Career Corner | Scholarship, Fellowship for Science Students, December Deadlines

Two Department of Defense scholarship programs for science students have December application deadlines.

• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program | Apply by Dec. 7
• Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program | Apply by Dec. 1

Students who would like help with their application can contact Roxanne Male’-Brune at male-bru@ohio.edu.

National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program

Deadline:  Dec. 7, 2018

Description:

• The Department of Defense (DoD) funds fellowships as a means of increasing the number of U.S. citizens and nationals trained in science and engineering disciplines of military importance,
• The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship is highly competitive.
• NDSEG Fellowships last for a period of up to three years (based on continued funding), and covers full tuition and mandatory fees. Fellows also receive a monthly stipend ($3,200), and up to $1,200 a year in medical insurance.

Eligibility:

• Must be a citizen or national of the United States. The term “nationals” refers to native residents of a possession of the United States such as American Samoa. It does not refer to a citizen of another country who has applied for U.S. citizenship. Persons who hold permanent resident status are not eligible. Proof of citizenship will be required upon formal offer.
• Status:
  • Undergraduate Students (degree must be received by summer 2019)
  • Recent Bachelor’s Degree Recipients
  • Graduate Students (1st year, 2nd year)
  • ​ Recent Master’s Degree Recipients
  • Pre-Doctoral Students (1st year, 2nd year)
  • Dual MD-PHD Students
  • Dual PSYD-PHD Students
• Discipline:
• Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
• Biosciences (includes toxicology)
• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences (Note:PsyD programs are not eligible)
• Computer and Computational Sciences
• Electrical Engineering
• Geosciences (includes terrain, water, and air)
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering (includes undersea systems)
• Oceanography (includes ocean acoustics, remote sensing, and marine meteorology)
• Physics (including optics)

Evaluation: 

• Proposed research relevant to the DoD. The research proposal should capture how well the proposal responds to one of the BAAs listed on the website under the DOD menu.
• Academic Achievement. This is based on your academic transcript, Major GPA, and GREs/MCATs.
• Reference Evaluation Forms. These forms should capture professional assessment of the applicant, a testimony to your scholarly excellence. References should be provided by an Advisor or Instructor.
• Personal Statement. Describe your academic or other interest, and personal achievements.

Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program

Deadline:  Dec. 1, 2018

Description: The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program has been established by the Department of Defense (DoD) to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing technical degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The program aims to increase the number of civilian scientists and engineers working at DoD facilities. For each academic year of a scholar’s award, he/she is required to commit to one year (12 months) of civilian employment with the DoD.

Eligibility:

• General:
• Citizen of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or United Kingdom at time of application
• 18 years of age or older as of August 1, 2019
• Able to participate in summer internships at a DoD facility,
• Willing to accept post-graduate employment with the DoD,
• A student in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Pursuing a technical undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the disciplines listed below.
• Status:
  • Undergraduate applicants must be currently enrolled in a regionally accredited U.S. college or university and have a high school diploma/GED. Current high school students are not eligible to apply.
  • Graduate applicants can be either currently enrolled in a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or awaiting notification of admission to such. If awaiting admission, you must be accepted for entrance in the fall 2019 term.
• Discipline: Applicants MUST be pursuing a technical degree in one of the 21 STEM disciplines listed below.
  • Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
  • Biosciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences
  • Computer and Computational Sciences and Computer Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Geosciences
  • Industrial and Systems Engineering (technical tracks only)
  • Information Sciences
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mathematics
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
  • Nuclear Engineering
  • Oceanography
  • Operations Research (technical tracks only)
  • Physics

Benefits:

• Full tuition and education related fees (does not include items such as meal plans, housing, or parking)
• Stipend paid at a rate of $25,000 – $38,000 depending on degree pursuing (may be prorated depending on award length)
• Summer research internships
• Health Insurance allowance up to $1,200 per calendar year
• Miscellaneous Supplies Allowance of $1,000 per academic year
• Mentoring
• Employment placement at a DoD facility after graduation.
  • Upon selection, awardees are assigned to a DoD facility where he/she will be expected to serve as a summer intern and complete a period of post-graduation employment service as a DoD civilian.
  • Upon selection, awardees sign the SMART Service Agreement (please note this is the 2017 agreement and that future agreements are subject to change). The employment obligation to the DoD civilian Science and Technology (S&T) workforce upon graduation is a one-to-one commitment. For each academic year of a scholar’s award, he/she is required to commit to one year (12 months) of civilian employment with the DoD. Scholars who fail to comply with the degree completion and conferral time lines on their application will be required to provide an increased ratio of post-graduation service to length of award. Students will be placed in DoD facilities in civilian positions and must be geographically mobile for placement following graduation.
  • If a scholar fails to properly complete the post-graduation service commitment, he/she will be responsible for the prompt reimbursement of any and all funds expended under the Program by the U.S. Government on behalf of the scholar.
  • Students may select up to three (3) preferred DoD facilities for placement. Every effort will be made to place awardees with one of their identified preferences, but such placement is not guaranteed. All awardees are notified of their placement upon award notification.
  • A partial list of participating organizations can be found on the Sponsoring Facilities page. Updates to this list will be made periodically.