantNotification";
+import '../../styles/notification.css';
+
+interface NotificationPopupProps {
+    notifications: { id: number; title: string; message: string }[];
+    onClose: () => void;
+}
+
+const NotificationPopup: React.FC<NotificationPopupProps> = ({
+    notifications,
+    onClose
+}) => {
+    return createPortal(
+        <div className="notification-popup" role="dialog" aria-label="Notifications">
+            <div className="popup-header">
+                <h3>Alerts</h3>
+                <button className="close-button" onClick={onClose} aria-label="Close notifications">
+                    ✕
+                </button>
+            </div>
+
+            <div className="notification-list">
+                {notifications && notifications.length > 0 ? (
+                    notifications.map((n) => (
+                        <GrantNotification key={n.id} title={n.title} message={n.message} />
+                    ))
+                ) : (
+                    <p className="empty-text">No new notifications</p>
+                )}
+            </div>
+        </div>,
+        document.body
+    );
+};
+
+export default NotificationPopup;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/notification.css b/frontend/src/styles/notification.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd6e0f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/notification.css
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+.notification-popup {
+  position: absolute;
+  right: 7.5rem;
+  top: 75px;
+  width: min(340px, 70%);
+  background-color: white;
+  border: 1px solid #343131;
+  border-radius: 6px;
+  box-shadow: 0 4px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
+  padding: 0.5rem;
+  z-index: 1000;
+}
+
+
+.popup-header {
+  display: flex;
+  justify-content: space-between;
+  align-items: center;
+  padding: 0.5rem 0.5rem;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;
+}
+
+
+.popup-header h3 {
+  font-size: 1.1rem;
+  font-weight: 600;
+  color: #333;
+  margin: 0;
+}
+
+
+.close-button {
+  background: none;
+  border: none;
+  font-size: 1rem;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  color: #777;
+}
+.close-button:hover {
+  color: #e74c3c;
+}
+
+
+.notification-list {
+  max-height: 200px;
+  overflow-y: auto;
+  margin-top: 10px;
+}
+
+
+.grant-notification {
+  position: relative;
+  border-bottom: 0.2px solid #dfd9d9;
+  border-radius: 0px;
+  padding: 8px 10px;
+  padding-right: 35px;
+  margin-bottom: 2px;
+  font-size: 0.9rem;
+  transition: background-color 0.2s ease;
+  display: flex;
+}
+
+.bell-notif {
+  margin-right: 10px;
+  background-color: rgb(225, 225, 225);
+  padding: 10px;
+  border-radius: 100%;
+  scale: 73%;
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  width: 40px;
+  height: 40px;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+}
+
+.notification-text {
+  flex: 1;
+}
+
+.notification-title {
+  font-weight: 600;
+  font-size: 13px;
+  color: #101010;
+  line-height: 1.15;
+}
+
+.notification-message {
+  font-size: 12.5px;
+  color: #555;
+  margin-top: 4px;
+  line-height: 1.2;
+}
+
+.grant-notification:hover {
+  background-color: #f1f1f1;
+}
+
+.notification-trash-icon {
+  position: absolute;
+  bottom: 8px;
+  right: 10px;
+  color: #aaa;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  font-size: 0.9rem
+}
+
+.notification-trash-icon:hover {
+  color: #e74c3c
+}