There are four eligibility requirements: citizenship, discipline, academic status, and the ability to accept the full benefit. Applicants must meet all four requirements in order to be eligible.

CITIZENSHIP

The NDSEG Fellowship Program is open only to applicants who are citizens or nationals 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.

SUPPORTED DISCIPLINES:
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)

Areas of interest that fall outside of the list may be considered if it is a STEM field and is related to one or more of these fields. If you need help selecting one of our supported disciplines, we recommend utilizing your academic or research advisor for guidance.

ACADEMIC STATUS

NDSEG Fellowships are designed to encourage baccalaureate recipients to enter graduate school and ultimately gain doctorates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. Applicants must have received or be on track to receive their bachelor's degrees by Summer.

STI-TEC and the DoD use academic status guidelines to ensure that students at or near the beginning of their graduate studies receive fellowships. Eligible applicants are enrolled in their final year of undergraduate studies through the second year of a traditional PhD program. See below for a breakout of eligibility criteria.

Undergraduate Students (degree must be received prior to the Fellowship Start date)
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

Applicants who are pursuing a Medical Degree are not eligible for the NDSEG fellowship.

ABILITY TO ACCEPT THE FELLOWSHIP

Intend to pursue a doctoral degree in order to be eligible for NDSEG Fellowship support. If you are awarded, you must start your tenure in the fall of that year. Fellowships awarded in the spring must start in September. Deferrals may be considered on a case by case basis, and must be authorized by NDSEG prior to acceptance. In most cases an NDSEG Fellowship is non-deferrable.

NDSEG Fellows must be enrolled full-time and must be pursuing graduate study at a U.S. institution; the NDSEG Fellowship does not pay for tuition at any non-U.S. institution.

A fellow may not accept simultaneous remuneration from another major fellowship. Fellows must be eligible to accept both the tuition benefit and the full stipend amount.