The DoD SMART scholarship program is renowned for providing students with complete tuition coverage and other financial benefits, provided they swap out their post-graduation civilian service for employment at a department of defense facility.
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The Science and Mathematics Research and Transmission Scholarship positions itself as an internship program that improves academic knowledge by allocating research and labor to students per their abilities. After graduation, the SMART program offers students the option to continue their research in the civil service, providing research students with both an education and a career.
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Table of Contents
About DoD SMART Scholarship
The SMART scholarship program, launched by the Department of Defense in 2006, aims to help undergraduate and graduate students pursuing technical degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. SMART is a DoD civilian scholarship program for service fully sponsored by the secretary of defense office and a scaled-down version of the National Defense Education Program (NDEP). This program aims to expand the number of civilian engineers and scientists employed at DoD sites.
This grant is available to outstanding undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate students in the STEM fields.
The Department of Defense works to develop outstanding STEM talent across education to support its present workforce in solving future defense technical concerns, Thereby realizing the significance of supporting the academic endeavors of eager young American scientists and engineers.
The DoD’s efforts to attract top talent and brilliant minds with the technical ability necessary to carry out the Department’s mission are vitally illustrated by the SMART Scholarship Program. The DoD’s concentrated endeavor to improve the evolution of highly specialized and qualified technical labor into DoD agencies to promote the present technical capabilities of the workforce is built upon the SMART scholarship for service program.
Eligible Field of Study
The DoD SMART Scholarship, which the United States sponsors, is given to candidates for undergraduate and graduate degrees in any of the following Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields:
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- Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
- Biosciences
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Cognitive
- Neural and Behavioral Sciences
- Computer and Computational Sciences
- Electrical Engineering
- Oceanography
- Operations Research
- Physics
- Host Nationality
- Geosciences
- Industrial and Systems Engineering (Technical tracks only)
- Information Sciences
- Materials Science and Engineering,
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering,
- Nuclear Engineering
Eligible Nationality
Students who are residents of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom are eligible for the DoD SMART Scholarship for Service.
Scholarly Value
SMART scholarship recipients receive annual cash grants ranging from $25,000 to $41,000 based on their prior academic achievement. These grants assist scholarship recipients with additional educational costs recognized by the university. They also include the following:
- The annual stipend
- $1,200 in health insurance each academic year
- $1,000 book allowance per academic year
- Summer Internships (multi-year participants)
- Job placement or career openings for recent graduates within the Department of Defense
- Mentoring by a DoD sponsoring facility
How many slots are available for DoD Smart scholarships
It is unclear how many places are available for SMART Scholarships for STEM students. The scholarship is strictly on merit.
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DoD SMART Scholarship 2022 Eligibility
To be eligible for the SMART scholarship DoD, prospective students must meet the following requirements:
- Citizenship of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom.
- Individuals with permanent residency are ineligible, and proof of citizenship is required.
- Must reach the age of 18 by August 1, 2022.
- Be ready to participate in summer internship programs at DoD facilities.
- Be ready to accept employment in the DoD following graduation.
- Continuing to pursue a technical undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the fields mentioned above at a college or university in the United States.
- The student’s cumulative GPA must be at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale at the time of the award, and recipients must be qualified to get and maintain a security clearance.
- Be obliged to work in their STEM profession at a state-of-the-art Department of Defense facility after graduating.
How to Apply for DoD SMART Scholarship 2022
Online submissions are accepted through the scholarship website. For further information on how to apply, visit the DoD SMART website at www.smartscholarship.org.
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DoD SMART scholarship 2022 Application Deadline
The DoD SMART application period opens on August 1 and expires at 5:00 p.m. EST on December 3, 2022. Each spring, award recipients are notified.
Conclusion
It is crucial to realize that this program is intended exclusively for individuals who want to pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree in a STEM field, receive a full scholarship, and, after earning their degree, can be financially recruited by the Department of Defense. Therefore, if a recipient decides to leave the program or disregards the program rules, the recipient is expected to make a total return to the DoD. Depending on how long the beneficiary stays in their post-graduation job, the reimbursement is split proportionately.
For instance, if you are required to work for the government for two years but only put in a year because you intend to quit, you will be required to pay back around half of what was given to you for your phase 1 schooling.
Final Thought
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Candidates are urged to think carefully before accepting this scholarship for the service agreement. Applicants should contact the sponsoring facility (the one granting you the job) to clarify the recipient’s employment responsibilities once they graduate.