(SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program

Name: Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program

Award Amount: Full tuition, annual stipend, book and health allowances, mentorship, and paid summer internships; guaranteed post-graduation Department of Defense civilian employment

Information and Eligibility:
The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), provides merit-based scholarships to students pursuing bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees in approved STEM disciplines. In addition to full tuition coverage, recipients receive annual stipends, allowances for books and health insurance, and participate in summer internships at DoD facilities. Upon graduation, scholars transition into civilian employment with the DoD, fulfilling a one-for-one service commitment.

Eligible STEM disciplines include (but are not limited to):

• Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biosciences
• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences
• Computer Science and Engineering
• Data Science and Analytics
• Electrical Engineering
• Geosciences
• Industrial and Systems Engineering
• Information Sciences
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
• Nuclear Engineering
• Oceanography
• Operations Research
• Physics
• Software Engineering

Eligibility criteria include:

• Citizenship: Must be a citizen of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom.
• Age: Must be 18 years or older by January 1, 2027.
• Academic Performance: Must have and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Degree Program: Must be pursuing (or intend to pursue by Fall 2026) a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in an approved SMART STEM discipline at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
• Security Clearance: Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Funding Period: Must be requesting between 1–5 years of degree funding (starting August 2026).
• Internship Commitment: Must complete summer internships for awards exceeding 1.5 years.
• Service Commitment: Must accept a one-for-one post-graduation service commitment as a civilian employee of the DoD.

Deadline: Applications open August 1 each year; specific closing dates vary (check program website for details).

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