SMART Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation

The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), is a unique education and workforce development opportunity for aspiring leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The SMART Scholarship Program offers two scholarship opportunities, the SMART Scholarship and the Ronald V. Dellums Memorial SMART Scholarship (Dellums SMART Scholarship).

The SMART Scholarship is for students currently enrolled at a college or university or with previous college credit. Applicants should already possess a college transcript from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or will have a college transcript by the end of the fall term. The SMART Scholarship is also open to those pursuing or who will be pursuing a graduate degree at a regionally accredited U.S. institution.

The Dellums SMART Scholarship is for students with no previous college credit who intend to pursue a bachelor's degree. Students seeking to attend a historically Black college or university, minority institution, or minority serving institution are particularly encouraged to apply.

Recipients of either scholarship receive full tuition, annual stipends, health and book allowances, mentorship, and conduct internships at a DoD facility. The first step to a rewarding civilian career with the DoD is reviewing the eligibility requirements for both opportunities, starting with the 24 SMART STEM disciplines. These disciplines are general disciplines – specific majors or fields of study may fall under one or more discipline on this list. All applicants should be pursuing a degree in one of SMART’s 24 STEM disciplines.

• Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biosciences
• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences
• Computer Science and Engineering
• Cybersecurity
• Data Science and Analytics
• 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
• Software Engineering

Please note, non-technical degrees, including management, arts, or humanities, are not approved or funded by SMART.

Program Eligibility for All Scholarships

• Be a citizen of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or United Kingdom
• Be 18 years of age or older by January 1, 2026
• Have and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Be currently pursuing, or intend to pursue in fall 2025, a degree in a SMART STEM discipline
• Be requesting between 1-5 years of degree funding. Degree funding will start in August 2025
• Complete summer internships
• Accept a one-for-one post graduation service commitment as a civilian employee of the Department of Defense