DoD SMART Scholarships [$41,000] for STEM Undergraduates in US 2024

Do you wish to have a STEM scholarship in the United States as an undergraduate or graduate student? DoD SMART Scholarship is now available for undergraduate and graduate students to receive financial assistance to support their education in the form of an internship. Check out this opportunity and apply.

In this article, you will get to know the scholarship worth of the DoD SMART Program. Kindly, read through for a better view and understanding.

About DoD SMART Scholarship Program

The Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) is a scholarship-for-service program that provides full tuition and other financial benefits to interested individuals in exchange for a period of post-graduation civilian service in a DoD facility.

The DoD SMART scholarship comes in the form of an internship program that allows for broadly relevant hands-on research and works experiences in DoD facilities, thereby enhancing their overall educational experience.

Students are also provided with the opportunities to continue their research in civil service roles following graduation. Through SMART, DoD offers research students not only an education but also a career.

DoD SMART Scholarship

The DoD  SMART Scholarship (Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation) for Service Program was established by the Department of Defense (DoD) in 2006 to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing technical degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

SMART is a DoD civilian scholarship-for-service program which is a part of the National Defense Education Program (NDEP], it is funded through the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

The program is aimed at increasing the number of civilian scientists and engineers working at DoD facilities. The DoD SMART scholarship award tuition and grants to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students who have demonstrated the aptitude for excelling in STEM fields in disciplines of importance to DoD.

DoD STEM seeks to attract, inspire, and develop exceptional STEM talent across the education continuum and advance the current DoD STEM workforce to meet future defense technological challenges. The Department of Defence recognizes the need to support the education of aspiring young American scientists and engineers.

The SMART Scholarship Program represents a critical aspect of DoD’s investment in attracting the best hands and brightest of minds with technical expertise that will help execute the Department’s mission.

The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program is part of the DoD’s concentrated effort to improve the flow of new, highly skilled technical labor into DoD facilities and agencies and to enhance the technical skills of the workforce already in place.

Level/Field of Study

DoD SMART Scholarship is awarded to applicants who are pursuing an undergraduate and graduate degree in, or closely related to, one of the following Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines which include;

• Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
• Biosciences
• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Cognitive
• Neural and Behavioral Sciences
• Computer and Computational Sciences
• Electrical Engineering
• 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
• Physics

Host Nationality

The DoD SMART Scholarship is taken and hosted in the United States. There are other US Scholarships available for International students. You can utilize these scholarship opportunities to solve most of your academics problems. Check out other scholarships you can apply for in 2024 to study in Europe, Africa, Asia, America, etc.

Eligible Nationality

The DoD SMART Scholarship for Service is available to legal students who are citizens of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom.

Scholarship Worth

In addition to paying tuition and other educational expenses at any accredited college or university within the U.S. SMART scholarship Participants receive cash awards ranging from $25,000-$41,000 per year, depending on prior educational experience. The benefits encompass the following;

• The annual stipend
• Health Insurance reimbursement allowance of $1,200 per academic year
• Book allowance of $1,000 per academic year
• Summer Internships (multi-year participants)
• Post-Graduation Career Opportunities/ employment placement within the DoD
• Mentoring by a DoD sponsoring facility

SMART Scholarships for Service include summer internships, which are located at DoD facilities and include a stipend to cover travel expenses. Upon graduation, SMART award recipients are placed in civilian jobs in DoD laboratories and agencies.

The post-degree service commitment is commensurate with the length of the SMART scholarship award. Students are required to pay back the scholarship by working with the Department of Defence in a 1-1 year ratio. This work is a paid position within a specific DoD agency.

Any changes to the original contract agreement made between the DoD and the award recipient may result in a longer duration of required employment. Multi-year recipients are also required to complete internships during the summers at their sponsoring facility at no additional compensation.

Scholarship Number

The number of openings for SMART Scholarships for STEM students was not stated. Its selection criteria are strictly based on merit.

Eligibility for DoD SMART Scholarship 2023

In order to qualify for the SMART Scholarship DoD, Prospective individuals applying for this scholarship must meet the following criteria;

• Be a citizen of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom
• Proof of citizenship is required, and persons who hold permanent resident status are not eligible
• 18 years of age or older as of August 1, 2024
• Able to participate in summer internships at a DoD facility
• Willing to accept post-graduate employment with the DoD
• Pursuing a technical undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the disciplines listed on the above, in a U.S. college or university
• A student in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale at the time of the award
• Awardees must be eligible to receive and hold a security clearance.
• A job after graduating in their STEM field at a cutting edge Department of Defense Facility

How to Apply for DoD SMART Scholarship 2023

Applications are done online at the scholarship website. You can visit the scholarship website to apply for this scholarship at DoD SMART website at;

APPLICATION LINK

DoD SMART scholarship 2024 Application Deadline

The application portal for the DoD SMART application opens on August 1, 2024, and closes on December 3, 2024, at 5:00 pm EST. Award notification occurs each spring.

Please note that this program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in STEM disciplines to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed by the Department of Defense upon degree completion.

Therefore, in a case where a recipient chooses to leave the program or fails to meet the program requirements, the recipient will be required to pay back in full all money that has been paid on their behalf to the DoD.

This payback amount is prorated depending on how long the recipient decides to stay in their post-graduation employment. For instance, if you are required to work for the government for two years and only complete one and want to leave the job at that time, you will be required to pay back approximately half of what was given to you during your Phase 1 educational time.

Applicants are encouraged to soberly consider this scholarship for service contract prior to accepting. Applicants are also highly encouraged to speak with their sponsoring facility (the ones that are offering you the job) to determine what the recipient’s job duties will be after they graduate.

DoD SMART Scholarship Login/Application Link

You can obtain more information about the DoD SMART official scholarship website: www.smartscholarship.org.

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