The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full scholarship and guaranteed civilian employment with the Department of Defense (DoD) upon degree completion. 

Applicants MUST be pursuing a technical degree in one of the 21 STEM disciplines listed below. Technical degrees include programs specializing in science, mathematics, and engineering (as listed in the 21 approved disciplines). Non-technical degrees include management, arts, or humanities degrees that are not approved or funded by SMART. Students pursuing technical degrees related to the following are encouraged to apply: 

• 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 
• Information Sciences
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
• Nuclear Engineering
• Oceanography
• Operations Research
• Physics 

The DoD is also interested in supporting the education of future scientists and engineers in a number of interdisciplinary, military technology areas that overlap the disciplines listed above. Applicants interested in studying in one of the interdisciplinary areas should apply under the disciplines listed above and then indicate their specific areas of interest on their application.

Benefits of the SMART scholarship: 

• 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 a year depending on degree pursuing (may be prorated depending on award length)
• Summer research internships ranging from 8 - 12 weeks
• Health Insurance allowance up to $1,200 per academic year
• Miscellaneous allowance of $1,000 per academic year
• An experience mentor at one of the Sponsoring Facilities
• Employment placement at a DoD facility upon degree completion. 

All awardees must be:

•  
• a 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, 2023
• requesting at least 1 year of degree funding prior to graduation (which starts at the program start date),
• able to complete at least one summer internship (multi-year scholars only)
• willing to accept post-graduation 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 21 STEM disciplines listed below,
• able to produce a fall quarter college transcript from a regionally accredited US college or university, OR be pursuing a graduate degree at a regionally accredited US college or university.

In addition:

*Undergraduate applicants

•  
• Must be able to produce a fall (or earlier) college transcript at the end of the term
• AP coursework is not considered college credit

**Graduate applicants 

•  
• Can be either currently enrolled in a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or awaiting notification of admission
• If awaiting admission, you must be accepted for entrance in the fall term

*Students who are currently Freshman or enrolled in a First Year Associate’s Program applicants must report an ACT or SAT Reasoning Test Score. Subject tests are not required. In addition, individuals who apply during their Freshman/First Year must obtain a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale during the fall academic term of their Freshman/First Year. Freshman/First Year Associate's Program applicants will be required to submit an official transcript reflecting their fall academic term grades to establish compliance with this requirement.

**Graduate applicants must have taken the GRE and test scores must be reportable by ETS. Subject tests are not required. 

Citizenship and Security Clearances

Proof of citizenship will be required upon award. Please be advised, if family members are not U.S. citizens, some agencies may be unable to process the participant for the appropriate security clearance. Every effort will be made to assign eligible students to DoD organizations without such restrictions but alternative placement is not guaranteed. Failure to obtain and maintain a security clearance is grounds for dismissal from the SMART Program.  Applicants must be citizens of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or United Kingdom at time of application. For more information, visit https://www.smartscholarship.org/smart?id=kb_article&sys_id=30d91073dbb54300b67330ca7c96197c 

• freshman
• sophomore
• junior
• senior
• graduate

• US Citizen

Application and instructions can be found on the website:https://www.smartscholarship.org/smart?id=kb_article&sys_id=0383c5d6db2a03006bb8f4b40f961956

All supporting materials including references and test scores must be received by 5:00pm EST of the deadline. Notifications of awards are traditionally made in the spring. Application materials are not returned to applicants. Applicants must click the "Submit Application" button to submit the application. 

Applicants will need to register for a new account before they will be able to start the application. The applicant will input their name and email address and choose a password. A sidebar is located at the left of each application page. Use this sidebar to navigate the application. Applicants may complete the application sections in any order. At any time, the applicant may click on the "Application Status" link in the sidebar to view information about how much of the application is complete.

Participants may study or engage in research fieldwork away from the academic institution for which they receive funding upon prior written approval from the SMART Program Office and if, in the judgement of academic or research advisor and DoD mentor the fieldwork furthers the Participant's education and contributes directly to the attainment of the degree funded by the award. The following conditions apply to all requests to engage in fieldwork:

1. the Participant must remain officially enrolled in a U.S. academic institution approved by the SMART Program Office;
2. the Participant must be earning academic credit toward the degree funded by the Program; and
3. No additional funds are provided for field work expenses.

Participants may engage in a study-abroad program upon written approval from the SMART Program Office. SMART will not provide additional funding for travel or additional tuition or fees related to participation in a study-abroad program. Participation in a study-abroad program may be approved if all of the following conditions are satisfied:

1. the study-abroad curriculum must directly contribute to the completion of degree requirements for which the Participant received funding;
2. participation in the study-abroad program must not affect the Participant's degree completion, conferral or start of post-graduation service dates;
3. participation in the study-abroad program must not affect the Participant's ability to fulfill his/her internship and post-graduation service commitments
4. the Participant maintains full-time enrollment status in the U.S. academic institution for which the Participant receives funding; and
5. tuition for the study-abroad program is paid directly to the U.S. academic institution for which the Participant receives funding; and
6. participation in the study-abroad program must not affect the Participant's eligibility to maintain the security clearance required to complete the internship and/or post-graduation service requirements.

Participants are responsible for providing the SMART Program Office with a written confirmation from his/her academic or research advisor on university letterhead that the study-abroad program satisfies these requirements.

Conditions of Appointment

During phase 1, SMART Scholarship Program Participants may accept funding from sources outside of SMART, including private scholarships, fellowships, grants, and private or federal student loans. SMART Scholarship Program Participants do not accept funding from federal scholarships, fellowships, grants (including the Federal Pell Grant) or other federal funding sources other than SMART with the exception of salary supplements provided by Sponsoring Facilities and Veteran’s Affairs programs (ex: Montgomery GI Bill, Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, the Survivors’ and Dependants’ Educational Assistance Program).

There is no monetary limit on the amount of outside funding a SMART Scholarship Program Participant may accept. Acceptance of outside funding may in no way impact the SMART Scholarship Program Participants obligations under the SMART Service Agreement. Receipt of outside funding does not reduce or eliminate the service commitment.

Participants may accept public and/or private loans.

During phase 1, recruitment SMART Scholarship Program Participants may accept employment outside of SMART that does not exceed 16 hours per week.

SMART does not require retention SMART Scholarship Program Participants to continue working for the Sponsoring Facility during phase 1. There is no set limit on the number of hours a retention SMART Scholarship Program Participant can work for the Sponsoring Facility during phase 1. However, retention SMART Scholarship Program Participants are expected to work less than full-time prior to completion of all degree requirements, including thesis or dissertation writing.

SMART Scholarship Program Participant employment hours may be further restricted if the work negatively impacts the SMART Scholarship Program Participant’s ability to fulfill the SMART Service Agreement. There is no monetary limit on the amount of wages a SMART Scholarship Program Participant may earn. Outside employment may in no way impact the SMART Scholarship Program Participant’s obligations under the SMART Service Agreement.

Participants must comply with SMART policies and procedures as well as the terms of the Service Agreement 

The Science, Mathematics, And Research for Transformation Defense Scholarship for Service Program (SMART) is administered by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

American Society for Engineering Education
1818 N Street N.W., Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Email: smart@asee.org
Phone: (202) 331-3544
Fax: (202) 265-8504
Web: http://smart.asee.org/